An estimated 10,000 people packed central Napier for the Anzac Dawn Parade this morning - leaving Napier RSA president John Purcell both astonished and proud.
"I have never seen that many people at our dawn parade and I've been to a few now," he said.
"We did not expect to see that many so it was just fantastic, and so good to see so many young ones there."
Memorial Square was filled to the limit, as were the streets surrounding it as people took up every available vantage point to witness the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
Mr Purcell welcomed the crowd after pipers led in a parade of veterans, air force, army and navy representatives, cadets and special guests.
Among them was guest speaker, Australian Federal Police liaison officer Jonelle Lancashire.
"It's good to see the younger generations attending today as we remember those of every nation who suffered, and continue to suffer, from war," she said in her address.
"The spirit of Anzac is invincible."
Taradale High School senior student Jessica Ballinger delivered her New Zealand RSA competition speech which was thoughtful and clearly hit the mark with the great crowd who listened in respectful silence.
She asked the question of the young of today when highlighting what the soldiers of past eras went through - "could we have done that?"
As the dawn broke a firing party unleashed a volley of shots which brought home the stark sounds of combat.
The Last Post was played followed by a minute's silence to remember the fallen, before both the New Zealand and Australian national anthems were played.
At the conclusion of the 30-minute service many people stayed at the square to take in the small field of white crosses while many children had their photos taken alongside the soldiers in attendance.
"I have never seen anything like this - it's remarkable," one man who summed it up said.
"It is so special."
Crowds flock to Napier dawn parade
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