As the sound of the Last Post pierced the cool air in Nambour at the dawn service today, you couldn't help but feel proud to be an Australian.

Hundreds rose before 4am to make their way down to the front of the Nambour RSL to watch as former servicemen and women or younger relatives wearing their medals marched into position for the Dawn Service.

We bowed in prayer as we remembered those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Later the minute's silence was not nearly enough to comprehend what they had done.

It was a scene that will be repeated across the Coast today as many young people make a special effort to ensure that those who fought for the many freedoms we all enjoy are not forgotten.

Anzac Day is not a day to celebrate war - it's a day to celebrate those who fought to ensure we don't face the many conflicts we see in different parts of the globe.

April 25 marks not only the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War, but also our efforts as a nation of just 14 years to establish ourselves on the world stage.

On a day that will go down as the most courageous in our history, Australian and New Zealand soldiers set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies.

A legend was born from the battles that ensured as they met fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders over eight bloody months.

At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships.

Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed.

The Dawn Service observed on ANZAC Day has its origins in an operational routine which is still observed by the Australian Army today.

During battle, the half-light of dawn was one of the most favoured times for an attack.

Soldiers in defensive positions were woken up in the dark, before dawn, so by the time first light crept across the battlefield they were awake, alert, and manning their weapons.

After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn.

Even today, that quiet time of reflection - and thanks for the freedoms we all enjoy is the reason more and more young people are turning out, bringing their parents along, to ensure we will all remember.