Tens of thousands of Australians have packed central squares in some of the country's biggest cities, as well as on the shores of Gallipoli and in France, to pay tribute to fallen defence personnel as the sun rose on Anzac Day.
The first of a series of solemn services began at 4.20am at The Cenotaph in Sydney's Martin Place, followed minutes later by the Brisbane ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square.
A little over eight hours later, the Gallipoli dawn service began near the site where, 108 years ago to the day, Australian soldiers began their assault on the Turkish peninsula that led to the deaths of thousands of Allied soldiers.
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"The events of 25 April, 1915, and the subsequent campaign have been cemented in the identity of Australia and New Zealand," Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, the Australian Defence Force's Chief of Joint Operations, said at the service in Turkey.
"The Anzacs truly had written a page of history.
"Today, we honour and remember the fallen.
"Their loss was a personal tragedy that cast a long shadow over grieving families and our nations for decades.
"We acknowledge their service and sacrifice as we acknowledge all of those who have served in the decades since."
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Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh told the story of a young primary school teacher, Walter Blair, who was one of the Australians who was killed at Gallipoli.
"He joined the Australian imperial force and was soon a private in the 11th Battalion," Keogh said.
"Before sunrise on 25 April, 1915, the 11th Battalion was one of the first ashore at Gallipoli. Walter remained in action for three days until his unit was relieved.
"They returned to the trenches on 1 May. He was killed the next day.
"Walter, like thousands of others, has no known grave. Today, his name is listed on the Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing.
"Neither his parents, Thomas and Jessie, nor his siblings ever knew what had become of their son and brother.
"When we say, 'Lest we forget', at the end of the Ode, we mean it.
"We will remember them. We do remember them."
'We hope that war will one day be done': PM
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the crowd at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
"Every Anzac Day, from the greatest memorial to the simplest cenotaph, we honour all who have served in our name, and all who continue to serve today," he said.
Albanese compared the deaths of servicemen and women in war to a sapling being torn from the earth.
"We hope that war will one day be done. That the cause of peace will prevail and we can stop inscribing names on memorials," he said.
"But even then we will keep gathering before the dawn. We will gather together, we will gather for them. It is because of them that we can await the light."
Rear Admiral Christopher Smith spoke at the Sydney service about the service of Navy personnel during the Gallipoli campaign.
"The mere presence of the whole range of naval support vessels was of immense reassurance, not only because they kept the troops going, but also because control of the sea meant that no matter how bad things got ashore, the Anzacs could never be cut off," he said.
"Indeed, the final evacuation by naval forces is often described as the most successful aspect of the entire operation."
Smith addressed the veterans of younger conflicts in the crowd.
"Those of us who wear the uniform today have inherited the legacy of those who have served during conflict," he said.
"Their example offers both inspiration and sets the required standard for us – their spirit, values and qualities of self-sacrifice, courage and a fair go for all."
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'We gather today not to glorify war'
Further tributes followed in Canberra and Melbourne at 5.30am before similar moving moments in the other state capitals.
"We gather today not to glorify war, but to remember ourselves that we value who we are and the freedoms we possess and to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed to shaping the identity of our nation and those that continue to serve," Smith said.
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In Melbourne, author Justin Smith commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
"Without flattery, Korea has been called the forgotten war," he said.
He spoke about the battle of Kapyong, where an outnumbered force of Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, British and US troops turned back a Chinese attack on the city of Seoul.
"The Battle of Kapyong could be spoken of among Australia's strongest and bravest moments," he said.
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He paid tribute to Horace Madden, who was taken prisoner during the battle and ultimately died in a prison camp from "malnutrition and bad treatment".
"In the greatest of Australian ways, he was a troublemaker. But as a result, he was beaten and denied food and what little food he did have he often gave to his comrades who he thought were in need more than himself," Smith said.
"His behaviour and determination inspired everyone around him and kept others going when they were running low only reasons."
Thousands of kilometres away in Gallipoli, Turkish locals and Australians gathered later in the day to mark the anniversary in the location where so many Allied soldiers died, and shortly afterwards a dawn service was held at Villers-Bretonneux.
The small town in northern France was the site of one of Australia's most significant victories in World War I, when an overnight counterattack recaptured the commune on April 25, 1918, amid the huge German spring offensive.
Anzac Day began as a memorial to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fell when they were met with fierce resistance while trying to take the Gallipoli peninsula in World War I, turning a hoped-for quick strike into an eight-month battle that claimed more than 8000 Australian lives.
Today, the anniversary of the landing is also a chance to commemorate all other Australians who died in that horrible war and the others that followed.
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