Australians are encouraged to pause at 11am next Tuesday (November 11) for Remembrance Day to observe one minute’s silence and remember those who have died or suffered for Australia in all wars and conflicts.
Gunnedah RSL sub-Branch will host a service at the Gunnedah Cenotaph starting 10.45am. All members of the community are invited to attend.
According to the Australian Government, the origins of Remembrance Day date back to the end of World War I in November 1918 when the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare.
The Germans had called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement and accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years and became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war.
In Australia and other allied countries, November 11 became known as Armistice Day. After the Second World War, the Australian Government agreed to the United Kingdom’s proposal that Armistice Day be renamed Remembrance Day
In November 1997, Governor-General, Sir William Deane, issued a proclamation formally declaring 11 November Remembrance Day. He urged all Australians to observe one minute’s silence at 11am on 11 November to remember all those who died or suffered for Australia’s causes in all wars and armed conflicts.
