This year there was no need to reserve a space due to COVID restrictions, as thousands of people lined up along Sturt Street and gathered at the cenotaph to remember Australian and New Zealand soldiers.

Sergeant Geoffrey Short commanded the members of the 8th/7th Battalion Royal Victoria regiment who made up the Catafalque party, a guard to stand watch over a significant monument and Tamar Barrent played the bugle.

Many only lookers were impressed by the bigger crown including Noel Hutchins, President of the Airforce Association in Ballarat.

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"It was really lovely and it was great to see so many people turn up, it was nice to see the people after the couple of years we have been through to remember the fallen," Mr Hutchins said.

"The great thing is that people were able to be included in something that is very important to them."

Callum Ellis, Corporal in the Australian Army, was also pleased by the size of the crowd.

"It was a good turn out, a lot better than last year because of COVID," Mr Ellis said.

After serving in the Australian army for seven years, including two tours in Afghanistan, the dawn service is something he comes to every year.

"I'm not expecting everyone to get out of bed at ungodly hours of the morning but for those that do or even just go for some form of remembrance service, it means a lot," Mr Ellis said.

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