Social distancing rules and stay at home orders haven’t prevented thousands of Australians and New Zealanders from marking a very different Anzac Day with a Dawn Service.
Images flooded social media with #AnzacAtHome, #StandAtDawn and #LestWeForget as thousands took to new and inventive ways to commemorate the Diggers.
From standing at the end of their driveways or on balconies, to lighting candles and playing the Last Post in the street with trumpets, people found their own way to honour the sacrifice of the Anzacs.
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“Stood at the end of the driveway for the last post at 5:50am this morning whole street was out,” one Twitter user wrote.
“A brisk morning on the driveway, many neighbours out commemorating Anzac Day and several bugles or trumpets play somewhere off in the distance. A very sombre morning at a strange time in all of our lives,” another wrote.
People, including Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester, shared photos of themselves and their children lighting candles and standing to pay their respects.
Some veterans and returned servicemen and servicewomen donned their uniforms and medals to mark the occasion.
“The amount of people I saw on their driveways on my street gave me a really unifying feeling,” one Twitter user said.
"Lockdown Dawn Service brought the entire neighbourhood out to the end of their driveways. Won't be forgetting this one anytime soon," another wrote.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
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