Anzac Day Trading Hours in Australia

Anzac Day at Gallipoli: Remembering Together with Türkiye

Anzac Day marks the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula, near the city of Canakkale in Türkiye, on 25 April 1915. The campaign lasted around eight months and ended with the evacuation of the Allied forces. More than 8,000 Australians and over 2,700 New Zealanders died, and the losses of the Ottoman Turkish army were far greater, with tens of thousands of Turkish soldiers, known as Mehmetcik, giving their lives defending their homeland. One of the Ottoman commanders at Gallipoli was Mustafa Kemal, who later became Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye.

The Dawn Service at Gallipoli

Every year thousands of Australians and New Zealanders travel to Türkiye to stand on the shores where their great-grandparents landed. The day begins in darkness with the Dawn Service at the Anzac Commemorative Site at North Beach, close to Anzac Cove, at the same hour the first boats came ashore in 1915. Later in the morning, Australians gather for the memorial service at Lone Pine, and New Zealanders at Chunuk Bair. Turkish officials, soldiers and local people take part, and Turkish hosts welcome visitors to the peninsula, which is now protected as a historical national park. Places at the services are limited and visitors need to register in advance through the Australian Government.

From enemies to friends

Few places in the world show how former enemies can become friends as clearly as Gallipoli. Australian, New Zealand and Turkish soldiers fought fiercely, yet many stories tell of mutual respect between the trenches, and today the descendants of those soldiers meet as friends. Türkiye officially gave the name Anzac Cove (Anzac Koyu) to the landing beach, and in return Australia unveiled the Kemal Atatürk Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra on Anzac Day 1985. In Melbourne, the Australian Turkish Friendship Memorial stands near the Shrine of Remembrance, and Turkish-Australians take part in Anzac Day commemorations across the country.

“Those heroes that shed their blood”

The most famous words of this friendship are attributed to Atatürk and were read on his behalf in 1934 to visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Britain. They are carved on the memorial at Gallipoli and on the Atatürk memorial in Canberra:

“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours… You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

– Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 1934

More than a century later, these words still capture the spirit of Anzac Day at Gallipoli: a day of remembrance shared by Australians, New Zealanders and Turks.

Shopping on Anzac Day

Anzac Day on 25 April is a national day of remembrance, marked by dawn services and marches across Australia. To respect the commemorations, most states restrict shop trading on Anzac Day, especially in the morning. The rules vary a lot between states: some require large shops to stay closed all day, others allow trading from 1pm or 12:30pm, and the ACT and Northern Territory have no legal restrictions.

What is usually open

Even in states with restrictions, exempt businesses such as chemists, petrol stations, cafes, restaurants and takeaway shops can usually open. Large supermarkets, department stores and hardware stores are the most likely to be closed or to open later in the day. If you need groceries, plan to shop the day before.

When Anzac Day falls on a weekend

When 25 April falls on a Saturday or Sunday, some states add a Monday public holiday or move the holiday to the Monday. These extra days are often treated differently from Anzac Day itself for shop trading, so many stores open with public holiday hours. The dates table on this page shows exactly which days are public holidays in each state.

Tips for Anzac Day

• Shop the day before. Supermarkets and hardware stores are often closed in the morning or all day.
• Check your state’s rules. A store that opens at 1pm in Melbourne may stay closed all day in Perth.
• Look for exempt shops. Chemists, service stations and cafes can usually open.
• Check store pages. Our pages for Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings show whether today is a public holiday in your state.