Dunedin
More than 10,000 gathered at Queens Gardens in Dunedin yesterday to pay their respects to servicemen and women who lost their lives in overseas conflict.
This year marked the centenary of the founding of the Returned and Services Association (RSA) and Dunedin RSA president Major (Retd) Lox Kellas addressed the crowd, saying it was important to reflect on those who did not return from war.
‘‘Our challenge for the next century is ‘lest we forget'.''
The dawn service and subsequent commemorations following it were ‘‘excellent'', Mr Kellas said.
The performances of the Balmacewen Intermediate School Choir and the Flagstaff Community Choir were moving, he said.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull, speaking after the service, said the dawn service seemed to ‘‘grow in quality'' every year.
About 500 people braved a cool morning to attend a service at Mosgiel at 9.15am..
Veterans, servicemen, servicewomen and dignitaries marched from the cemetery to the cenotaph led by the Mosgiel Brass Band, which wasrousing in its rendition of God Save the Queen.
Mosgiel RSA president Noel Graham said he was ‘‘very pleased'' with how the service went.
‘‘It's a very important day for the RSA and it's one of the days the community attends,'' he said.
‘‘They all come here and hear a yarn and talk to each other.''At the Green Park Cemetery in Waldronville, between 100 and 200 people turned out for a posy-laying ceremony about noon.
The New Zealand flag was raised, a piper played the New Zealand national anthem and posies were laid by community members.
City of Dunedin Cadet Unit Lieutenant Paul Booth led proceedings and told the crowd he ‘‘couldn't have asked for a better day''.
John Moyle gave the Green Island community acknowledgement.
‘‘It's a very special day in our history,'' he said.‘‘I think it's very important that all of us here today, old and young, pass on this message.''
Former Dunedin City Councillor Colin Weatherall said about 200 attended earlier services in Brighton and Green Island.
East Otago Palmerston RSA secretary Heather McGregor said services across East Otago were ‘‘excellent'', with hundreds attending.
About 350 people attended the Palmerston service while more than 250 turned out at Waikouaiti.
Speakers at the Palmerston service were Sub Lt George Blackmore RNZN and East Otago High School head boy George Keen.
East Otago High School head girl Jess Scurr and deputy head boy Callum Quested spoke at the Waikouaiti service.
Dunback's two services, at the war memorial and the memorial trees, were attended by about 170 people.
Guest speaker at Dunback was Sergeant Lisa Hill of 2/4 Battalion, Royal NZ Infantry Regiment.
Outram and Middlemarch services were also well-attended.
Wakatipu
Record numbers turned out in Wakatipu yesterday to mark Anzac Day, beginning with a dawn service in Queenstown.
There was barely a breath of wind during the service, led by Queenstown Returned and Services Association president Lyall McGregor.
Some estimated about 2000 gathered for the short service at the Queenstown War Memorial, which began at 6.45am.
Speakers included High Commission third secretary Emma Goodwin, who said it was ‘‘heartening'' to see so many people attend the 100th anniversary of the first Anzac Day.
‘‘The white rows of crosses are a powerful reminder of those who paid the supreme sacrifice.
‘‘Today, we will reflect on how fortunate we are to live in this wonderful country ... the true meaning of mateship [and] ties that bind us across the Tasman.''
Thousands more attended the civil service in Arrowtown, which began at 10.30am.
However, due to work earthquake-strengthening work required on the Athenaeum Hall, capacity inside was limited to 300 people.
That meant the majority stood outside to listen to the service, led by Arrowtown RSA president Lindsay Stirling and Rev David Wright, of St Peter's Parish.
Speakers included Wakatipu High School pupil Hugh Taylor and Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay.
‘‘There are few moments in a country's history where you can look back and say definitively ‘that was the shaping of our nation','' Mr Barclay said.
‘‘For us ... Anzac Day and the Gallipoli campaign is one of them.‘‘One hundred years ago, men my age and younger left ... with a sense of duty and adventure to fight for King and country.
‘‘Today, we remember them.''
About 300 people, including Mayor Vanessa van Uden, attended a civil service in Glenorchy, while hundreds more watched the parade from the War Memorial in Queenstown to the Queenstown Memorial Centre.
Central Otago
Attendance is growing at Anzac services around Central Otago, with the presence of families a notable feature at all, RSA officials say.
More than 250 people took part in the Omakau service, where six descendants of returned servicemen dressed as soldiers and nursing staff from the Battle of the Somme.
A member of the Omakau Anzac Day organising committee, Harriet Rivers, said the aim was to bring home how young some of the soldiers were.
‘‘Judging by the reaction, with some people tearing up, they certainly got that message''.
The Omakau service included two schools - Omakau and Poolburn - and the pupils read a poem and sang during the service as well as providing artwork for the venue.
Alexandra-Clyde RSA president Kevin Harding said the Clyde service attracted a bigger attendance than usual while Alexandra was ‘‘roughly the same'' with about 800-900 present.
The flyover of a Tiger Moth biplane added a special touch to the Alexandra service, along with a two-gun salute.
As at Omakau, both the Australian and New Zealand flags were flown and both national anthems sung.
It was pleasing to see all the young people at the services, Mr Harding said, as it gave him confidence in the future of the event.
Cromwell RSA president John Morton said the Bannockburn service attracted about 250 people, at least as many people as last year, if not more.
For the Cromwell service, there were about 350 inside the Memorial Hall hall and dozens more outside.
The number of children and family groups were a special feature and it was ‘‘very satisfying'' to see attendance so high, Mr Morton said.
