Hundreds have braced the rain and lined city streets to pay respect for Australia’s fallen soldiers at a pre-dawn service.
Marking the 110th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli during World War I, the inclement weather in Sydney did not prevent a large crowd from gathering at The Cenotaph in Martin Place to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Members of the public gathered around the memorial and its striking message – “to our glorious dead” – while dignitaries and other representatives laid traditional wreaths.
Major General Matt Burr delivered a powerful commemoration address, encouraging new Australians and first-time dawn service attendees to seek out veterans and share in their stories.
“Our women and men in uniform are just like you in many ways; from all backgrounds, from all across our communities,” he said.
“All Australians own and are part of the same legacy … the legacy of the first Anzacs who answered that call of duty, leaving behind the comforts of home and the warmth of loved ones to serve Australia.”
Continuing tradition, NSW Premier Chris Minns recited Australian writer and World War I veteran Sydney Elliott Napier’s poem Salute.
“You who have loved will remember the glow of their glad young years, as you stand to-day to salute them in silence, with pride and with tears,” he read.
https://thewest.com.au/news/anzac/anzac-day-2025-rain-no-deterrent-for-crowd-during-solemn-dawn-service-at-the-cenotaph-in-sydney–c-18479669
