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Private Luke Smith of 5RAR presents arms as Musician Robin Kidney sounds the last post during the Remembrance Day ceremony on the Esplanade, Darwin in 2011.

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Private Luke Smith of 5RAR presents arms as Musician Robin Kidney sounds the last post during the Remembrance Day ceremony on the Esplanade, Darwin in 2011.

In military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day's activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. 

The Last Post is one of a number of bugle calls in military tradition that mark the phases of the day. While Reveille signals the start of a soldier's day, the Last Post signals its end.

During the evening, a duty officer moved around his unit’s position checking that the sentry posts were manned and sending the off-duty soldiers to their beds. The ‘first post’ was sounded when the duty officer started his rounds, while a final bugle call indicated the completion of these rounds, when the last post was reached.