1pm:
Cook MP and Minister for Social Services, Scott Morrison, led a moving Community Commemoration service at Cronulla Park n Anzac Day where he remembered the sacrifice of Australia's servicemen and women, past and present, and urged urged everyone to pass on their stories to future generations.
"This is a day for men greater than kings," Mr Morrison said, quoting his great, great aunt Dame Mary Gilmore.
The final story, that of Sergeant Brett Till who was killed in Afghanistan on March 19, 2003, was read out by his daughter Taleah. Reading out her father's story she was overcome with emotion and Sgt Brett's widow, Bree completed his story.
See full story and more photos here: http://bit.ly/1Dm19Sp
Following the commemoration there was a performance by Luke O'Shea before the live cross to the ABC TV broadcast of the Anzac Day dawn service from Gallipoli.
10am: Sutherland Shire Council says police crowd estimate now 20,000.
9.20am: Applause from crowd at Cronulla as Woolooware High Schoolband appears in live broadcast on Anzac parade.
Cronulla Park 8.45am:
Kirrawee High School student Jordon Kenny takes to stage to sing his own composition in tribute to the Anzacs called Into Life, followed by John Lennon's Imagine before the cross to ABC TV live broadcast of Sydney Anzac marches at 10am.
8am: An estimated 15,000 people gathered in Cronulla Park this morning to mark the Centenary of Anzac to the sound of surf and the call of kookaburras.
The dawn service was moved from its traditional home at Monro Park to a temporary location in the park overlooking Cronulla Beach for the special service.
Cronulla RSL Sub-branch president Warren Thomas spoke of the significance of war memorials across Australia.
"These memorials were erected at the behest of mothers who had lost their sons and gave the mothers a place to mourn," he said.
"They are in effect replacement graves and should be respected as such."
Mr Thomas said over a year of planning had gone into moving the memorial to Cronulla Park which was packed to capacity for the ceremony.
They came to honour the memory of the 8709 young Australians who died at Gallipoli and the 67,522 who died in the other theatres of war in World War I.
"These memorials were erected at the behest of mothers who had lost their sons and gave the mothers a place to mourn," he said. "They are in effect replacement graves and should be respected as such."
- Cronulla RSL sub-branch president Warren Thomas
The Anzac address was given by a serving Royal Australian Infantry member, a fifth generation serviceman who spoke of his great grandfather "just an ordinary soldier" who served at Gallipoli.
As Anzac Day continues to grow and grow every year we will never forget the sacrifice these brave young men made," he said.
The traditional wreath laying ceremony included veterans, schools and community groups including surf clubs.
The crowds moved down to the beach after the ceremony to watch a spectacular sunrise over the ocean.
It was a very Australian tribute to a day that remembers the sacrifice of thousands of young men on another beach on the other side of the world one hundred years ago.
Cronulla Park will host a packed Anzac Day program today including a Community Commemoration at 11am followed by live cross to the Centenary service at Gallipoli.
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