One hundred years ago they thought they had seen the 'war to end all wars'.
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On Sunday, Australia's leaders will gather at the National War Memorial, which is now being expanded to fit in all the many other wars fought since.
Armistice Day 1918 was the end of the Great War, now known as World War I.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will address a crowd at the National War Memorial, which will get a $500 million expansion over the next nine years.
The memorial was originally built to mark World War I, but it was expanded to include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and others.
It has run out of room already.
More than 102,000 Australians are named on the Roll of Honour.
Minister for Veterans' Affairs Darren Chester hopes all Australians take part in a minute's silence at 11am to remember the more than 60,000 soldiers who never returned from World War I, as well as those currently serving.
"Remembrance Day is a time for us as a nation to unite in a minute of solemn respect and admiration for those who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations," he said.
From dawn to dusk on Sunday a beam of light will be projected from the Australian War Memorial to Parliament House, changing from white, pink and red.
An evening vigil will also be held at the tomb of the unknown soldier, marking 25 years since he was laid to rest in Canberra.
In Victoria, both the Labor government and the coalition opposition will halt their election campaign out of respect.
The state's parliament house will instead host musical recitals on Sunday afternoon to honour the occasion.
But in Queensland, veterans are unhappy the Anzac Square restoration works will not be ready for Remembrance Day as promised.
"We are dismayed about not being able to welcome an extra-large crowd at Queensland's war memorial to commemorate the Centenary of the Armistice," RSL Queensland president Tony Ferris said this week.
In Adelaide, 23 World War II veterans and the state's political leaders will gather at Government House to mark the solemn occasion.
Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove will be in France, representing Australia at a service at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
He also visited troops in the Middle East ahead of Remembrance Day.
"We are as a nation enormously proud of you, instinctively proud of you. We don't hear enough of you, but that's because you do your jobs so well," Sir Peter told them.
Australian Associated Press
