The 2022 Anzac Day long weekend is nearly upon us, and there are a host of things on across the Canberra region to commemorate this year.

Gallipoli in 35mm @ the NFSA

The iconic Australian film directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee will be presented on a 35mm film print from the NFSA collection.

The screening will take place Friday 22 April from 6pm at the NFSA’s Arc Cinema, Acton; click here for tickets.

Fred Smith Anzac Day eve special concert

Fred Smith and band will be presenting his extraordinary song cycle on Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan for an Anzac eve special at the intimate Smith’s Alternative.

For this performance, Smith will be experimenting with a new three-set format.

The first two sets will feature songs from his acclaimed Dust of Uruzgan album, which draws on his experiences working alongside Australian soldiers in southern Afghanistan between 2009 and 2013.

The final set will centre on material he wrote after working on the dramatic evacuation from Kabul in August 2021.

Fred Smith’s Anzac weekend concert will be held Sunday 24 April 7.30pm at Smith’s Alternative, City West; smithsalternative.com

Black Anzac @ the NFSA

Black Anzac is a feature-length documentary about artist Hego’s journey to tell an under told story of Australian history through a Sydney mural of a First World War Aboriginal soldier and its positive impacts on the wider community. 

The 2018 film, directed by Tim Anastasi, will screen at the NFSA’s Arc Cinema, Acton, Sunday 24 April at 2pm; click here to book.

Anzac Day @ the Australian War Memorial

This year, the Australian War Memorial will mark the 107th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings with the following commemorative program:

• Dawn service – dawn service commences at 5.30am – No tickets required.
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans Association Commemorative Ceremony – ceremony commences at 8am.
• ACT RSL Veteran’s March – returns in full for the first time since 2019, and will commence at 9.30am
• Galleries and Commemorative area – open from 12 noon – Tickets are required; book here.
• Last Post Ceremony – commences at 4.45pm – Tickets are now fully booked. The ceremony will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook.

Free travel to AWM Anzac Day Ceremonies

Anyone can participate in the ACT Government’s Register to Ride initiative to gain free travel to the ANZAC Day Dawn Service and Veterans’ March at the Australian War Memorial.

Register to Ride pick-up locations for the Dawn Service include Gungahlin Bus Station, Westfield Belconnen, Woden Bus Station, Tuggeranong Bus Station, with continuous loop shuttles from City Bus Station, Russell Offices and Canberra Centre. Continuous loop shuttle buses for the Veterans’ March will pick-up from Russell Offices, and Canberra Centre, via the City Bus Station.

Register to Ride for the Anzac Day Dawn Service here and Register to Ride for the RSL (ACT Branch) Veterans’ March here.

Anzac Day across Queanbeyan-Palerang

A host of Anzac Day services will be held throughout the Queanbeyan-Palerang region. The majority of these events are run by members of the community.

Queanbeyan

The event is jointly run by QPRC, RSL and Legacy Queanbeyan. The March is from the RSL building on Crawford Street, along Monaro Street to the memorial at the corner of Lowe and Monaro Streets. The dawn service begins at 5.30am and the main service begins at 10.30am. Both services are held at the memorial on the corner of Lowe and Monaro Streets.

Araluen

March from the Old Post Office to the War Memorial. March begins at 9am.

Braidwood

The dawn service starts at 6am and the main service starts at 10.30am at Wallace Street.

Bungendore

The Bungendore War Memorial S355 Committee hosts the annual ANZAC Day ceremonies.

The Dawn Service is held at Bungendore War Memorial on Gibraltar Street, with the crowd attending standing in the street in front of the Memorial. Muster at 5.45am for a 6am start.

The Bungendore main service will run 10.30am-12 noon at the War Memorial, Gibraltar Street.

Captains Flat

The Captains Flat S355 Committee hosts the ceremony and the service is from 10.30-11.30am.

Jerrabomberra

ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Jerrabomberra adjacent to the Jerrabomberra Hotel. The service begins at 5.30am.

Majors Creek

Service starts at 8am in the church grounds.

Visit the QPRC website listing for a full list of road closures associated with the various Dawn Services.

Have a game of two-up at your local

“Come in spinner.”

With the Anzac Day ceremonies complete for the day, it’s tradition for many to make their way down to their local for an afternoon of two-up. A simple Australian gambling game played by soldiers during WWI, it involves a ‘spinner’ tossing two coins off a wooden plank – known as ‘the kip’ – into the air, with punters betting on how the coins will land.

Anzac Day is the only time it’s legal to play two-up across Australia, so make the most of it, if you’re that way inclined.

Below are just a sampling of Canberra pubs and clubs known to host two-up on Anzac Day:

• Ainslie Football Club: 52 Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie
• Assembly The People’s Pub: 11 Lonsdale St, Braddon
• Casino Canberra: 21 Binara Street, Canberra
• The Duxton: Corner Macpherson and Sargood streets, O’Connor
• Gungahlin Lakes Golf Clubs: Gundaroo and Gungahlin Drives, Nicholls
• Hellenic Club Woden: Matilda Street, Woden
• Labor Club Belconnen: Chandler Street, Belconnen
• Lake George Hotel: 20 Gibraltar St, Bungendore
• Old Canberra Inn: 195 Mouat Street, Lyneham
• Siren Bar & Restaurant: 30 Anthony Rolfe Avenue, Gungahlin
• Vikings Erindale: 6 Ricardo Street, Wanniassa
• Vikings Chisholm: Benham Street, Chisholm

Other events on this long weekend

AFL at Manuka: Friday night football will return to Canberra at Manuka Oval in Round 6 as the GWS Giants take on St Kilda, 22 April 7.50pm.

More info: GWS Giants v St Kilda

Groovin the Moo: After a two-year hiatus due to you-know-what, this popular music festival returns to Exhibition Park in Canberra on Sunday 24 April.

Book tickets here.

SIX! The Musical: The six wives of King Henry VIII take to the Canberra Theatre stage from 23 April to 15 May.

More info: Take 6: with the queens of ‘Six the Musical’

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