Dawn service at the Mount Cenotaph

A large crowd gathered for the dawn service at the Mount Cenotaph this morning. Photos and video: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Hundreds gathered before sunrise at the Mount Cenotaph this morning to commemorate Anzac Day.

Members of the public, cadets, and RSA members began gathering from 5am, with the parade beginning at 5.50am.

Mount Maunganui RSA chaplain Reverend Marie Gilpin led the service, reading from the Book of Ecclesiasticus.

As part of the service, Mount Maunganui College student Ella Cox also led the national anthem and concluded with a rendition of ‘Sons of Gallipoli'.

Bill Newell from the Mount Maunganui RSA also spoke about the sacrifices made by New Zealand soldiers during the First World War.

'The Battle of Passchendaele, a village near Ypres in Flanders, Belgium, has become a byword for the horrors of the Great War. By the time they were finally withdrawn from the Flanders front line in February 1918, New Zealand had suffered more than 18,000 casualties, including around 5000 deaths, and three Victoria Crosses had been won for bravery.

'My partner and I were privileged to be at Ypres in October of last year for the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele. Whilst there we were allowed to leave a wreath on behalf of Mount Maunganui RSA.”

He says the RSA continues to do valuable work more than a century after its formation.

'This year is the 102nd anniversary of the formation of the New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, and I want those returning servicemen and women from today's conflicts and their families to know the RSA is here to support them, as we have supported our veterans through the last 100 years.”

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller also attended the dawn service at the Mount Cenotaph, which he has done so for a number of years.

'It's incredibly special and touches me deeply. It's a reflection not only of the sacrifice of so many, but it's such a beautiful place. You can hear the sea crashing in the background, and when people talk about Gallipoli you can be transported there for a moment and get a sense of the extraordinary bravery of those New Zealanders.”

For more information on other services to be held this morning, check out the What's On story here.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller and his family.

From left: Caitlyn Ward from TS Chatham, Mason Tresidder from Western Bay of Plenty Army cadets, Louis Donovan from 16th Squadron Air Training Corps, Gabrielle Topp from Western Bay of Plenty Army cadets, and Sean Berry from TS Chatham.

Reverend Marie Gilpin and Mount RSA executive committee member Norm Harvey.

Eddie Pinkerton and Bill Newell from Mount RSA.

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