Townsville RSL Explains Decision to Omit Indigenous Acknowledgement at Dawn Service

The RSL branch president said the event honoured ‘all veterans who have served.’

Pastor Ray Minniecon addresses the crowd during the "Coloured Digger" ANZAC Day service at Redfern in Sydney, Australia on April 25, 2026. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The Townsville RSL has reiterated the purpose of the Anzac Day dawn service amid criticism of a decision not to include the Indigenous Acknowledgement to Country at this year’s event.

The organisation’s position contrasts with other services in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, which included Indigenous Acknowledgements that received disapproval from sections of the crowd.