Ben Roberts-Smith joins 600 veterans in Canberra as Albanese marks 25 years since Australia went to war in Afghanistan
On Sunday, October 11, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to mark 25 years since Australia joined the war in Afghanistan, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the Guardian and ABC. The Herald said about 600 veterans attended and that Albanese honoured the 47 Australian personnel who died as a result of their service. ABC reported that he quoted John Howard, prime minister in 2001, on why Australia went to war after the September 11 attacks. Ben Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient, was among those present, the Herald, The Age and the Guardian said. ABC reported that veterans asked the prime minister to release official war histories. The Australian reported that Phil Thompson greeted Roberts-Smith despite a Coalition rift, which it did not explain in the item we saw.
Twenty-five years on, the Afghanistan war is still a live question in Australian public life: how the nation honours those who served, how it deals with allegations of war crimes by a small number, and whether the official record of the war is open to the public.
If you or someone you know served, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Open Arms offer free support, including counselling. For everyone else, the next occasion to mark the service is Remembrance Day on November 11.
The anniversary was a fitting moment to put the focus on the families and the 47 who died, and to hear veterans’ concerns directly.
Having a man at the centre of war-crimes findings among the guests risks overshadowing the families and the many who served without blame.
Watch two things. Does Albanese or the Defence minister respond to the call for the official war histories to be released, and does the guest list prompt any formal comment from the Opposition? We will not report an attendance figure beyond the Herald’s 600 until a second outlet confirms it.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 8 · Morning · MON., OCT. 12, 2026