LIVE: Gallipoli Dawn Service | Anzac Day 2025 🎖️ | OFFICIAL BROADCAST | ABC Australia

[Music] [Music] [Music] My almighty. [Music] Fore speech. [Music] [Music] Get them mama. [Music] Fore! Foreign! Foreign! [Music] My My [Music] my holy [Music] I [Music] feel the must. You [Music] must feel free. [Music] Feel [Music] free. Sleep sweet [Music] sleep.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Khalil Figgan and, as Australia's repatriation commissioner, it is my immense pleasure to be your master of ceremonies at this morning's Anzac Day dawn service at Gallipoli in Turkey. I'd like to begin by broadly acknowledging our official guests: Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, senior member of the British Royal Family; Her Excellency, the Honorable Sam Mustin, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia; the right honorable Christopher Luxen, Prime Minister of New Zealand; Torman, Governor of Shinak; Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Chief of Navy on behalf of the Australian Defense Force; Air Marshal Tony Davies, Chief of Defense Force on behalf of the New Zealand Defense Force; Admiral Sir Ben Keyi, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, on behalf of the British Armed Forces; veterans; other distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you as we gather at this very special place on the Gallipoli Peninsula to remember all of those who served and died here 110 years ago, and to acknowledge those who were once our adversaries are now our firm friends.

Ladies and gentlemen, please stand. Our service this morning begins with the mounting of the catapult party. Catapult party quick. Can putty present party [Music] reverse party Oh, [Music] [Music] Careful. Careful putty. Outwood. Careful putty. Rest on. [Music] Come on, buddy. [Music] outward.

Please be seated. I now invite her royal highness, the Princess Royal, to deliver the reading.

Governor General, Prime Minister, Ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to join you here today where we are together on this April dawn, assembled to honor men whose deeds and sacrifices on this ground 110 years ago are etched into the histories and spirits of their countries. The Australians and New Zealanders who landed here on the 25th of April 1915 came from young nations on ancient lands. As the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps neared the Turkish coastline, each man understood he would be tested in battle. As they landed on what would become known as Anzac Cove, they also understood they were part of a larger operation. At the same time, British and French forces were landing and fighting to the south at Cape Helis. I would like us to reflect on the battle by reading the words of three of the men who were here more than a century ago. Australian private William Alexander McI, who was one of the first men ashore, described the early hours in a letter home: “I will tell you a little about our landing and the pluck our boys showed. As soon as we landed there was heavy fire opened on us from the Turks. And then the fort also opened up on us and several boats were sunk and men drowned before they could even get a shot. Once we got going, we could not stop our boys. They simply drove everything before them. Our boys, they fought, I can tell you.” New Zealand signaler Thomas Ree England, who came ashore around midday, left us with an insight of the cost, writing of “the terrible sight of hundreds of dead and wounded lying all along the beach. I shall never forget it.” A fellow New Zealander, Private Vincent Stitchbury, described how “we straight away went off to reinforce the Australians. And in getting up to the trenches, the enemy gave it to us real hot with shrapnel and rifle fire. For the next 36 hours, the fighting was very fierce indeed.” This was the start of an eight-month-long campaign costing and changing the lives of tens of thousands of Australians, New Zealand, British, French, and Ottoman soldiers. But for those who survived the first day, it was, as signal England wrote, “a day that very few New Zealand boys or Australians will ever forget.” He likely could not imagine how important this day would become for all Australians and New Zealanders. Their words have helped us understand its importance and not least to the families left behind. 110 years later, we stand here at dawn to commemorate the ANZACs, remembering their bravery, courage, and sacrifice. We also remember all Australian and New Zealand men and women who since that day have served their country in wars, conflicts, and peace missions. Their service is not forgotten. We will remember them.

Thank you, your royal highness. I now invite principal chaplain Kerry Lill, on behalf of the Australian forces, to lead us in the opening prayer.

As we pause in reflection, people of faith turn their thoughts to prayer. As I pray, if you are of a different faith or belief, please use my words as an opportunity for your own reflection and remembrance. “Lord of mercies and God of all comfort, we remember those who served and those who gave their lives in battle. Among them, young Australians and New Zealanders who laid down their lives on the battlefields of war. As we remember, we pray for all those who suffer through the wars of nations by loss of home or faculties, by loss of friends or loved ones, by loss of happiness, security or freedom. We pray for those whose hearts are still bitter or full of pain. We pray for those who find it difficult to forgive. Comfort their hearts, uphold their faith, and grant them peace. As we reflect upon our world, we acknowledge the hurt caused to some, and so we strive for peace. Help us to overcome the barriers that divide people and nations. Bless every effort being made to bring peace and understanding to the world. We pray today for those members of the Australian and New Zealand Defense Forces currently deployed and for others who are deployed in the pursuit of peace. Grant that they may serve with courage, honor, compassion, and may they return home safely to their loved ones. Grant Lord today that all conflicts may be resolved speedily so that justice and peace may reign in our world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Thank you, Padre. Our final commemorative address this morning will be delivered by the right honorable Christopher Luxen, Prime Minister of New Zealand.

