The Anzac Day Act in New Zealand is a law which makes Anzac Day a national holiday in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Context

Anzac Day is the anniversary of the landing of the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...

at Gallipoli in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. This was the first major battle Australian or New Zealand troops had been in, and losses were severe. From 1916, the day was given over to commemoration of the Anzacs who died in this battle. In 1920 the

Reform Government of New Zealand The Reform Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1912 to 1928. It is perhaps best remembered for its anti-trade union stance in the Waihi miners' strike of 1912 and a dockworkers' strike the following year. It also govern ...

passed the Anzac Day Act 1920 to make the day an official public holiday. This stated that the day was in "commemoration of the part taken by New Zealand troops in

, and in memory of those who gave their lives for the

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

" rather than only those who died at Gallipoli. The Act stated that the day would be observed "as a public holiday", banned the holding of horse races on Anzac Day and required the closing of licensed premises on the same basis as Christmas Day and Good Friday.

History

The following year the Act was amended by repealing the sections on licensed premises and horse-racing, and stated that the day would be observed 'as if Anzac Day were a Sunday' rather than as a public holiday, perhaps in order to better express the quasi-religious mood of the day. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the 1920 Act was repealed and replaced with the Anzac Day Act 1949. The day became one of commemoration of the part taken by New Zealand servicemen and women in the Second World War and the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

as well as World War I, and in memory of "those who gave their lives for New Zealand and the British Empire or

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

". It also banned employers from transferring their employees' Anzac Day holiday or holiday pay to another day. In 1966 the 1949 Act was repealed and replaced with the Anzac Day Act 1966. This specified that the day was in commemoration of those who "''at any time'' have given their lives for New Zealand the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations". It also specified that when Anzac Day falls on a Sunday it will be observed on the Sunday and not moved to the Monday, and made the day a half-day rather than full-day holiday, with any activities normally permitted on a Saturday allowed after 1pm. The Act also allowed the

Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, best known simply as the RSA, is one of the largest voluntary welfare organisations in New Zealand and one of the oldest ex-service organisations in the world. Wounded soldiers returning ...

(a veterans' association) to establish charitable trusts. The 1966 Act was passed following several years of controversy over the Anzac Day holiday. Many people resented that sport and other entertainment was banned (generally by local authorities rather than central government), especially as there was a widespread perception that returned servicemen spent the day drinking. At the same time, some felt that the day had become less respected, and simply a 'day off' for most. The law was changed with the support of the RSA and followed partial liberalisation of the day by several local councils. In debates on the Act, MP Sir

Basil Arthur Sir Basil Malcolm Arthur, 5th Baronet (18 September 1928 – 1 May 1985) served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1984 to 1985. He was a member of the Labour Party. Biography Early life and career Arthur was born in Ti ...

and former Prime Minister

Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...

suggested that New Zealanders should be ashamed that they could not set an entire day aside for remembrance. The '' Evening Post'' newspaper, however, argued that if the day was not changed it 'was surely destined to die not many years hence'.Helen Robinson, 'Lest we Forget? The Fading of New Zealand War Commemorations, 1946–1966', ''New Zealand Journal of History'', 44, 1 (2010). In 2013, the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Act 2013 was passed, with the effect that if Anzac Day should fall on a Saturday or Sunday, for those employees who would not otherwise work on that Saturday or Sunday, the public holiday must be treated as falling on the following Monday. The 1966 Act remains part of

New Zealand law The law of New Zealand uses the English common law system, inherited from being a part of the British Empire. There are several sources of law, the primary ones being statutes enacted by the New Zealand Parliament and case law made by decisions ...

Sources

*Anzac Day Act 1920 *Anzac Day Amendment Act 1921-22 *Anzac Day Act 1949 *Anzac Day Act 1966 *Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Act 2013

References

{{reflist

External links

Anzac Day Gazette notice, 1916Anzac Day - Ministry for Culture and Heritage (who administer the Act)
Statutes of New Zealand Public holidays in New Zealand New Zealand in World War I Aftermath of World War I 1920 in New Zealand law 1949 in New Zealand law 1966 in New Zealand law ANZAC (New Zealand)