On Anzac Day every year, dawn services across the country commence in the early hours of the morning. Well-known dawn services include the service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the Currumbin RSL service at Elephant Rock, Queensland. Dawn services are also held at key commemorative sites overseas, including Gallipoli and Port Moresby.        

The time of day mirrors the dawn landing of the Anzacs on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915, and reflects the broader significance of dawn during World War I.      

With dawn being a favourable time to mount offensives, soldiers would gather in the darkness before dawn and prepare for an attack, in what is known as the dawn ‘stand-to’.     

The Royal Australian Mint commemorates the dawn service with this stunning coin design. The vast crowd of people represents the many Australians who gather together, year after year, for this time-honoured tradition.