110 years ago on the dawn of this day that we commemorate every year in New Zealand, ANZAC troops came ashore here shoulder-to-shoulder with their brothers from half a world away. Some anticipated an adventure far from home. But as the sun rose and the shadows drained from the gullies, it was not adventure that greeted them, but horror. Instead of the peace that we feel now, they faced wave after wave of firing, each bullet seeming to come closer than the last. Days became weeks and weeks became months, but only for those that survived that long. The metronome of gunfire and shelling kept the dreadful rhythm of life in the trenches. Gallipoli is a name etched into New Zealand’s national identity. It represents not only this shore and these hills, but the valor that was shown here on both sides, the terrible sacrifice and the utter tragedy of war. Some 16,000 Kiwis served here. At that time, we were a nation of just a million people. Our contribution as a small nation at the bottom of the world was disproportionate. What happened here scarred generations of New Zealanders. While we remain proud of those who serve, we do not glorify what happened here. We know too much to do that. Instead, we acknowledge the courage and the tenacity of the ANZACs and we respect the valor of the Ottoman Turks who resisted them. Our most decorated Gallipoli veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Sirill Basset, VC, said, “Real courage isn’t just an act of daring. It’s carrying on.” And carry on they did, on both sides. Everyone fought in the same horrific conditions. And through that, unbreakable bonds were formed. Men of means fought in lock step with those who came from little. And for the ANZACs, a bond was built between the New Zealanders and Australians which we sustain to this very day. The passage of 110 years has lifted the fog of war and given us a clearer view of the futility of the Gallipoli campaign and New Zealand’s role in it. But that greater understanding does not dim our respect for those who fought. On Anzac Day in particular, we remember the stories of selfless acts of courage that ordinary men committed to save their mates, never knowing that in doing so they were writing themselves into the history of our nation. But it would be a disservice to those whose valor we remember if we forget the real lesson of this campaign: that we should do all we can, all we can, to prevent anything like it happening again. Many young Turks lost their lives here defending their country. They fought fearlessly in defense of their position at great cost, and today we honor them too. On behalf of all New Zealanders, I thank Turkey for protecting the cemeteries and the memories and the memorials on this site and caring for our fallen sons as you do your own. Visiting this place has become a right of passage for New Zealanders, young and old, who seek a connection with those who gave so much so long ago. Some come looking for their family surnames on the headstones, but some headstones bear the names of men who were struck down too young to bear families of their own. Whatever motivation visitors have for coming, nobody leaves here unmoved. Only last year fire struck the peninsula, reminding us of the fragility of this special environment. We thank the Turkish firefighters for their success in containing the fire and we commend the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for restoring the memorials. And as always, we express our immense gratitude to the Turkish authorities for ensuring that this sacred ground is protected into the future. Soon the light will reveal the landscapes as it did at this hour on this day 110 years ago. It will show us the names etched into the headstones marking where men fell. It will show us the names of our great-grandfathers. And it will show us the names of men who never became fathers. We think of them all. We will remember them.

Thank you, Prime Minister Luxon. The Turkish forces who opposed the ANZAC at Gallipoli were led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founder of modern Turkey and became the first president of the Republic of Turkey. I now invite Lieutenant Colonel Ursan Chelik who will read in Turkish and then English the remarkable tribute paid to the ANZACS in 1934 by President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

For Lieutenant Colonel. Distinguished guests, now I’d like to read the letter including full of sands and special messages sent to be addressed to Anzac mothers by Ataturk, founder of modern Turkish Republic and the hero of Chanakala: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives, you’re now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the journeys and the mammoths to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.”

Takula, Lieutenant Colonel Chelik. Ladies and gentlemen, the Australian Army band and the New Zealand Defence Force Band will now perform the musical piece “Going Home.”

[Music] Going home. Going home. I’m going home. Quiet like some still day. I’m just going home. It’s not far, just close by through an open door. Work come down, cares laid by, going to Rome no more. Mother’s there expecting me. Father’s waiting too. But some folk gather their all the friends I knew. All the friends I knew. Home. I’m going home. Nothing lost all gain. No more frets, no pain. No more stumbling on the way. I’m longing for the day. Going to roll no more. Morning starlight the way restless dreams undone. Shadows gone. Break of day. Real life’s just begun. There’s no break. There’s no end. Just a living. Wide awake with a smile. Going on and on. Going home. Going home. I’m just going home. It’s not far, just close by. Through an open door. Through an open door. Oh, I’m [Music] going [Music] home. Going home.

