The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) promotes Anzac Day as the nation’s “most important secular occasion” even though it, simultaneously, organises commemorations dominated by Christianity.
A flyer about the history of Anzac Day, developed by DVA and made available for public use through its online Anzac Portal, includes the claim about the day being Australia’s most important secular occasion (see the screenshot below).
Yet, DVA is responsible for organising overseas Anzac Day commemorations, such as at Gallipoli and Villers-Bretonneux, that feature only Christian chaplains and Christian prayers – and did so again yesterday.
DVA’s own ‘suggested order of service’ for Dawn Services merely lists ‘prayers’ and ‘hymns’ as optional.
At the Australian War Memorial’s Dawn Service in Canberra yesterday, Christianity was again predominant, although the presiding chaplain did not observe the Lord’s Prayer on this occasion.
While the War Memorial is a statutory authority with its own council, it is directly accountable to the Minister for Veterans Affairs’s portfolio.
Christian chaplains also featured heavily in Dawn Services in other capital cities yesterday, although the Rationalist Society of Australia (RSA) understands these are the responsibility of the local Returned & Services Leagues.
At the Adelaide Dawn Service, the Christian chaplain gave a three-and-a-half minute sermon and recited the Lord’s Prayer.
The RSA is aware of a case in which veterans have been subjected to religious commemorations in a federally funded facility that supports veterans with mental health challenges.
Calls are growing for the Australian War Memorial to undertake secular reform of its Dawn Service to ensure it reflects modern Australia.
On the RSA’s ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast, former head of Navy chaplaincy, Collin Acton, described Dawn Services as a “fossilised example of a religious service from over 100 years ago” with little relevance to ordinary Australians.
Acton shared his experience of feeling uneasy about the religious aspects of commemorations such as Anzac Day when he was officiating at them during his 20-plus career as a Navy chaplain.
He walked away from the Christian faith during his time in the Navy and, as Director-General of Chaplaincy, was instrumental in introducing secular wellbeing roles to the Navy’s chaplaincy branch in 2020.
Now as a board member of the RSA, he was among three non-religious veterans who participated in a meeting with War Memorial staff in June last year that discussed the religious nature of Dawn Services.
In the podcast interview, he said he had been “encouraged” by the reception in that meeting, but was aware that a more conservative leadership would, ultimately, need to support secular reform.
“It’s very difficult to see change come about. You actually need someone who’s a bit courageous at the top to make a decision,” he said.
“And sometimes it’s a decision that they wouldn’t personally endorse but they can see the relevance of it, the logic of it, and see that it just makes sense, and it will make it more meaningful for everybody.
“It appears we don’t have anyone in a position of influence or authority to make that kind of decision with respect to the Dawn Service.”
In a letter to the RSA in late 2022, the office of veterans affairs minister Matt Keogh argued that Anzac Day commemorations in Defence and at the War Memorial “remain welcoming to all”.
On ABC Radio’s Late Night Live program last week, Peter Stanley, a former historian of the Australian War Memorial, talked about the RSA’s work in pushing for secular reform of Anzac Day Dawn Services.
The Rationalist Society of Australia is actively lobbying and advocating for secular reform of the Defence Force. See the latest updates here.
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Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
Photo by Troy Mortier on Unsplash.