Thousands of Australians have gathered before first light to commemorate the solemn occasion of Anzac Day.
From capital city cenotaphs to local memorials, thousands have braved the cold to honour the memory of all Australians who have served their country at home and abroad.
In Sydney, the traditional dawn service will be held at the Cenotaph in Martin Place at 4.20am, with a march through the CBD to follow at 9am.
In Melbourne, the largest dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance will start at 5.30am, with the march to begin from 8.30am.
Brisbane’s dawn service at Anzac Square will begin at 4.28am, while the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra will begin at 5.30am.
Often regarded as the most solemn day on the Australian calendar, Anzac Day is commemorated on April 25 each year.
It honours the memory of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who formed part of the allied expedition that landed at Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915.
Approximately 16,000 soldiers – who became colloquially known as “Anzacs” – immediately faced opposition.
The beach they landed on was fenced by high, heavily fortified cliffs that were fiercely defended by Ottoman Turkish defenders.
Any push forward to claim the peninsula would have to be done by near-vertical climbs under heavy fire.
On the first night, it was estimated more than 2000 men were killed.
By the end of the Anzac campaign, which endured eight months of fighting, over 8000 Australian soldiers were killed.
Despite the stalemate between Turkish and Allied forces on the cliffs of Gallipoli, it was the spirit of the men who fought there, along with their ingenuity, endurance and bravery that formed the basis of the Anzac legend.
Today Anzac Day serves to help Australians commemorate all past and living veterans, as well as honouring the sacrifice of current serving Defence Force members.
Dawn services, which typically include songs, the laying of wreaths, a playing of the Last Post and a minute’s silence, are held across the country.
Beginning before the sun has started to rise, dawn services are held to commemorate the same time the Anzacs landed at Gallipoli, while also honouring military tradition of “standing to” at dawn in preparation for early morning raids.
Many dawn services are followed by a march through the community or a “gunfire breakfast” at the local RSL, which typically consists of bacon and eggs and coffee or tea with a shot of rum.
