Thousands of Dunedin people will gather before dawn on Anzac Day, to reflect on the sacrifices and achievements of New Zealand servicemen and women.
The service will commemorate the Gallipoli landings in April 1915 and the other major battles of World War 1, World War 2, Korea, Vietnam and more recent conflicts.
Anzac Day has grown into a special day for New Zealanders to remember those who have served in uniform.
In recent years, dawn services in Dunedin have regularly been attended by more than 7000 people, including families, young people, the elderly, service personnel and cadets - and, of course, the veterans themselves.
The dawn service at the Cenotaph, in Queen's Gardens, will begin at 6.15am with a parade of veterans, led by the City of Dunedin Pipe Band.
Family members and descendants are welcome to join in the parade.
The marchers will assemble at the corner of Lower Rattray St and Crawford St at about 5.50am, under parade marshal Warrant Officer Ken Ritchie, and will march on to the cenotaph grounds, where there will be seating for veterans.
The dawn service itself will begin with ‘‘awakening shots'' fired by the Otago Gunners Association on a Vietnam-era Pack Howitzer 105mm gun.
Leading the prayers will be former 4th Otago Southland and British Army chaplain Dr Tony Martin and master of ceremonies Major Peter Amyes.
Guest speaker will be New Zealand Police Superintendent Grant O'Fee, who commanded the Police deployment to East Timor in 2006 and is planning the policing of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The lessons will be read by Bayfield High School head boy Jeffrey Notman and Otago Girls High School head girl Kelsey Brown.
The Kaikorai Metropolitan Band will provide accompaniment for the singing of hymns, which will be led by the Dunedin RSA Choir.
Also in attendance will be Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy, Army representative Brigadier Phil Gibbons, Air Force representative Wing-commander Steve Hunt, and Navy representative Lieutenantcommander Bruce Walker.
Following the official wreath-laying ceremony, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to lay their own tributes at the cenotaph, Mr Kellas said.
After the dawn service, the official party will attend the posy-laying ceremony at Andersons Bay Cemetery at 9.30am.
While there will be no official civic church service, St Paul's Cathedral will hold an Anzac Day service at 8am.
- State Highway 1 by Queen's Gardens will be closed during the dawn service, and participants are urged to ensure car alarms are switched off as the shock wave from the gun firing is enough to set them off, Mr Kellas said.
- A bus, courtesy of Otago Explorer, will leave United Services and Community Club in South Dunedin at 5.30am and will return after the service.
- People are also urged to take a torch to assist with reading the hymns.
- Immediately after the dawn service, Otago Settlers Museum will unveil its roll of honour, entitled ‘‘We Will Remember Them''. A cup of tea will be served.
At 8.30am, the family of Private Jack Braithwaite - executed for mutiny during World War 1 and pardoned by Parliament in 2000 - will present his medals to Otago Settlers Museum in a special ceremony.
