Wearing her great-grandfather Dave Trevathan's medals and rugged up to ward off the chill, Erika Reilly (6), of Dunedin, was at the front of the crowd to honour a family member she never met.
Mr Trevathan served in Egypt and Italy with the 26th Battalion during World War 2.
He also played three tests for the All Blacks in 1937 and 44 games for Otago between 1934 and 1942, before going to war.
Erika said she was proud of her great-grandfather and enjoyed the dawn service yesterday.
‘‘It was great. It was awesome,''She said ‘‘the singing'' was her favourite part.
Erika's mother, Irene Reilly, said Erika had asked if she could attend.
‘‘Erika has come to an age where at school they talk about it,'' she said.
‘‘I haven't been for a while. It was Erika. She wanted to come. It's her first service.
‘‘She knows that the medals come from her great-grandfather [but] she doesn't understand it [fully]. She's asking lots of questions.''
The medals awarded to Mr Trevathan and which Erika wore were the 45 Star, the Italy Star, the 1939 to 1945 World War 2 medal and the New Zealand war service medal, Mrs Reilly said.
Mr Trevathan did not often speak about World War 2, she said.
‘‘About the only thing that my mother ever told me was that he was in a trench and he went out and when he came back, the trench was gone and so were all his mates
‘‘That was about the only thing he ever spoke of,'' she said.
Mr Trevathan returned from the war and died, aged 73, in 1986.
The family had breakfast together following the dawn service and laid poppies on Mr Trevathan's grave, Mrs Reilly said.
University of Otago student Sophie Allen (19) said the dawn service had ‘‘a great presence''.
‘‘My great-great-grandfather died in the Battle of Somme in France. His body was never recovered.
‘‘He was from Dunedin and I think it's really important to remember him,'' Miss Allen said.
Father of four Kurt Hoffman, of Dunedin, said it was important to bring his family to the service.
‘‘My granddad served in the war with the navy,'' he said.
‘‘I think it's important to remember for everyone.''
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