AUSTRALIAN pilgrims who have made their way to Gallipoli braved their way through the cold to pay tribute to those who fell on the beaches before them.

More than 1200 tourists filled the Gallipoli dawn service with Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dan Tehan saying he was happy with the turnout.

“It just shows how significant.. This dawn service is.”

He said the service had not received any threats and thanked Turkish authorities for their assistance.

“They do an outstanding job here year on year out and once again we have seen the efforts they have gone to to make sure that our safety is paramount,” he said.

The service, which was Mr Tehan’s first, was carried out safely.

“It’s gone without incident which is very relieving for everyone.”

He said he found the service very moving.

“It’s something that you have to come here to see,” he said.

“You feel what happened 101 years ago, you feel it in your bones, in your blood and it’s incredibly special.”

Mr Tehan told those gathered that although many Australian and New Zealand troops died on the Gallipoli beaches, the Anzac story did not.

“Each year we remember the beginning of the story of Anzac here at Gallipoli,” he said.

“But while it began here we cannot forget where it has taken us.”

He said the story of the Anzacs would instead live in on those who took a moment to remember them.

“It is a story of brave men who fought in a foreign land for our values, our freedoms and for our sovereignty.”

Mr Tehan said he had wanted to “move quickly” around Camp Gallipoli concerns.

“There are some concerns that have ben raised so an inquiry was absolutely necessary,” he said.

“I won’t comment further until the inquiry has taken place but given the nature of the concerns, I felt that we had to move quickly and to have an inquiry.”

Wreathes were laid before the three national anthems of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey were also sung at Anzac Cove.

The crowd was entertained throughout the night by the Australian Army and Navy band as well as songs performed by Brisbane’s St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace choir.

The notes sung by the choir soared across the crowd, who embraced the night by camping out on the same beaches that were once a battlefield against Turkey and Australia. Now, it is a place where both nations join together to remember the devastating impacts of war and the events that shaped their nations.

With the sun still to rise, didgeridoo music rang out across the beach as part of the opening of the dawn service.

The casual atmosphere from overnight has been replaced with a reflective mood as the solemn crowd abandoned their sleeping bags to stand silently to attention.

The three flags - Australian, New Zealand and Turkish - wave slightly in the wind, light up by a pale blue cast across the stage.

The entire beach was been plunged into darkness with blue lights cast across the water.

As gentle music played, the eerie blue spread across the water that would have been stained red exactly 101 years ago.

The crowd even abandoned cameras and phones, transfixed as the story of the Anzac troops was read out.

The words of Turkish military leader Mustafa Kemal Attaturk were read out to the silent crowd:

“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.”

As music played, names of the soldiers killed during the Gallipoli campaign, including those not even 18, were shown to the crowd, the sheer volume of names leaving both young and old speechless.

Sydney local Joel Watson, 30, said he felt that the Anzac legend was a part of every Australian.

“What these men went through to fight for our freedom was incredible,” he said.

“It was a failed attempt but they went to war to make the world a better place… and sacrificed themselves for fellow man.”

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Ten-year-old Zoey Hamer and her seven-year-old brother Lachlan also joined the crowds for the dawn service to carry the Anzac legend through their generation.

The young Canberra children travelled to Turkey with their parents for the dawn service.

Dad Tavis Hamer said he wanted his children to understand the meaning of the Anzac legend.

“This is hugely important for the kids to come and experience it,” he said.

“We want them to learn and experience the emotion for themselves.”

The family has several ties with the war, including a great grandfather who travelled to Egypt to train during World War One.

Young Zoey Hamer said she had enjoyed meeting the Turkish people and a local baot ride.

“I’ve learned a lot about the wars in books and movies but it’s majorly different here,” she said.

Australians in Gallipoli have also defied travel warnings to mark Anzac Day this year.

Pilgrims braved strong winds to attend a moving ceremony honouring the battle of Lone Pine in Turkey about 3pm on Sunday (10pm Sunday AEST).

The ceremony began with the mounting of the Catafalque Party, with Australians telling News Corp Australia they felt safe in Turkey despite security warnings.

Many of the patriotic Aussies then moved across to the commemoration site for the dawn service, 12 hours ahead of the ceremony, but were forced to run for cover when the heavens opened.

The crowds took shelter in a nearby security tent for about 45 minutes as the rain fell, with one volunteer who’d attended 11 services saying this was the first that had been rained out.

Alice Morrissey, 30, from Lismore, said organisers had told them to move away to avoid the rain.

“I think it’s funny we had to get up, I would have stayed drier sitting down,” she said. “The rainbow helps; we have already taken a few photos.”

Thunder echoed over the site as the rain began to clear, with a giant rainbow forming.

SECURITY INCREASED FOR ANZAC DAY

High security has been in place for the Anzac Day service at Gallipoli.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said travel advice for Turkey remained under close review, but she did not respond directly to reports that authorities in Gallipoli had increased security “tenfold” following specific threats.

A Turkish government official overseeing security on the peninsula said intelligence agencies had received several pieces of information suggesting a planned attack on the Gallipoli peninsula, Seven News reported.

“The overall level of advice for Turkey, including the Gallipoli peninsula, remains at exercise a high degree of caution,” Ms Bishop said in a statement.

