Today marks the commemoration of much more than the sacrifice of young Australians and New Zealanders at Gallipoli 93 years ago – an awful campaign that ended in retreat – or of the 421,000 Australians who enlisted to fight in World War I from a population of less than five million.

It is a day for honouring all the men and women who have served our country in time of war. The national spirit born at Gallipoli resonates through all these conflicts; through both world wars and beyond to Afghanistan and Iraq. It includes not only Korea, Malaya and Borneo but our divisive involvement in South Vietnam, a theatre for which young men were conscripted.

April 25 has become a special day for generations of Australians, no more so than the present, for whom it is an increasingly growing focus. They find a special interest in its history and, for many, it is part of their family history. They will be among the thousands who turn out today to reflect and remember.

Technology has made the personal histories more accessible; the National Archives in Canberra has made public on the internet millions of pages of service records of veterans. Woven through them are poignant stories: copies of telegrams to next of kin; a mother's request for her son's personal effects – "they will be dearly treasured"; a letter asking for a photograph of a soldier's grave; copies of medical records which show how wounded soldiers returned to the battlefield on discharge, only to be wounded again or die; the army's advice of a burial site on the other side of the world; receipts acknowledging the return of writing pads, photographs, a wallet and, afterwards, a memorial scroll and the king's message.

Thousands upon thousands of Australians share this collective history and will continue to do so as the children of today learn the part played by their grandfathers and great-grandfathers and their place in the evolution of the Anzac story, which despite its genesis, is not subsumed by Gallipoli.

The ranks of World War II veterans are dwindling; those who served in World War I have gone but April 25 retains its central place in our national life.

More than 102,000 Australians have died in the service of their country and today we take the opportunity to acknowledge their sacrifice, the values they were defending and the qualities that have helped shape the national character.

We cannot adequately express our gratitude as we pause to reflect on their contribution to our way of life and the legacy we are duty bound to maintain and pass on to the next generation of Australians.

At the heart of commemorations at street parades and around war memorials today is an understanding of the extraordinary achievements of ordinary men and women, from all walks of life, who put aside their normal living for the challenges inherent in serving their country.

The increasing contribution of young Australians is important recognition that the values and freedom our servicemen and women have sought to protect are recognised and understood. Lest we forget.