Australian Embassy

France

Embassy address: 4, rue Jean Rey 75724 Paris Cedex 15 - Telephone : 01 40 59 33 00 - Fax : 01 40 59 33 10. Visa Enquiries telephone (Europe Service Center): +33 (0)1 82 88 23 04, Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm

Anzac Day 2012 Villers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt

The official Anzac Day Commemorations on the Western Front are conducted by the Australian Government and local communities. All the commemorative services are open to the public.

Download a What to expect and how to prepare for Anzac Day information sheet

Villers-Bretonneux

Event: Anzac Day Dawn Service
Date: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Time: 3.00 am: site opens
5.15 am: latest time by which public are advised to arrive
5.30 am: Dawn Service commences
Venue: The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux

Note: Due to the installation of technical equipment for the conducting of the Dawn Service, for safety reasons the central tower of the Australian National Memorial will not be open to the public from 23-26 April 2012.

Event: Anzac Day Ceremony
Date: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Time: 8.30 am: Ceremony commences
Venue: French Monument, Town Centre, Villers-Bretonneux

Shuttle Buses to the Memorial Site

Traffic management is the responsibility of and is managed by French Authorities.
The road (D23) running between Corbie Fouilloy and Villers-Bretonneux towns will be closed to all private vehicles from 12 midnight 24 April. It will not reopen until after 9.00 am 25 April 2012.

Up until 25 March 2012 you can book a seat on a bus to the Australian National Memorial site. Buses are operated and coordinated by Somme Tourist Board www.anzac-france.com

Seats on buses are limited. Buses will depart from the following towns in the region:
• Amiens
• Longueau
• Albert

These buses will return to these centres after the service, from 8am.
Spaces on these buses are limited and you will need to book and pay for your seat well before 25 March 2012.
BOOK here www.anzac-france.com

After the ceremonies in Villers-Bretonneux, the Anzac Day program will continue with ceremonies in Bullecourt, starting at 11.00 am. Bullecourt is approximately 45-60 minutes by car from Villers-Bretonneux, and 15 minutes from Bapaume.

Bullecourt

Event: Anzac Day Ceremony
Date: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Time: 11.00 am: Ceremony commences
Venue: The Commonwealth and French Monuments in the Bullecourt village centre

Event: Anzac Day Wreath Laying Service
Date: Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Time: 12.00 pm: Ceremony commences
Venue: The Australian ‘Digger’ Memorial on the village outskirts

After the ceremonies in Bullecourt, the Anzac day program will continue with the re-opening of the Museum ‘Jean et Denise Letaille – Bullecourt 1917’. You may like to join some of the participants at an informal lunch hosted in the nearby village of Bapaume at the Collège St Eloi. Please download the lunch information and a map.

Re-opening of the Bullecourt Museum

The Bullecourt Museum will be formally re-opened at 3:00 pm on Anzac Day 2012. Australian Forces fought costly battles at Bullecourt on 11 April and again between 3-17 May 1917. Some gains were made - but at the cost of 10,000 Australian casualties. These battles are the main focus of the Museum established by Monsieur Jean Letaille OAM and his wife, Denise. Although Denise passed away in 2004, Jean continues to welcome visitors from Australia to the region. The Museum closed in 2011 for major improvements. The refurbished Museum, together with upgraded interpretive displays, forms an important element of the project to establish an Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front prior to the centenary of the First World War.
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Other associated events and activities

A number of other activities will take place in April in addition to the official services. More information will be uploaded soon.

For information on Anzac commemorations in Belgium, consult the Australian Embassy website.

France 2012 registration

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs recommends all visitors and trip leaders register their intention to attend the France Anzac Day commemorations at www.franceregistration.com.

Registration on the DVA registration system assists with planning for the commemorations and for visitors to receive updates should there be any changes to the arrangements for the commemorations. It is important for visitors to register the mobile phone number they will use while travelling to ensure they receive updates.

All Australian visitors to France are also encouraged to register their itinerary at www.smartraveller.gov.au, read the travel advisories for the countries they are visiting and have comprehensive travel insurance.

Registering your intention to travel on the DVA registration page does not automatically transfer your information to Smartraveller. Visitors should therefore register on both systems.

It is important to note that just prior to Anzac Day, DVA plans to share the name and mobile phone contact details of those who have registered on DVA with the DFAT consular team. This information will only be used by DFAT in case of an emergency.

Useful links

Department of Veterans' Affairs

www.anzac-france.com
www.franceregistration.com

Visiting the Western Front Battlefields
www.ww1westernfront.gov.au
www.somme-battlefields.com
www.somme14-18.com
www.museeaustralien.com
www.awm.gov.au
www.australiansatwar.gov.au
www.australiansatwarfilmarchive.gov.au/aawfa

For further information contact: info.paris@dfat.gov.au