Thousands of people lined King Street in Newcastle on Saturday to watch veterans and service personnel march into Civic Park for the 2026 United Commemoration Service, a solemn tribute to the courage, resilience, and deep loyalty of the Anzacs.
The mid-morning service began with a flyover by RAAF Williamtown before master of ceremonies Graeme Reynolds opened proceedings. Lord mayor-elect Gavin Morris laid a wreath as part of the ceremony.
Newcastle Grammar School vice-captains Alexandra Noonan and Evan Buckridge delivered the special address, focusing on the Flame of Remembrance. "A flame endures because it is carefully carried from one person to another," Evan said. "It requires attention, respect, and a shared commitment to ensure it is never extinguished."
Alexandra noted that more than a century ago, that flame was first lit for Australia and New Zealand on the shores of Gallipoli in circumstances that tested the limits of human courage and endurance. Evan added that young men and women, not so different from us, stepped into uncertainty, danger, and into history, with many never returning to the lives they had left behind.
"Their courage, resilience, and deep loyalty to one another formed what we now recognize as the Anzac spirit, a legacy that continues to shape our national identity," Alexandra said. "Here in Newcastle, that history is deeply felt as men and women from this region have answered the call to serve in war, in peacekeeping missions, and in times of crisis."
Evan said the younger generation today may not be called to serve on distant battlefields, but they are called to remember, to listen carefully to the stories of others, and to learn from them. "We carry the flame when we act with integrity, when we stand alongside others in times of need, and when we choose compassion over indifference," he said.
"In this way, remembrance becomes not just something we observe, but something we live through our actions each day," Alexandra said.
Hymns and songs were performed by the Australian Army Band Newcastle, the Australian Military Wives Choir, the Vocal Company, and the Newcastle Grammar School senior choir. Reverend Steven Williams, RAAF Williamtown Chaplain Andrew Knox, and Father Greg Barker led prayers. Warrant Officer Class 2 Richard Cutler recited the Ode of Remembrance, and Lance Corporal Imogen Barker performed the Last Post and Rouse.
