Hundreds of Moree residents, young and old, rose before the sun to gather at the memorial window at Moree and District Services Club to pay their respects at the 2019 Anzac Day dawn service.
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The crowd solemnly gathered at 5.50am on Thursday morning to watch on as marchers, led by special guest Commander Michael Doncaster, marched to the memorial window where Roger Butler OAM led the short, moving service.
"Welcome to our 2019 Anzac Day dawn service, 101 years after the end of the First World War," he said.
Following the opening address, singing of the hymn Abide with Me, performed by Moree Community Choir and Moree and District Band, and a prayer by RSL Padre Reverend Phillip Brown, Mr Butler OAM read the dedication.
"At this hour upon this day, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) received its baptism of fire and became one of the immortal names in history," he said.
"We who are gathered here think of the comrades who went to the battlefields of all wars, but did not return.
"We feel them still near us in spirit. We wish to be worthy of their great sacrifice. Let us therefore once more dedicate ourselves to the ideals for which they died.
"As the dawn is even now about to pierce the night so let their memory inspire us to work for the coming of new light into the dark places of the world."
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Wreaths were laid while Lament was played by Moree Caledonian Society Pipes and Drums pipe major Tim Tesoriero.
The Last Post and Reveille, sounded by bugler Jacqualyn Drenkhahn, echoed as the sun rose over the Moree Plains, while the crowd observed moments of silence and remembrance.
The service concluded with the national anthems, God Save the Queen and Advance Australia Fair.
This year marks the 104th year anniversary since the dawn landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
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It was the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the World War I, who set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the actions of Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign left a powerful legacy.
