ANZAC Parade , Canberra ANZAC Parade , a significant road and thoroughfare in the Australian capital Canberra , is used for ceremonial occasions and is the site of many major military memorials . Named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of World War I , ANZAC Parade joins Gallipoli Reach of Lake Burley Griffin in the south and the Australian War Memorial to the north , is on the main axis between Parliament House and Mount Ainslie , and is the bisector of Constitution Avenue that forms the side of the Parliamentary Triangle between Civic and Russell Hill . The Parade is flanked by Eucalyptus trees on gently sloping banks either side of the three - lane , one - way roads centred by a wide parade ground topped with granulated rock ( similar to scoria ) with planted boxes of a low bush called Hebe . The Eucalypts are Australian ; and the Hebe comes from New Zealand . The Parade is also flanked by the streets of Anzac Park West and Anzac Park East on either side of Anzac Park . On ANZAC Day , 25 April and other ceremonial occasions the Parade and adjoining streets may be blocked off to provide a parade route for formed groups of armed services personnel and veteran s to proceed either along the central parade route or the flanking roads . Removable concrete kerbs to facilitate marching along the central parade route are at the cross streets , Parkes Way , Constitution Avenue , Currong Street / Blamey Crescent , and Limestone Avenue / Fairbairn Avenue . Memorial interpretation . In the manner of interpretation of museum displays , the memorials are accompanied by several forms of signage to assist the passer - by . Each memorial has various plaque s or foundation stone s that were laid at the time of unveiling . Additionally , interpretative signage in a common format has been provided by the Government of Australia adjacent to each memorial that gives succinct information about the nature and / or the site of the people or group or events leading to the establishment of the memorial . Situation and history . The Parade separates the residential suburbs of Campbell and Reid . The naming is significant : At the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue is the historic St John the Baptist Anglican Church , consecrated by the Bishop of Australia , William Broughton , on 12 March 1845 , some 80 years before the site of the national capital was decided . Fortuitously , the alignment of the church was such that it seems to have been designed to fit the alignment the adjoining roads , ordained in the plans by Walter Burley Griffin . Lighting . The street lighting was updated and officially opened on 26 March 2001 by the Prime Minister of Australia , Hon . John Howard MP . The design is intended to be efficient and thus reduce energy consumption and thus air pollution while also reducing skyglow , light pollution / photopollution . The original lighting was designed to be a symbolic " honour guard " and was opened by then Prime Minister , Robert Menzies , on ANZAC Day 25 April 1965 . Heritage listing . On ANZAC Day 25 April 2006 Federal Environment and Heritage Minister Ian Campbell announced that ANZAC Parade along with the Australian War Memorial would be added to the National Heritage List .