International-airport style screening is in place at Gallipoli, including restrictions on liquid, aerosol or gel products and inspection of electronic devices.

LONE PINE COMMEMORATIONS

Hundreds of Australian and New Zealand pilgrims gathered in Turkey about 3pm Sunday local time to remember those who lost their lives on the Lone Pine battlefield.

Lone Pine was a decisive battle during the Gallipoli campaign that saw more than 2200 Australian and up to 6000 Turkish troops killed.

Haunting sounds of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace began as wreaths were laid at the site, including one laid by Australia’s Veterans’ Affairs minister Dan Tehan as well as Australian Army Chief Angus Campbell.

The Last Post was accompanied by the raising of the Turkish and Australian flags.

Soldiers and the crowd stood together for the one minute of silence.

The Catafalque Party then dismounted with members of the public invited to lay their own wreaths at the site.

After the service, Mr Tehan marked the grave of Australian William Wallis Bentley Allen, who died at the age of 29 on April 25, 1915.

The young soldier, from Wannon in Victoria, in the minister’s electorate, was killed during the landing but it was not realised he was missing until May 8 in 1915 due to the confusion at the site.

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Musician Jess Jeffrey played bag pipes at the Lone Pine ceremony having joined the service two years ago.

“I’ve got a military history and it’s nice to be able to commemorate the soldiers before me,” the 21-year-old said.

“The people dying were younger than me, the youngest was just 14.”

Having played at services in France, the musician said it was his first time performing in Turkey.

He said he would be performing at the dawn service as well as several other commemorations.

“You definitely get nervous but that just means you care.”

The usual April Lone Pine service was also held on April 24, before the dawn service rather than after, to address security concerns with Mr Tehan thanking local authorities for their security and logistical assistance.

Mr Tehan denied the time change of the Lone Pine service was due to logistics or security threats.

“The commemoration was moved because the 6 August was when the battle took place and we marked it for the centenary year and the decision was taken to continue that from now on,” he said.

Mr Tehan said the government had spoken daily with Turkish authorities over security.

“He said to me that Turkey understands the importance of this commemoration and they will do everything they can to allow us to commemorate every year safely and to be able to pay our respects.”

Mr Tehan said despite the potential terrorism threats and dip in numbers, the commemorations would continue into the future.

“It’s so unique for Australia and important for our nation to mark this day so as a government we will do everything we can to ensure this will continue for many years to come.”

Sydney local Graham Robertson spoke with Mr Tehan as the minister placed a wreath at fallen soldier William Allen’s grave.

The 57-year-old’s great uncle Major Sydney Robertson had been in charge of the 9th battalion that Allen had been a part of with both men killed at Gallipoli.

“I was here last year but it’s always special,” he said.

New Zealand’s Minister of Defence Gerry Brownlee said he trusted Turkish authorities to take the security of the commemorations seriously.

“I think across Europe there is an increased awareness of potential security breaches that could lead to adverse circumstances for people but what we observe is Turkish authorities taking it very seriously,” he said.

He said he had been told by others that the increase of security had been “significant”.

The senior New Zealand minister said he had not heard of any direct threats to Anzac Day commemorations.

One of the Aussies who wasn’t afraid to attend was NSW history teacher Roslyn Burge. The 69-year-old said she had been planning her trip to Turkey for 12 years and was determined to come despite the travel warnings.

“Having taught history for such a long time, I decided it was important to put my feet on the soil that the Anzacs did,” she said.

“I wanted to understand it not just from Australia’s point of view but also form the Turkish perspective.”

Burge has her own connection to Gallipoli, with her great-uncle Captain Clive Emmerson Connelly from Bendigo, Victoria, killed at the historical battle of Hill 60.

Then just 30, his body has never been found but his name has been listed at the Lone Pine Cemetery.

Last year’s centenary service attracted 8000 Australians alone, all of who had to compete in a ballot to attend.

Boronia Travel director John Waller said it was the first time in more than two decades the tour groups had struggled to fill.

“I expected a little bit of a downturn after last year’s peak for the 100 year service but it really has dropped away badly,” he said.

“I thought there would be two to three thousand but we’ll be lucky to get 1000.”

He said local tour operators were particularly concerned with the low months with April normally kickstarting Turkey’s tourism season.

Local tour operator Olimpia Goseler said the tourism market was “very, very weak” with numbers expected to be about 15 to 20 per cent of what they had previously reached.

“Everyone is saying the same thing — Australians and New Zealanders are not coming to Turkey,” she said.

“We are emailing clients to tell them they are safe … but all over Turkey everybody is saying there are no tourists.”

The Reneham family braved travel warnings to visit Turkey to see where dad Eugene Reneham’s grandfather fought, their ancestor surviving the ordeal despite being shot in the leg in battle.

“I felt that it was important that my kids understood some of the experiences that my grandfather went through,” Mr Reneham said.

“We were umming and ahhing but then just thought — let’s do it.”

The family, including mum Joanne Reneham and kids Samantha, 19, and Oliver, 12, still have a British ensign flag that their World War One ancestor Francis Faey Reneham stole from an embassy in Cairo, the young soldier carrying the flag all the way to Gallipoli.

“He had it with him when they landed at Gallipoli but dropped it with his bags as they reached the shore. They went back to get it and we still have it today,” Mr Reneham said.