Birthplace of a Nation

A record-breaking crowd of more than 20,000 attended this year’s dawn service at Anzac Cove. Also in attendance were Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Helen Clark, John Howard and Prince Charles, each of whom paid moving tribute to those who fell at Gallipoli 90 years ago. “It was here that our young nations began to come of age, it was here that we began to think of ourselves not just as servants of the British Empire but as distinct national identities,” said Clark. Early April saw the premiere of Turkish-made documentary Gallipoli by Tolga Ornek. Narrated by Sam Neill and Jeremy Irons, the film combines real footage, stills and re-enactments with previously unseen letters and diaries of soldiers to create a view of the disastrous campaign from all sides.