Melburnians have paid tribute to Australia's fallen soldiers with a solemn service at the Shrine of Remembrance.
About 40,000 people packed the lawns beneath the Shrine on a fine, but cloudy Melbourne morning.
The crowd fell silent as the Last Post played.
Young people were a big part of the service with year 11 student Kate Mani reciting the poem In Flanders Fields.
Greg Williams, a veteran from Afghanistan, spoke of the Anzac spirit.
He said throughout history Australian and New Zealand men and women have stood side by side in battle.
Mr Williams also spoke of the war in Afghanistan.
"The war in Afghanistan has been controversial and costly, the price paid is Australian lives," he said.
He said many would ask whether the war was worth it, but today was a day to remember, not to have such debates.
At the conclusion of the service the public walked up the steps of the Shrine temple to pay their respects.
A wreath laying will follow, with the annual Anzac Day march later in the day.
Matt Smith flew to Australia from Canada to pay tribute to his grandfather at Melbourne's dawn service.
Draped in an Australian flag, Mr Smith proudly wore his grandfather's WWII medals on his chest.
Beside him stood his grandfather's wife and his grandmother Brenda Gregory, also draped in the Australian flag.
Ms Gregory said her husband, who died about a decade ago, served in Borneo and Papua New Guinea.
She attends the dawn service every year.
"Im sure he's up there looking down at us now," she said.
Mr Smith, who now lives in Canada, said he was impressed by Thursday's service and said his grandfather would have wanted him to attend.
"We know he served his country proud and has got the medals to show for it," Mr Smith told AAP.
"He came back to us, a lot of people haven't.
"Show a little bit of respect for him and the others that have gone before him."
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