Shortly after 4.15 am on the morning of April 25th 1915, the men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ANZAC stormed the beaches at Gallipoli against an underestimated Turkish force. The battle that followed was brutal with both forces maintaining their ground. In December 1915, the ANZACS were recalled from Gallipoli leaving behind thousands of dead.

There has been a lot of debate as to what went wrong, and the most accepted version is that the British Generals had erred in calculating the landing place and as such the ANZACS had little chance to establish any defensive position as they were immediately under heavy fire.

This was the first time Australian Soldiers had fought as an Army under the Australian Flag. In previous conflicts, Australian contingents had been sent from various States, but following Federation on 1st January 1901, the Army came under control of the new Federal government.

The landings at Gallipoli are an indelible part of Australia’s history and more particularly in defining Australia as a single united Federation rather than a number of States.

As a result of the landing at Gallipoli on that morning of 25th April 1915, it has become the date that Australia stops and recalls all those who have served in the armed forces. ANZAC DAY generally begins with a Dawn Service at exactly the same time of the first landings at Gallipoli. Marches and Parades are held in almost every city and town throughout Australia.