Story: Public holidays

Anzac Day, 1916 (1st of 3)

Anzac Day, 1916

Crowds gather around a commemorative flagpole at Petone railway station on New Zealand's first Anzac Day, 25 April 1916. The day marked the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli the year before. Although it ended in military defeat, the Gallipoli campaign helped forge a sense of New Zealand nationhood. Anzac Day was formally made a public holiday in 1920.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Albert Percy Godber Collection (PA-Group-00048)
Reference: APG-0589-1/2-G
Photograph by Albert Percy Godber

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Public holidays - New Zealand’s special national holidays', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/32473/anzac-day-1916 (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 20 Jun 2012, reviewed & revised 19 Apr 2023