Remembrance Day marks 108 years since First World War armistice with 11am silences

Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, was observed on 11 November 2026. RNZ and ABC Australia both report that the date marks 108 years since the end of the First World War, when the guns fell silent under the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

Ceremonies were held with a pause of silence at 11am. Armed forces, veterans and civilians took part. The commemorations honoured people who died in the First World War and in later wars and military operations.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi cover New Zealand and Australia. They do not describe this year's ceremonies in France, the United Kingdom or Belgium. They also do not include official programmes or attendance figures from those countries.

New Zealand

According to RNZ, ceremonies around the world included two minutes of silence at 11am. A ceremony was held at the Hall of Memories at Pukeahu War Memorial in Wellington.

Neill Atkinson, chief historian at the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, said the war killed more than 18,000 New Zealanders, according to RNZ. He said the 1918 celebrations were muted by an influenza pandemic that killed up to 9,000 New Zealanders in two months. RNZ quoted him as saying: "There was this spontaneous outpouring of jubilation, but it was tinged with a sense of loss and sadness."

According to RNZ, Atkinson said New Zealand observes the day alongside Britain, Canada, France, Belgium, the United States, other allied nations and former adversaries such as Türkiye.

Australia

According to ABC Australia, the war claimed the lives of 60,000 Australians. ABC reported that thousands took part in ceremonies across the country, which shared a minute's silence at 11am.

At the national ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Governor-General Sam Mostyn laid a 92-year-old scarlet poppy wreath, according to ABC. ABC quoted Army Chaplain Kelly Horne, who gave the address, as saying: "We remember to remember." ABC also reported services in Sydney, Perth and Hobart, and the 92nd Remembrance Day at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. In Adelaide, 104-year-old Second World War veteran Reg Swanborough attended a ceremony.

ABC reported that Ben Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient charged with five counts of war crime murder relating to service in Afghanistan, attended a Brisbane ceremony. He denies the charges.

What each side says

• Retired Lt Gen Rhys Jones, former chief of New Zealand's Armed Forces, said the day is not a victory celebration, according to RNZ. He said it is a reminder of the realities of war and of governments' responsibility to take decisions about armed conflict seriously.
• Tony Hill, national president of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association, said the day has broadened to remember all wars and recent peacekeeping work, according to RNZ.
• Australian opposition leader Angus Taylor said the day is a chance to honour all who have served, suffered and sacrificed for the nation, according to ABC.

Analysis

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi show the day being framed less as a victory and more as a reflection on the cost of war. Speakers cited by RNZ stress shared loss, and one, Rhys Jones, stresses government responsibility; speakers cited by ABC Australia emphasise sacrifice and the cost of war. They also describe a widening of the day to include later conflicts and peacekeeping. One open question is how this framing is presented in France, the United Kingdom and Belgium. The available reports do not cover those countries. Another is how commemoration will continue as the generation of Second World War veterans grows smaller.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.