In the lead-up to Victory in the Pacific Day on Friday 15 August, join us for a week of special commemorative activities honouring the service and sacrifice of Australians on the front lines and the home front.
This year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, when war came to Australia’s door.
In the lead-up to Victory in the Pacific Day on Friday 15 August, the Anzac Memorial invites you to take part in a week of special commemorative activities honouring the service and sacrifice of Australians on the front lines and the home front.
Experience history brought to life:
- A beacon from history: see an original Second World War searchlight
Monday 11 August to Friday 15 August, 9am-5pm - Historians’ Talk: Air Raids, Searchlights, Celebrations: Sydney Home Front Stories, 1939-1945
Friday 15 August, 4:00pm-4:45pm, bookings required - Twilight Service: Honouring 80 Years Since Victory in the Pacific
Friday 15 August, from 5:00pm with the searchlight turned on at approximately 6:15pm - Second World War Veteran Stories
Watch online
All activities are free. Full details below.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect, remember, and pay tribute to those who shaped our nation’s wartime legacy.
A beacon from history: see an original Second World War searchlight
On 15 August 1945, a single beam of light pierced Sydney’s night sky from the forecourt of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park – only this time not to scan for enemy aircraft, but to celebrate peace. This powerful gesture commemorated the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, a war that reached Australia’s doorstep.
In the lead-up to Victory in the Pacific Day (15 August), experience a rare encounter with a piece of Australia’s wartime past. From Monday 11 August to Friday 15 August, the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park invites you to get up close to an original Second World War searchlight – once used to scan Australia’s skies in times of uncertainty.
Now, it stands not as a sentinel of war, but as a symbol of peace and remembrance.
The searchlight will be on display daily on the Northern Forecourt from Monday 11 August to 15 August, from 9am to 5pm. Free entry.
The searchlight will be turned on to mark the 80th anniversary at approximately 6:15pm on Friday 15 August.
Historians’ Talk: Air Raids, Searchlights, Celebrations: Sydney Home Front Stories, 1939-1945
In this special presentation, discover how Sydney braced for conflict and rejoiced in peace on the home front during the Second World War.
By 1942, war was quite literally at Australia's door; from the savage aerial bombing of Darwin and the Top End which began in February, to the bold and audacious attack on Sydney Harbour in May/June when 3 Japanese midget submarines stealthily entered the Harbour and attempted to torpedo major Allied ships then at anchor. A week later, the Eastern suburbs were shelled and Japanese submarines fired on Newcastle 34 times.
How did those on the home front prepare themselves for conflict and later celebrate the hard-won peace ushered in by victory in the Pacific?
Join Anzac Memorial's Brad Manera (Senior Historian and Curator) and Dr Catie Gilchrist (Research Officer) as they uncover stories from the home front - from the underground air raid shelters at Sydney’s St James Station to the searchlights that scanned the skies for enemy aircraft and later, the jubilant celebrations through the streets to welcome the longed-for news of peace in the Pacific in August 1945.
This special presentation is part of the Anzac Memorial’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, held on Victory in the Pacific Day.
Where: Auditorium, Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park
When: Friday 15 August 2025 from 4:00pm-4:45pm
Tickets: Free, but places are limited – bookings essential.
Reserve your spot here.
Twilight Service: Honouring 80 Years Since Victory in the Pacific
Join us on the evening of Friday 15 August as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific with a special Twilight Service at the Anzac Memorial and watch as Sydney’s night sky is lit with the beam of an original searchlight from the Second World War.
On this historic night, a powerful beam from an original Second World War searchlight will once again illuminate Sydney’s sky, echoing the moment on 15 August 1945 when a searchlight shone from the Memorial’s forecourt to celebrate peace and honour those who served.
This special commemoration will feature an Act of Remembrance, offering a solemn opportunity to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of Australian men and women who served both on the front lines and the home front.
Where: Hall of Memory, Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park
When: Friday 15 August 2025 at 5:00pm for 5:15pm commencement
Free entry – no booking required.
Second World War Veteran Stories
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific and end of the Second World War, the NSW Government has interviewed Second World War veterans to acknowledge their service and capture their stories about their experiences.
Veterans from across New South Wales have shared their personal recollections of service to be preserved for future generations.
From the women who sustained Australia’s agricultural sector during the labour shortages to the men who served on Australia’s doorstep in the Pacific, these stories provide a unique insight into life on the front lines and home front.
