On Friday April 25 locals will gather in Boorowa to pay their respects and honour those who have served our country for Anzac Day.
Though many of the original ANZACs have now passed on, their pride, grit, determination and sacrifice lives on.
"When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years," an Australian War Memorial spokesperson said.
"Its government was eager to establish a reputation among the nations of the world.
"When Britain declared war in August 1914, Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth."
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It was less than a year later that Australia joined forces with New Zealand to defend the allies.
"In 1915, Australia and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies," the spokesperson said.
"The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople - now Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany."
It was on April 25 in 1915 when the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli where they met destructive resistance from the Ottoman/Turkish defence.
"What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war, quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months," the spokesperson said.
"At the end of 1915, the allied forces were evacuated from the peninsula, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships."
Through the battles over 8,000 Australian soldiers died in the campaign.
"Gallipoli had a profound impact on Australians at home, and April 25 soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who died in the war."
It was through the battle in Gallipoli that the ANZAC spirit became known.
"Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the actions of Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign left a powerful legacy," the spokesperson said.
"What became known as the ANZAC legend became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways in which they viewed both their past and their future."
Commemorations for the fallen and returned were first acknowledged on April 25, 1916.
"The day was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services across Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt," the spokesperson said.
"In London more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets, a London newspaper headline dubbed them 'the knights of Gallipoli.'
"In the Sydney march, convoys of cars carried soldiers wounded on Gallipoli and their nurses."
It was in the 1920s that Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the over 60,000 Australians who died during the war.
"In 1927, for the first time, every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day," the spokesperson said.
"By the mid-1930s all the rituals we now associate with the day - dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games - were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture."
Following World War II, Anzac Day was also used to commemorate and remember the lives of the Australians who died with the day being broadened as battles, conflicts and wars continued.
In the local area on Friday services will be held at Boorowa and Rugby.
See inside for service and commemoration times.
