On the eve of ANZAC Day 2025, Prime Minister Mark Brown has called on all Cook Islanders to pause and reflect on the powerful legacy of service, sacrifice, and solidarity that ANZAC Day represents, particularly as this year marks the 110th anniversary of the first ANZAC landings at Gallipoli and the 60th year of self-governance for the Cook Islands.
“This ANZAC Day holds profound meaning for our nation,” said Prime Minister Brown. “It is a moment not only to honour the courage of those who served in war, but to recognise how their legacy lives on in the freedoms we enjoy today, and in the identity we have forged as a proud Pacific nation.”
More than 500 Cook Islands men volunteered during World War I, a remarkable commitment from a small island nation, many of whom never returned home. They served not for reward, but for duty. That spirit of contribution and shared sacrifice defines the ANZAC legacy across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, and it continues to shape our values as a nation.
“Through the tireless work of the families of our World War One veterans, the Cook Islands has resurfaced and reclaimed our contributions and mana in owning this part of our story. I believe there is much to be said in that same vein of amplifying the narrative of the Pacific’s contributions to global peace.”
“As we commemorate this 110th ANZAC anniversary, we also reflect on our own national journey, 60 years since the Cook Islands took charge of its own destiny. The ideals of service, unity, and resilience that defined our early soldiers are the very ideals that have guided us through six decades of self-governance.”
The Prime Minister said the shared history between the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Australia, strengthened by service in war and collaboration in peace, remains a foundation of enduring partnership and mutual respect.
“Though we are a small country, our contributions have always been significant. Our men stood alongside their brothers in arms in foreign fields, and today, we continue to stand together as partners committed to peace, democracy, and regional strength.”
“In our remembrance of World War One, let us also acknowledge the contributions of our Pacific brothers who also heeded the call to serve alongside New Zealand and Australia in the Great War; our service men and women from Niue, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu, Fiji, Samoa, Kiribati and Norfolk Island. Side by side we stood and worked together all those years ago. It is a bond which has endured through time and is part of the foundation upon which our countries and people continue to flourish.”
Prime Minister Brown encouraged all citizens, especially young people and public servants, to attend local ANZAC services across the Pa Enua and Rarotonga tomorrow, and to share in this national reflection.
“In this 110th year of remembrance, and our 60th year of self-determination, let us honour the legacy we have inherited. Let us carry forward the ANZAC spirit, not only in remembrance of sacrifice, but in how we serve one another, our communities, and our country. Auraka rava ratou kia akangaropoina ia – we will never forget them.”
