Thousands attended Anzac Day services across Hobsons Bay on Friday morning to mark the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.
Dawn services at Williamstown and Altona attracted the largest crowds, with more than 2000 people rising early to attend both.
The Altona service began with a march from the RSL on Sargood Street to the cenotaph where the eternal flame illuminated proceedings.
The address was delivered by army education officer, Captain Jamie Schofield, who said the importance of Anzac Day wasn’t really about war at all.
“It’s been said that the amount of influence that the Gallipoli campaign had on the outcome of the war, was nothing,“ Captain Schofield told the crowd.
“Anzac is more than a battle, it’s more than a landing it’s more than a campaign, it’s about the people.
“It’s a day where Australians fought under their own flag as a nation, not under their state banners.”
She said the lasting legacy of Gallipoli was the Anzac spirit of mateship, sacrifice and togetherness that the events of April 25, 1915 brought about.
“It was born at Anzac cove and is alive within us today.”
Among the many veterans present at the Altona service was 96 year old George Coleman, OAM, who served in the Royal Australian Navy during the Korean War.
“I was a Leading Seaman quartermaster-gunner,” recalled Mr Coleman of his role aboard River-class frigate, HMAS Condamine, during the war which lasted from 1950 to 1953.
“When we were at sea I was a quartermaster and if we went into action I got relieved from there and went to a gun,” said Mr Coleman who was awarded an Order of Australia for his service during the conflict.
In the nearby suburb of Seabrook, a much smaller dawn service took place at Homestead Run Reserve.
“Our Anzac Day commemorative event was a resounding success, with 185 attendees and 12 dogs in attendance – a significant increase from previous years,” said co-organiser Naserah Khan.
The Spotwood and Kingsville RSL held both dawn and morning services at it’s Memorial Garden just off Melbourne Road, while the Newport RSL sub-branch, who organised the Williamstown dawn service, later held a smaller morning service at Paine Reserve.
With no major Anzac Day events in Maribyrnong, mayor Pradeep Tiwari laid a wreath at the Sunshine dawn service instead.
