ONE hundred years ago today, on 11 November 1919, Australians for the first time paused and stood in silent reflection to remember the 60,000 service men and women who sacrificed their lives during the First World War.
Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester said Australians across the nation today continued the tradition, pausing at 11am to commemorate Remembrance Day.
"Every year at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month we mark Remembrance Day - previously known as Armistice Day - the day in 1918 the guns fell silent on the Western Front, officially ending the First World War," Mr Chester said.
"Since then, our nation has been called upon numerous times to enter into wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations and tragically the names of more than 102,000 who have died in service are listed on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
"Continuing the tradition and ensuring we teach the next generation of Australians to stop for a minute's silence on this day will show our current and former serving defence personnel and their families that they will never be forgotten."
To coincide with Remembrance Day, stage two of the ANZAC 360 app has been launched, bringing two of Australia's darkest chapters in its military history - Hellfire Pass in Thailand and the Sandakan Death Marches in Borneo, Malaysia - to life through technology.
"It is important that as a nation we remember those Australians who tragically died during some of the most powerful and darkest moments in our nation's history," Mr Chester said.
"The ANZAC 360 app allows all Australians, including our next generation of students, to visit the sites of these conflicts from their classroom or home.
"You can download the app and view these videos to learn more about some of the key moments in Australia's military history using 360-degree drone footage."
Minister Chester was honoured to represent the Australian Government in the United Kingdom at the Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park London on this important day of commemoration.
