Ka maumahara tonu tātou kia rātou - We will remember them.
We mark tomorrow's Anzac Day commemorations with a message from The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, Governor-General of New Zealand and His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, Governor-General of Australia.
Scroll down for video. The text in full
NZGG: Kia ora koutou. Greetings. Anzac Day is an opportunity to remember, reflect and honour those who have served in our Defence Forces.
AusGG: It is also a day that binds Australia and New Zealand. A day to recognise our shared history, our mateship and our commitment to each other. That is why Dame Patsy and I, on behalf of all Australians and New Zealanders, want to again mark Anzac Day together.
NZGG: Last year, marches could not be held, there were no pilgrimages to historic battlefields and we were unable to gather together on Anzac Day. Yet the importance of Anzac Day - to all of us - was still very evident. Despite the pandemic, people found a way to mark the day. In towns and cities across our countries, people rose at dawn and ventured down their driveway to stand and honour the service of our forebears.
We showed out commitment to honouring the Anzac legacy by taking time to stop, remember and say a quiet ‘thank you’ to those who have sacrificed themselves for our nations.
AusGG: If anything, last year showed the relevance of the Anzac legacy to the modern generation.
Anzac Day is about remembering the past and honouring those men and women whose service and sacrifice in conflicts long-passed helped create the world we enjoy today. It is, though, not just about history. It is very much about the here and now.
It is as much about those who serve in uniform today or who have served in recent years as it is about our ancestors who served alongside each other at Gallipoli. Our modern veterans exemplify the Anzac legacy and, through their service, enhance it. Anzac Day is for them.
NZGG: It is a day when our modern veterans and those who are in uniform should know that we are grateful for their service. It is also for their loved ones. The parents, husbands, wives, partners and children who support them – while they serve and in the years that follow. Their love and support and, for some, their sorrow and loss, are part of the story of our military history.
AusGG: On Anzac Day 2021, as we continue to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia and New Zealand will again stop – to reflect, remember and honour those who have served. As we do, we should recognise the unique and unbreakable bond between our countries.
NZGG: We will reflect on the Anzac legacy and how our modern veterans have played their part in taking that history forward.
AusGG: And we should recognise acknowledge the support provided and sacrifice made by the loved ones of those in uniform. Lest We Forget.
NZGG: Ka maumahara tonu tātou kia rātou