ANZAC Cove Anzac Cove ( ) is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey . It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC ( Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ) on 25 April 1915 . The cove is a mere long , bounded 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 for the eight months of the Battle of Gallipoli . The first objective for soldiers coming ashore in enemy - held territory was to establish a beachhead , that is , a safe section of beach protected from enemy attack where supplies and extra troops could be safely brought ashore . Anzac Cove was always within of the front - line , well within the range of Turkish artillery though spurs from the high ground of Plugge ' s Plateau , which rose above Ari Burnu , provided some 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 and the Australian 1st Division . It was on 29 April that General Birdwood recommended that the original landing site between the two headlands be known as " Anzac Cove " and that the surrounding , hitherto nameless , area occupied by his corps be known as " Anzac " . The beach itself became an enormous supply dump and two field hospital s were established , one at either end . Four floating jetties were quickly constructed for the landing of stores , later replaced in July by a permanent structure known as " Watson ' s Pier " . The volume of stores quickly overflowed onto the adjacent beaches ; firstly onto " Brighton Beach " to the south of the cove and later onto North Beach beyond Ari Burnu . Three wireless radio stations were established on the beach to maintain contact with the fleet . While the cove was relatively sheltered from shellfire from across the peninsula — the Chanak forts , as well as the Turkish battleship s " Turgut Reis " and " Barbaros Hayreddin " anchored in the Dardanelles , shelled the waters off the cove — it was partially exposed to view from Gaba 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 the guns of the Royal Navy so was never used to fire on Anzac , however the well - concealed Turkish battery at Gaba Tepe , known as " Beachy Bill " , was a constant menace . Despite the shelling and Turkish snipers , Anzac Cove was a popular swimming beach for the soldiers — at ANZAC it was a struggle to supply sufficient water for drinking and there was rarely any available for washing . Most soldiers disregarded all but the fiercest shelling rather than interrupt the one luxury available to them . On Anzac Day in 1985 , the name " Anzac Cove " was officially recognised 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 site . A purpose built " Anzac Commemorative Site " was constructed nearby on North Beach in time for the 2000 service . Over the years , Anzac Cove beach has been degraded by erosion , and the construction of the coast road from Gaba Tepe to Suvla , originally started by Australian engineers just prior to the evacuation of Anzac in December 1915 , resulted in the beach being further reduced and bounded by a steep earth embankment . The only way onto the beach was via the CWGC cemeteries at each headland , Ari Burnu Cemetery , and Beach Cemetery . In 2003 the Australian government announced that it was negotiating 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 as the Gallipoli peninsula itself is Turkish territory and already a national park in the Turkish National Park System . In 2004 the Australian Minister for Veteran ' s Affairs , Danna Vale , made a request to the Turkish authorities that roadworks be carried out in the area . In 2005 , the resultant efforts to widen the road to provide a bus parking area for the Commemorative Site covered some of the remaining beach , making it impossible to traverse , and cut into Plugge ' s Plateau , making the path to the summit and Plugge ' s Plateau Cemetery impassable . Concerns were expressed that human remains from unmarked graves may have been uncovered and discarded . On 18 October 2005 the former federal minister for veterans affairs , Danna Vale , called for the battlefield to be recreated in Australia , saying that the physical similarity between the end of the Mornington Peninsula , in Victoria , and Anzac Cove , in Turkey , is " uncanny " .