President of the Portland RSL sub-branch Norm Richardson led the service after a parade of returned servicemen, relatives and school children opened the ceremony.

We are assembled here to commemorate that immortal day when they young men of Australia by their deeds and sacrifice demonstrated to the world at Gallipoli that Australia was truly a nation, he said.

There are several thousand serving right now everywhere from Egypt to Samoa, whether it be peacekeeping or peacemaking.

We nurture too the obligation of showing gratitude for the peace we enjoy and the responsibility to ensure the freedom and liberty so costly won is not lost due to our won indifference.

Veteran Ray Woodin explained the significance of Gallipoli in forging the Anzac legend.

The hell of Gallipoli for nine months saw over 9000 men killed in action. At the end of that nine months, the order came down the line that its time to withdraw. They all gave up a big cheer and said we are getting out of this hell hole.

After a very short respite their hell in Gallipoli was replaced by the absolute nightmare of the Western Front, he said.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. And so we should because its only by remembering the mistakes and the sacrifices of the past that we hope to alleviate the same mistakes and sacrifices in the future.

Present at the commemorations was returned serviceman Ian Burrett, whose own father served in Gallipoli.

My father was a 20-year-old sergeant when he arrived in Gallipoli. He was shot in the arm on the second day.

Athol Frederick Burrett went on to become one in only hundreds who served in Gallipoli and were still fighting at the end of the war.

He blew the whistle to lead the charge at Lone Pine and commanded in Hargicourt in France.

After his fathers death Mr Burrett followed in his footsteps and enlisted in the Vietnam War.

In 2015 Mr Burrett blew a replica whistle at the centenary of the Battle of Lone Pine.

I am one very proud man, he said.

Veteran William H Lake said he enjoyed the participation of school children in the ceremony, who laid down crosses next to the memorial bearing the name of soldiers who had passed away.

Some of them are so proud to do that, he said.

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