Guardians of the Indian Ocean: ANZAC values in our region

• ANZAC Day was marked on April 25

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Day holds a profound and enduring place in the Australian national consciousness. It is observed annually on April 25 to mark the anniversary of the first military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces in World War One with their landing in Gallipoli. While the Gallipoli campaign itself was marked by hardship and loss, ANZAC Day has come to symbolise values that continue to resonate deeply with Australians; courage in adversity, mateship, resilience, compassion, and a commitment to service beyond self. These values transcend conflict and remind us not only of sacrifice made in war, but also of the responsibility to work for peace.

ANZAC Day has evolved into an occasion of reflection that extends far beyond Australia and New Zealand. Australia’s history of service has always been interconnected with the wider world, particularly the Indo‑Pacific region. From the Middle East to Europe, and from Southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean, Australian service men and women have stood alongside international partners during moments of global uncertainty. One such partnership, less often discussed but deeply significant, is Australia’s wartime connection with Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, played a vital role in the Second World War as a strategic hub in the Indian Ocean. Its ports, airfields, and geographic position made it central to Allied naval and air operations at a time when Axis expansion threatened vital maritime routes. Sri Lanka endured air raids due to the stationing of large armies under the South-East Asia Command, strategic assets such as large oil tanks in Trincomalee were damaged and slaughter tapping of rubber was needed as Sri Lanka was the only producer of rubber for the Allied forces. 

One of the most perilous periods of the Second World War occurred between March and May in 1942, when the Japanese Imperial Navy advanced into the Indian Ocean following the fall of Singapore. At this time, Sri Lanka faced a very real threat of invasion. Japanese air raids struck Colombo and Trincomalee, underscoring how close the region came to falling under enemy control.

“British Prime Minister Winston Churchill considered the most dangerous moment of the Second World War, and the one which caused him the greatest alarm, was when news was received that the Japanese Fleet was heading for Ceylon.”– The Most Dangerous Moment by Michael Tomlinson (1976) William Kimber, London.

Allied forces were stretched thin, and intelligence was critical. It was during this tense period that an Australian reconnaissance aircraft, including long‑range Catalina flying boats operating from Perth, played a crucial role. These aircrafts conducted extended reconnaissance patrols across vast ocean distances, detecting Japanese fleet movements and providing early warning that helped avert catastrophic surprise.

The Catalinas’ contribution highlights an often‑overlooked reality of wartime service, victory is not only secured on battlefields, but also through vigilance, coordination, and endurance. Pilots and crews operated in isolation, over immense expanses of ocean, to protect people they would never meet, yet whose freedom depended on their actions.

Due to the collective efforts of the Allied forces and Sri Lanka’s responsiveness, Sri Lanka was not invaded. Australian forces were part of this broader Allied network, contributing to the defence of the region and the protection of sea lanes that sustained both military operations and civilian populations.

For Australians and New Zealanders of Sri Lankan heritage, ANZAC Day represents both remembrance and recognition, a day that acknowledges how events in distant lands shaped shared histories. It is also an opportunity to honour Sri Lankan civilians and service personnel who endured air raids, military mobilisation and responded to uncertainty during the war, and often far from the European theatres that dominate popular memory.

These wartime experiences lend renewed meaning to contemporary calls for the Indian Ocean to remain a zone of peace. Once a theatre of intense strategic competition, the Indian Ocean today carries global trade, connects diverse cultures, and sustains millions of livelihoods. Given the current global environment and recent events in the region, remembering its history of conflict reinforces why cooperation, dialogue, and mutual respect among nations is essential.

ANZAC Day reminds us that peace is not an abstract ideal but a shared responsibility. The sacrifices of the past compel us to ensure that regional relationships, particularly between Australia and Sri Lanka forever to be connected by the Indian Ocean, along with neighbouring nations, are grounded in trust and collective security. 

When nations work together to share intelligence, resources, build capacity and work towards a shared purpose, instability can be addressed before it turns into tragedy.

One of the clearest lessons from ANZAC history is what can eventuate when people unite around a common cause. The ANZACs themselves were drawn from diverse backgrounds, classes, and communities, yet forged an identity through mutual reliance. In the Second World War, cooperation extended even further, across oceans, cultures, and continents.

This spirit of unity remains relevant today, not only in times of conflict but also in addressing humanitarian challenges, disaster response, and community wellbeing. Inter-cultural understanding, respectful dialogue, and collaboration transforms insecurity and vulnerability into strength. Whether in wartime alliances or peacetime partnerships, shared purpose creates outcomes no nation or community could achieve alone.

On this ANZAC Day, we honour all who served, suffered, and sacrificed in the defence of freedom. We remember Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women for their role in promoting peace for people far from its shores. We also acknowledge the Sri Lankan people whose lives were affected by global conflict beyond their shores.

Sri Lanka and Australia share a stance for a future where the lessons of history guide us toward cooperation rather than conflict, and where the Indian Ocean remains a bridge between nations, not a battleground.

As we pause to remember, we also look forward with gratitude, responsibility, and hope.

Lest we forget.

(Shéyana La Brooy is Operations Manager of the School of International Studies at Macquarie University. She holds a Master of International Studies, Bachelor of Science, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney)