Australians' 'eternal obligation' to help
The original Anzacs placed an "eternal obligation" on all Australians and New Zealanders to always help those in trouble overseas, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove believes.
Giving the address at the national Anzac ceremony at the foot of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Sir Peter reflected on the debate over whether the events in Turkey a century ago could rightfully claim to be the "birth" of the nation.
The former Chief of the Defence Force said while he had no argument with those who believed other events are more important in Australia's development, the Gallipoli campaign lived through the nation.
"I say to you now, however, that what the Anzacs did, what those marvellous stoic men and women in uniform did, was to reveal such of our national characters as to place an eternal obligation on Australia and New Zealand, to always look beyond our shores and to place ourselves at the side of those in need, whatever the cost," he said.
"It should be a clear and simple answer the spirit of Anzac lies not just in a place that you visit or a book that you read, or solely in the men and women of our armed forces of today.
"The spirit of Anzac lies in us all. Those first Anzacs gave it to all of us for the rest of time."
Sir Peter was in New Zealand this morning attending the Anzac events there before flying to Canberra for today's commemoration.
More than 100,000 people – almost a third of Canberra's population – attended this morning's dawn service in Canberra.
The national march has been swelled by representatives from many countries, including Turkey.
Sir Peter said while there had been at the time a focus on the "nobility" of war when the Anzacs originally signed up, the real nobility was the way Australian and New Zealand troops had acted in the face of true carnage.
The nobility of poets and politicians was not on the minds of the men who sat off the Gallipoli coastline ahead of their landing 100 years ago today.
"They showed a greatness which was their true nobility, this was not the conventional perspective of nobility popularised in pseudo spiritual terms, glorious death for king and country, God with us, etc, for in every hand for many of them was the gruesome carnage of modern war," he said.
"Countless dead, comrades maimed, brothers and neighbours, psychologically ruined.
"For all the genuine heroes they had their share of miscreants, their nobility was they stayed together, they clung together, the memory of home, the idea of home and they found that that sustained them."
Among the dignitaries to lay wreaths at the Stone of Remembrance in front the War Memorial was the Duke of Kent.
WA businessman and War Memorial council chairman Kerry Stokes also laid a wreath and read the creed in the official service.
Mr Stokes said today was a memorial not only for the original Anzacs but also for all who had served their nation.
"Those who have served our nation have bequeathed to us a great legacy. May we and the generations to come prove worthy of their sacrifice," he said.
Anzac Day commemorated from Gallipoli to Kings Park
