Anniversary Messages

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Anniversary messages are personal congratulations from the Prime Minister, Governor-General or The Queen, for any Australian celebrating a special birthday or wedding anniversary.

Qualifying for anniversary messages

Australians can receive a message from the Prime Minister:

on their 50^th wedding anniversary and every year after*
on their 90^th birthday and every year after*

Australians can receive a message from the Governor-General:

on their 50^th wedding anniversary and every year after*
on their 100^th birthday and every year after*

Australians can receive a message from The Queen:

on their 60^th wedding anniversary and every fifth year after*
on their 100^th birthday and every fifth year after*

If you did not receive a message from The Queen for your 60th wedding anniversary or 100^th birthday you can request one for a subsequent occasion (ie: 61st wedding anniversary or 101st birthday). You do not have to wait until your 65th wedding anniversary or 105th birthday.

You will need to provide supporting documentation to confirm the details of the anniversary (see below).

* You will need to submit a new request every year. Messages do not get sent automatically.

Requesting a message

To arrange an anniversary message, follow these steps:

Step 1: Gather supporting documentation for the relevant birthday or wedding anniversary. The supporting document needs to clearly state the full name or names of those celebrating the anniversary, and the date of the anniversary.

Supporting documentation can include:

copies of birth certificates, passports or marriage certificates.

or

a statutory declaration with the relevant names and anniversary details. Statutory declaration forms are available at any post office, or online from the Attorney-General's Department.

Step 2: Contact the electorate office of any Federal Member of Parliament or the office of any Senator for your state or territory, who will then arrange for the request to be submitted.

If you need to find the contact details for your federal parliamentarian click either Member of Parliament or Senator. You can search by Name, Postcode or Electorate.

Delivery of messages

Anniversary messages can be delivered directly to the recipient or to a care-of address if you want it to be a surprise.

Timing of message request

Submitting requests for messages

To give the best chance of the message arriving on time, you should arrange it no later than two months before the date of the wedding/birthday anniversary.

If you are unable to submit the request this early, we will do our best to process the request in time but delivery by the anniversary/birthday cannot be guaranteed.

Posting messages:

Messages from the Prime Minister will usually be posted 10 days in advance of the anniversary date.

In some circumstances, where requested to do so, we can post messages earlier (for instance, where a surprise party is being held before the anniversary date). However we cannot post messages out more than one month in advance of an anniversary date.

Belated messages:

Even if you missed the anniversary date, you can request a message up to six months after the birthday or wedding.

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