I arrived at Anzac Square on the special train at about 4am. This is what the Shrine of Remembrance looked like - the granite near the camera makes up the banister of the steps leading down to Anzac Square from the Shrine.

The service was set to start at 4.28am (not dawn here, but the time of the landings on the coast of Gallipoli began on  April 25 1915). Before the service started, I took photos of the scene:

Australian Army Lieutenant-General and New Zealand Army Lieutenant-Colonel.

I’m in the same spot where I took the first picture of the Shrine, but facing the other direction. This gives you an idea of just how packed Anzac Square was, including the balconies of the walls.

Remember, this is 10 minutes past 4am. That’s a pretty big crowd for that early in the morning.

A Royal Australian Navy Commodore (I think) on the left, a RAN Commander in the centre, and a Royal Australian Air Force officer on the right.

Does anyone else think the Commander looks like Robbie Williams? 

Royal Australian Air Force officer.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, and Queensland Deputy Premier Anna Bligh (dark hair, face turned away from camera).

War Veterans.

Army Warrant Officer Class 1, and RAAF Warrant Officer - these are very senior Non-Commissioned Officers.

I’ve read that Generals, Air Marshals and Admirals just think they run the armed services. Actually, it’s the NCOs.

Queensland Senator Ron Boswell. 

Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce.

(NB, not like a Governor in the USA - Governor in Australia is a mostly ceremonial job. The Premier is the top politician in each state.) 

AT 4.28pm, the service started. The lights in Anzac Square went out, and the Last Post was played. I sent my recording of the Last Post directly to Brisbane Is Home - click here to listen.

The second verse of the Ode of Remembrance was recited, and then a hymn was sung - click here to hear my recording of the hymn.

The Governor spoke briefly about Anzac Day - click here to hear my recording of her speech.

The official party climbed the steps and laid their wreaths inside the Shrine. Then the public remembrants’ party laid their wreaths while more hymns were sung, including Abide with Me. This picture is of some of the public remembrants coming down the steps of the Shrine, guarded by two old soldiers:

The lights came on and another bugle call was played, but I’m not sure if it was Reveille or The Rouse.

God Save the Queen and Advance Australia Fair were sung, and then the official party left.

Then it was time for the many people there to visit the Shrine. These 3 photos show the size of the crowds:

Radio reporter from Brisbane station 4BC calls in the story to his station. 

Since the crowd was so big, I decided to wait before taking photos inside the Shrine. This is at 5.40am - you can just see the start of dawn against the edge of the shrine. 

The upper inner rim of the Shrine features a metalworked list of some of the battles that Anzac forces have been in.

You can also see full daylight at 10 minutes to 6am.

Memorial card for the Australian Light Horse, who fought in a famous cavalry charge at Beersheba, in Palestine, in 1917. (Even though Light Horse units generally don’t fight on their horses).

The Eternal Flame.

This is a link to the picture I took with my mobile phone and sent to Brisbane Is Home live from the scene.

Radio 4BC had free sausages and coffee across the road from the Shrine at the Grand Central Hotel. I gratefully accepted.

Here’s a link to another picture I sent in to Brisbane Is Home live from the scene with my mobile.

As I ate my sausage, I turned around and took this photo of the Shrine - crowds are still waiting to get in at 6.15am, over an hour after the Dawn Service finished.

If you click on any of these pictures, you’ll get taken to where it is stored on flickr, where you can download it for your own use, or see it in much larger sizes. 

You can see the entire set of Anzac Day photos here (180 photos) if you click here. You can watch this entire set as a slideshow.

You can click here to go to the main Anzac Day 2007 article at Brisbane Is Home, which has links to other photo essays of the day, a video, and some background on the history and importance of Anzac Day.