The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

	Title
1	Short Title
2	Anzac Day to be day of commemoration
3	Observance of Anzac Day
4	Application to terms of employment [Repealed]
5	Anzac Day trusts
5A	Relationship with Holidays Act 2003
6	Repeal
	Notes

An Act to make provision regarding the observance of Anzac Day

1 Short Title

This Act may be cited as the Anzac Day Act 1966.

2 Anzac Day to be day of commemoration

(1)

In commemoration of the contribution of all those who have served New Zealand in time of war and in warlike conflicts (including those who died), and of all those who have died in New Zealand military service, or whose death was connected with New Zealand military service, at any other time, 25 April in each year (being the anniversary of the first landing of troops from New Zealand, Australia, and other allied forces on Gallipoli) is to be known as Anzac Day, and is to be a day of commemoration.

(2)

In this section, a person serves in a warlike conflict if they serve in response to an armed conflict that has occurred, is occurring, or may occur or recur.

Section 2: replaced, on 21 February 2026, by section 4 of the Anzac Day Amendment Act 2026 (2026 No 3).

3 Observance of Anzac Day

(1)

Where Anzac Day falls on a Sunday it shall be observed as a Sunday.

(2)

Where Anzac Day does not fall on a Sunday, it shall be observed up to 1 o’clock in the afternoon as if it were a Sunday, and after that hour on that day such activities shall be permitted as may lawfully take place after noon on a Saturday.

Compare: 1949 No 15 s 2

Section 3(2): amended, on 1 August 1990, by section 6(2) of the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990 (1990 No 57).

4 Application to terms of employment

[Repealed]

Section 4: repealed, on 1 April 2004, by section 91(1) of the Holidays Act 2003 (2003 No 129).

5 Anzac Day trusts

(1)

The New Zealand Returned Services’ Association (Incorporated) may, either itself or acting in conjunction with any organisation not prohibited from so doing, take steps to set up a trust in accordance with this section, and may appoint trustees to receive donations and grants from time to time for such specified charitable purposes as are publicly notified by the trustees before Anzac Day in any year as the purposes for which donations and grants to them in that year will be applied.

(2)

Any local Returned Services’ Association affiliated with the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association (Incorporated) may, either itself or acting in conjunction with any organisation not prohibited from so doing, take steps to set up a trust in accordance with this section, and may appoint trustees to receive donations and grants from time to time for such specified charitable purposes as are publicly notified by the trustees before Anzac Day in any year as the purposes for which donations and grants to them in that year will be applied.

(3)

Any such trustees may receive donations and grants from persons, companies, and societies, whether incorporated or not, carrying out activities on Anzac Day at a profit, and from other persons and public bodies.

(4)

Subject to the provisions of subsection (5), in any case where steps are taken under this section to set up a trust, the body or bodies taking the steps may execute an instrument appointing trustees of all donations and grants made to the trustees under this section and providing for the administration of the money and property to be held by the trustees and for their powers in respect thereof.

(5)

All money and property held by any trustees who are appointed as aforesaid shall be applied at the discretion of the trustees for the specified charitable purposes for which they were received as aforesaid by the trustees.

5A Relationship with Holidays Act 2003

This Act is subject to section 45A of the Holidays Act 2003 (which concerns the transfer of the public holiday for the purposes of Part 2, subpart 3 of that Act when Anzac Day falls on a Saturday or a Sunday).

Section 5A: inserted, on 1 January 2014, by section 6 of the Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 19).

6 Repeal

The Anzac Day Act 1949 is hereby consequentially repealed.

Notes

1 General

This is a consolidation of the Anzac Day Act 1966 that incorporates the amendments made to the legislation so that it shows the law as at its stated date.

2 Legal status

A consolidation is taken to correctly state, as at its stated date, the law enacted or made by the legislation consolidated and by the amendments. This presumption applies unless the contrary is shown.

Section 78 of the Legislation Act 2019 provides that this consolidation, published as an electronic version, is an official version. A printed version of legislation that is produced directly from this official electronic version is also an official version.

3 Editorial and format changes

The Parliamentary Counsel Office makes editorial and format changes to consolidations using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019. See also PCO editorial conventions for consolidations.

4 Amendments incorporated in this consolidation

Anzac Day Amendment Act 2026 (2026 No 3)

Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 19): section 6

Holidays Act 2003 (2003 No 129): section 91(1)

Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990 (1990 No 57): section 6(2)

Anzac Day Act 1966