Ladies and gentlemen, our second commemorative address this morning will be delivered by Her Excellency, the Honorable Sam Mustin, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Good morning, your Royal Highness, the Princess Royal and Timothy Lawrence; Prime Minister Christopher Luxon; Your Excellencies; distinguished guests; and every one of you here today. As a proud Australian, the daughter of a veteran, and Australia’s Governor General, it is an honor to be here to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. It is a privilege to join the very many Australians and New Zealanders who have traveled here for this historic moment, some of whom I met briefly in Istanbul just a few days ago, just as many thousands of Australians and New Zealanders have done over so many years, camping overnight, often preparing for the break of day, for this moment, finding connection with the immense, immense sacrifices made here in our name. To the people of Turkey who have long welcomed us to this sacred ground, thank you. We are grateful for your continued warmth and extraordinary generosity. Today, together with a shared history, a deeply shared history, we honor our beloved sons who fought and died in war to afford us peace. In darkness, this landscape is unfamiliar, just as it was to the troops who came ashore on this day 110 years ago. Yesterday, shortly before this time at day’s break, together with my aid-de-camp, Captain Katie Higgins, and my husband Simeon, we stood on the shore of Anzac Cove with our feet in the water. As the first light arrived, as hard as we tried, it was impossible for us to put ourselves in the boots of those soldiers where we experienced the peace of the gentle lapping of the shore and the beautiful bird song we hear right now. Where we found peace, they encountered the fury and the maelstrom of bullets and shrapnel. The fury of it all, the physical reality that faced them then is unfathomable. But we know the story: young men, masked on both sides. All had been called by their nations—in the case of Australia, a nation still in its tender infancy on ancient lands—called to serve, called to fight, ultimately for far too many to die. We remember them as exceptional, and certainly there were incredible acts of extraordinary valor, stories of exceptional courage and sacrifice that have resounded through generations. But those who fought here, as you’ve heard this morning, were just like us: the quiet, thoughtful mate; the hard worker; the loner; the larkin; and so many of the characters we all recognize. Look around you now and you see the same characteristics amongst us here today. For the ANZACs, crossing oceans and hemispheres to the unknown, these brothers, cousins, knockabout mates, and countrymen, carried with them the hope, humor, energy, and the certainty of youth and a deeply felt sense of duty to their countries. They had traveled great distances both within and beyond Australia and New Zealand’s shores to reach this place. And as the days, weeks, and months passed, Gallipoli became a familiar terrain of fear, filth, and sickness; of smoke from the shells; and the terrifying crack of bullets; and of course, of death. As you’ve heard many times this morning, in their letters home from this place, they chronicled the horrors of war. Their words—and often those they couldn’t bring themselves to write or didn’t live long enough to complete—reveal the most ordinary of human emotions: fear, longing, and shock at their dire circumstances. They wrote of the bodies of their fallen brothers and the names of those who were missing at roll call. But they also spoke of their care and concern for their mates and of how much they missed the simple pleasures of home and yearned deeply for loved ones. They wrote poignantly of love, of courage, gallantry, and sacrifice, often leaving notes that, in the event of their death, their diaries were to find their way to their mothers, their wives, and their families. These ordinary men met the most challenging of circumstances in the most extraordinary ways. To quietly contemplate the words on their headstones here in the beautifully tended war cemeteries is to feel the enormity of their loss: just one, only a boy, but died as a man for liberty and freedom. Today, as we remember them, fighting to achieve a victory forever out of reach, we strive to match their service to our nations. That is why 110 years later, their duty to our country and their care for each other still resonates, resonates deeply. And we continue to find strength and meaning in what happened here. In the aftermath of Gallipoli and the First World War, loved ones back at home found ways to mourn through a language of commemoration: the lament of the Last Post; the simple and poignant memorials in cities and towns across the country; the lyric beauty of the Ode; the scent of rosemary; or attending dawn services as we are here today, where new generations representing the rich modern diversity of Australia now participate in growing numbers. Each of these acts of commemoration reflects values that today we should all strive to live by: service, care, kindness, and respect. Values that were also expressed by Mustapa Kamal Ataturk in his unwavering commitment to embrace our lost sons here on Turkish soil. A sentiment that Australians who visit Turkey hear wherever we go. Those bonds between our lands remain unbroken. The wreath that I will shortly lay on behalf of Australians today is woven through with special rosemary we have brought from the Bravery Garden at Government House in Canberra. One of my predecessors, former Governor General Sir William Dean, was inspired to create Australia’s Bravery Garden after his visit to Gallipoli in 1999 when he spoke of bravery as a tide that flows from the essence of our humanity, from the values of courage, duty, respect, love, and compassion. Since then, our Bravery Garden has celebrated the courage and sacrifices of Australians across our country, civilians and defense personnel alike, who exemplify the Anzac spirit through selfless acts of care. Care is what I now see across every part of our country: the spirit of Anzac alive in modern Australia. That spirit has carried us from 1915 to today through Australia’s deployment to other theaters of war and in Australia’s participation in vital peacekeeping missions where we have contributed in every year since 1947. It is embodied in the service women and men of our Australian Defence Force and in their families for whom service is a way of life. It is also vibrant in our communities more broadly where we see works of care, kindness, and respect performed in the service of others. And in each new generation, that is where the Anzac spirit is renewed. The monumental loss and terrible sadness of Gallipoli has altered our hearts and minds across generations. We mourn the horror of war and the loss of so many and cherish the Anzac story, certain that, in the words of one young Australian, commemoration can inspire Australia’s potential to be brave and extraordinary. What happened here 110 years ago is a constant call not to arms but to peace. And that is why we will remember them, lest we forget.