It was also pleasing a war memorial was moved last week from the Otago Polytechnic grounds to a more visible location outside the hall.
Maniototo RSA secretary Raylene Rawcliffe said the dawn service at Ranfurly was very well attended. Numbers were up on the 300 reported at last year's 2015 service.
‘‘Numbers seem to swell every year and there's particularly high numbers of families as the dawn service,'' she said.
A ‘‘good crowd'' also attended the later family service at Waipiata, where children from the Maniototo Area School took part.
Waipiata, Patearoa, Kyeburn and Naseby take turns hosting the service and Oturehua is to join that group.
Teviot Valley numbers continued the trend of the rest of the wider district, with a good turnout of about 200 at Millers Flat and about 300 at Roxburgh, Roxburgh-Millers Flat RSA secretary Andy Reed said.
The area's sole surviving returned serviceman, 102-year-old Hec Clare, of Roxburgh, led the parade in his mobility scooter.
‘‘Numbers are growing and it's great to see that big a crowd turn out to remember what Anzac Day's all about,'' Mr Reed said.
South Otago
The 101st anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign was remembered by hundreds in parks, cemeteries and halls across the Clutha District.
Eighty-seven crosses were erected at Balclutha for the dawn service, while a similar number were placed in the Peace Garden in Lawrence.
The guest speaker for the Lawrence service was Clutha-Taieri area response manager Senior Sergeant Al Dickie, who addressed a 250 strong crowd at Simpson Park.
He said it was important to note that those attending were diverse in origin and identity.
‘‘There is something special in this moment, something precious, solemn and unifying.''
Following the service, a parade of volunteers and servicemen marched to the Peace Gardens at Peel St.
In Owaka, Clutha District councillor Hilary McNab said up to 300 people packed into the Community Centre.
Mrs McNab said the guest speaker, Leon Frampton-Leigh, had served in Afghanistan and reminded people of the continued work of the New Zealand Defence Force.
‘‘It lets you know the returned servicemen are still coming back and it doesn't finish with World War 1 and 2,'' Mrs McNab said.
Similar numbers congregated at the site of the recently moved war memorial statue at Heriot.
West Otago Community Board member John Herbert said the community approved of the statue's new home.
‘‘It just felt like it was supposed to be there.''
He was impressed by guest speakers Shona and Bruce Robertson, who provided valuable insight into their experience going overseas to attend the 100th commemorations at Gallipoli last year.
A service held in Kaka Point started at noon where, for the first time, a permanent flagpole was erected.
Kaka Point resident Martin Ford said the flag looked ‘‘brilliant'' and he was glad the rain stayed away.
More than 150 people congregated at the seaside location to remember those who served and died in the wars.
Upper Clutha
Anzac services in the Upper Clutha drew crowds well into the hundreds yesterday.
The dawn parade on the shores of Lake Wanaka was attended by between 400 and 500 people, and the Lake Hawea parade by close to 400.
Wanaka singer Paul Tamati began the Wanaka parade with impressive renditions of Advance Australia Fair and God Defend New Zealand and as the sun struck the top of Mt Roy, a pair of World War 1 era biplanes flew over.
Major Ian Piercy, 2/4 Battalion RNZIR recalled it was 100 years since the first Anzac Day and also 100 years from the time when New Zealand soldiers began to fight on the Western Front in World War 1.
RSA committee member Ralph Fegan lowered the flag as a recording of Last Post was played.
Major Piercy said bugler Hamish MacLean was unavailable for the Wanaka service this year because he was away training in the hope of being chosen for the New Zealand swimming team at the Rio para Olympics.
More than 300 people packed the Lake Wanaka Centre for the civic service, to listen to guest speaker Colonel Brendon Fraher (retired) NZOM, of Wanaka, and among others, Martin Curtis singing The Daisy Patch.
The Lake Hawea service included guest speaker Petty Officer Hamish Peeti and the Hawea Flat school singing Sons of Gallipoli. The Ode of Remembrance read by Wanaka Community Board chairwoman Rachel Brown. The service concluded with a biplane fly-past.
North Otago
The nation's day for ‘‘regret and reflection'' had a crisp start under the Southern Cross, as up to 150 people paraded through Hakataramea yesterday morning, Waitaki district councillor Dr June Slee said.
The New Zealand Defence Force, Fire Service and St John were all well represented at the ‘‘touching'' dawn service, she said.
‘‘People just came out of the dark quietly and gathered around the war memorial,'' she said. ‘‘It was pretty moving, really.''
Almost every family in the Otekaieke area was at the Otekaieke memorial gates, where about 30 people laid poppies.
Up the valley, the Omarama Memorial was very busy, with tourists getting off buses watching the service.
At Maheno, about 120 gathered at Maheno School.
The Enfield Church was again full for its family-oriented Anzac service.
About 100 people attended and heard Jill Grenfell (72) speak about her great-aunt, who served as a nurse overseas during in World War 1, and her uncle's experiences in World War 2.
At the Papakaio War Memorial about 115 people, and three pipers, turned out and there was a strong turnout of young people, especially those under 12. Up to 90 remembered the sacrifices made in war at the Alma war memorial.
About 20 paid their respects at Pukeuri. And up to 50 observed Anzac Day at the Georgetown war memorial.
The hall was full at Hampden, where about 200 honoured those who fought for New Zealand.
Up to 700 started the day at the Oamaru dawn service at the Great War Memorial in Lower Thames St.
The Oamaru Garrison Band and the North Otago Highland Pipe Band led a procession from the South African Memorial to the Garden of Memories service several hours later.
