Anzac Day marked in Australia and New Zealand
- Published
As is tradition, many people rose early to attend dawn services. The day marks the anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) landing at Gallipoli in Turkey in World War One and remembers the thousands who lost their lives.
Historic images of military servicemen and women were projected onto a building in Sydney during its dawn service. The first Anzac Day commemorations were held on 25 April 1916.
The parade in Sydney was, for the first time ever, led by hundreds of female veterans. Other cities in Australia, including Hobart and Darwin, also saw women appear at the front of marches for the first time.
This year's celebrations in Sydney also saw security measures stepped up. Concrete barriers were reinforced with steel to protect crowds against vehicle attacks.
Crowds gathered in Melbourne at the Shrine of Remembrance to pay their respects at the eternal flame. It symbolises the nation's remembrance and gratitude towards its war dead. Among them, this 96-year-old merchant seaman, Guy Griffiths.
People in Wellington, New Zealand, laid poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of remembrance for those who did not make the journey home.
Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders also travelled to Turkey's Gallipoli peninsula, to attend dawn services on the beaches where the Anzac troops first landed in 1915.
The military campaign is seen as marking Australia and New Zealand's post-colonial emergence on the international stage. Attending a Gallipoli service has become something of a rite of passage for young people in recent years.
Some 2,400 Australians were killed in the battle to recapture the French town of Villers-Bretonneux from German forces. As part of Anzac Day commemorations, the Prince of Wales attended a service on behalf of the Queen at the Australian National Memorial in the town.
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