Thank you, your excellency Sam. Ladies and gentlemen, wreaths will now be laid by official representatives to acknowledge the grounds where our ancestors lay and pay our respects to the people of Turkey who so graciously continue to welcome us here every year. The first wreath will be laid by Umar Torman, governor of Shinakal. We’re going to run [Music] [Music] Give this [Music] [Music] [Music] Is it real? Hey [Music] [Music] [Music]

The next wreath will be laid by her royal highness, the Princess Royal, on behalf of the British royal family. [Music] [Music] [Music] to acknowledge the bond between Australia and New Zealand. The next wreaths will be laid by her excellency, the honorable Sam, on behalf of the government and the people of Australia, and the right honorable Christopher Luxon, on behalf of the government and the people of New Zealand. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

The next wreaths will be laid on behalf of the Republic of Austria, Canada, and the French Republic by Her Excellency Gabriella Euan, His Excellency Kevin Hamilton, and Consular General Naria Foto. [Music] [Music]

The next wreaths will be laid on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, Hungary, and the Republic of India and Ireland by Lieutenant Colonel Kristoff Krusi, Councelor Valerie Kitsy, His Excellency Muktesh Padeshi, and Her Excellency Claire Brosman. [Music]

The next wreaths will be laid on behalf of the Republic of South Africa and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by Captain Ivan John Africanda and Her Excellency Jill Morris. [Music]

The six wreaths will be laid on behalf of the Defence Forces of Australia and New Zealand and the United Kingdom by Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Air Marshal Tony Davies, and Admiral Sir Ben Key. [Music] [Music] [Music]

The final wreaths will be laid on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and all veterans of Australia and New Zealand by Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, Commander Charlotte Buren and Captain Rionan Lever. [Music]

It is now time to reflect and silently remember all of those who have died in all wars and conflicts. Please stand for the Ode of Remembrance, which will be followed by the Last Post, one minute of silence, and Reveille. Attend. The Ode will be recited in Te Reo Māori by Warrant Officer Witty Moo Moffett on behalf of the New Zealand Defence Force and in English by Warrant Officer Matthew Fury on behalf of the Australian Defence Force. “For they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them, lest we forget.”

Party present. [Music] Careful, buddy. Shoulder. [Music] [Music] [Music] for [Music] Let him [Music] be all [Music] Peace. [Music] Oh, ye [Music] God may all [Music] We are [Music] all God of nations at thy feet. In the bonds of love we meet. Hear our voices we entreat. God defend our free land. God pervings triple star from the shaft of strife and war. Make her praises her. Defend New [Music] Zealand. Australian let us rejoice for we are one and free. We’ve golden sands and wealth unto our home is girt by sea. Our land abounds in nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare, in history’s page. Let every state advance Australia fair. In joyful strains and let us sing Australia fair. Shoulder.

Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. I now invite Principal Defence Chaplain Dave Lacy, on behalf of the New Zealand Defence Force, to offer the dedication.

Let us close in prayer. And for those from different traditions, I invite you just to pause in quiet reflection. “As we stand on this special ground surrounded by the memories of those who have gone before us, may we never forget their service to their nations and the price they paid. We also acknowledge the price their families have paid and continue to pay down through the ages. Lord, as we depart from here, we pray your peace upon those we leave behind and those whose resting place is known only to you. May they know that they are not forgotten, for we will remember them today and always. Amen.”

Thank you, Padre. We began our service this morning with the mounting of the catapult party and now the catapult party will dismount. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand. Cannibal putty in woods turnt. [Music]

Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. That concludes our dawn service here at the Gallipoli Peninsula to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the ANZAC landings. Tacula. Thank you.