DAY IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20239, 26 April 1929, Page 15

DAY IN AUSTRALIA.

CLOSE HOLIDAY KEPT.

STRIKING GATHERINGS. WREATH FROM DOMINION. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received April 26, 12.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE. April 25. Anzac Day was observed as a close holiday. Even the petrol garages were compelled to be shut. Flags were at halfmast and special services were held at the majority of the city and suburban churches. Twenty-five thousand former servicemen paraded through the city, accompanied by bands, to the Exhibition Building, where a memorial service was held. Sir John Monash, the famous leader of the Australian Infantry Force, led the returned men, while Lord Somers, the Governor of Victoria, led the Imperial servicemen. The Governor delayed his departure for England specially to enable him to take part. Immediately afterwards he took his departure by the Oronsay. At Hobart heavy rain marred the Anzac Day celebrations and the outdoor fixtures had to be abandoned. A great memorial service was then held in the City Hall, which seats 5000 people. Australia observed a general holiday and great interest was shown in the outdoor impressive ceremonies. The cities were beflagged and stirring speeches delivered. The nation to-day worshipped one God, one ideal and one memory. The celebrations in Sydney took the form of a march past of 200000 men, with nurses who took part in the Great War, headed by Victoria Cross winners. The procession began in Government House grounds and went along the main city thoroughfares, which were lined with people, and ended in the Domain, where a united commemoration ceremony was held in the presence of 100,000 persons. The different units formed up to represent the sun's rays.

The Governor, Sir Dudley de Chair, was the chief speaker. Appropriate hymus were sung with tha utmost fervour, mass bands providing the accompaniment. The Cenotaph in Martin Place was almost completely hidden by wreaths placed there by relatives and friends of dead soldiers. One wreath was to the memory of Hitchcock, the missing aviator, from his former comrades.

A pretty gathering was held at Government House, where hundreds of girls of the Junior Red Cross, in white frocks, brought with them tiny floral'tributes to the dead of Anzac and later placed them at the Gates of Memory, through which the majority of the soldiers had passed on the way to embarkation. Mr. Barnett, acting for the New Zealand Government agent in Sydney, in conjunction with the Returned Soldiers' and Sailors' League, placed a wreath on the Cenotaph at sundown, on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand.

THE COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

HAMILTON AND WHANGAREI. PLAQUE UNVEILED AT TUAKAU. Anzac Day was observed yesterday throughout the province. The commemoration service at Hamilton was presided over by the Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, and an inspiring address was given by Bishop Cherrington. A procession then marched to the cenotaph in the Soldiers' Memorial Park. A feature of the ceremony at Whangarei was the large number of returned soldiers who paraded. All units of the Defence Force were represented. An address was given by Major J. H. Luxford, who said it was a sacred fluty to pay homage to the 15,000 dead. Wet weather at Pukekohe necessitated the service being held indoors, but later the parade mUrched to the memorial gates at the War Memorial Park, where wreaths were laid.

A parade of ex-servicemen was held at Waiuku and a special service was held at Buckland. At Tuakau a brenze plaque was unveiled in memory of the men of the district who gave their lives in the war. A commemoration service was held at Albany and wreaths were placed in the school memorial reserve. At Rotorua a service was held in the bath building. An address was given by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, who said the spirit of Anzac would be found to exist in all attempts to arrive at a better understanding between the nations of the earth. The Maoris also held a service in the meeting house at Ohinemutu.