Memorial Service to Highlight Australia’s Rising Suicide Toll This ANZAC Weekend
Sydney’s Wesley LifeForce Suicide Memorial Service will honour Australians lost to suicide, as new figures reveal 3,307 deaths in 2024—nine per day. Held during ANZAC weekend at ICC Sydney, the event underscores urgent calls for national action, remembrance, and community connection, with sunflowers symbolising resilience and hope.
Harry Taruva 
SYDNEY – A public memorial service will be held in Sydney on Monday to honour Australians lost to suicide, as new figures reveal the scale of the country’s ongoing mental health crisis.
The Wesley LifeForce Suicide Memorial Service is scheduled to take place at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, coinciding with ANZAC weekend.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 3,307 Australians died by suicide in 2024, equating to an average of nine deaths per day, or one every three hours. The figure is approximately 2.5 times higher than the national road toll.
Suicide remains the leading cause of death among Australians aged between 15 and 44.
Data also shows that between 1997 and 2023, 1,840 serving and former members of the Australian Defence Force died by suicide, including 73 recorded cases in 2022.
Speaking ahead of the event, Wesley LifeForce General Manager Andy Moore said the memorial service is both a moment of remembrance and a call for urgent national action.
“We would never accept a road toll this high without urgent intervention, yet when it comes to suicide, too often the response falls short,” he said.
The service, held alongside the National Suicide Prevention Conference, will bring together mental health professionals, people with lived experience, and members of the public.
Attendees will be invited to place sunflowers in memory of loved ones lost, symbolising resilience and hope.
Organisers say the timing of the event during ANZAC weekend underscores the need to recognise ongoing challenges faced by current and former service personnel and their families.
“You do not need an invitation. Anyone who has been affected
by suicide is welcome to attend,” Moore said.
The memorial service is free and open to the public, with organisers emphasising the importance of community connection and early intervention in addressing suicide.
Wesley LifeForce currently supports more than 140 community-led suicide prevention networks across Australia and has trained over 40,000 people in prevention efforts over the past 15 years.
