NSW Governor David Hurley has remembered the sacrifices and bravery of those who fought for Australia as the nation marks the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in the Pacific.
"Today we do what we have been asked to do every year and that's to remember," he said in a commemorative address at Sydney's Martin Place.
"To remember sacrifice, bravery, comradeship and all those qualities that define us as Australians."
A number of VP Day commemorations are occurring at cenotaphs and Shrines of Remembrance around the country, marking the time on August 15, 1945 when Japan's Emperor Hirohito told his people via radio his nation would surrender to the Allies.
NSW Veterans Affairs Minister David Elliott paid tribute to the 16,000 Australian soldiers who were part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.
"The BCOF played an important role ensuring the Japanese met the terms of their surrender," Mr Elliott said.
"Sadly, the Australian soldiers who were deployed to play this vital role did not get the recognition they deserved which is why I want their families to know how grateful we are for their service."
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