Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, made famous as the first landing site of the First World War by Australian and New Zealand Army Corps on April 25, 1915. The cove is a 600 meters long, bound by the headlands of Ari Burnu to the north and Little Ari Burnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south. Following the landing at Anzac Cove, the beach became the main base for the Australian and New Zealand troops during the 8 months at the Battle of Gallipoli.
Anzac Cove was always within a kilometer of the front-line, well within the range of Turkish artillery though spurs from the high ground of Plunge's Plateau, which rose above Ari Burnu, provided natural protection. General William Birdwood, commander of ANZAC, made his headquarters in a gully overlooking the cove, as did the commanders of the New Zealand and Australian Division. It was on 29 of April that General Birdwood recommended that the original landing site between the two headlands be known as "Anzac Cove" and that of the surrounding.
Australian 4th Battalion troops landing in Anzac Cove on the 25th of April in 1915. The beach became an enormous supply storage and two field hospitals were established there, one at either end. Four floating jetties were constructed for the landing of stores, later replaced in July, by a permanent structure known as "Watson's Pier". The volume of storage quickly overflowed onto the adjacent beaches, firstly onto "Brighton Beach" to the south of the cove, and later onto North Beach beyond Ari Burnu.
While the cove was relatively sheltered from shellfire from across the peninsula, the Chanak forts, as well as the Turkish battleships Torgat Reiss and Hayreddin Barbarossa anchored in the Dardanelles, shelled the waters off the cove. It was partially exposed to view from Kaba Tepe to the south and completely open to view from Nibrunesi Point at the southern tip of Suvla Bay to the north. Nibrunesi Point was under constant fire from the Royal Navy so was never used to fire on Anzac, however a well-concealed Turkish battery at Kaba Tepe, known as "Beachy Bill", was a constant menace.
Despite the shelling, Anzac Cove was a popular swimming area for the soldiers, at Anzac it was a struggle to supply sufficient drinking water, and there was rarely any available for washing. When swimming, most soldiers disregarded all but the fiercest shelling, rather than interrupt the one luxury available to them.
View of Anzac Cove from Ari Burnu in July 2004.On Anzac Day in 1985, the name "Anzac Cove" was officially recognized by the Turkish government. The Anzac Day dawn service was held at Ari Burnu Cemetery, within the cove until 1999 when the number of people attending outgrew the sites available space. For that purpose, there was built a "Anzac Commemorative Site" constructed nearby on North Beach in time for the 2000 service.
In 2003 the Australian government announced the negotiation with Turkey to place Anzac Cove on the National Heritage List. Which included Australian sites such as the Eureka Stockade gardens. However this request was dismissed by the Turkish government that the Gallipoli Peninsula, is Turkish territory and already a national park in the Turkish Park Systems.
