On Wednesday, Victoria Police said there was no increased security threat for Anzac Day following a string of bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 300 people on Easter Sunday.
But overnight, a suspected Islamic State terrorist was arrested in Turkey amid fears he was planning to attack Anzac Day services in Gallipoli.
The 25-year-old Syrian man, named as Abdulkarim Hilef, was detained in Tekirdag, a northwest province near the Gallipoli peninsula, a Tekirdag police spokesman said on Wednesday.
Every year, Australians and New Zealanders travel to Turkey for WWI memorial services commemorating the 1915 military campaign by ANZAC and allied forces to drive Ottoman troops from Gallipoli and the Dardanelles region.
On Wednesday, Acting Superintendent Craig Peel confirmed there would be an increased police presence and would-be troublemakers will not be tolerated.
"If your intention's to come in and disrupt any activities or behave inappropriately (in a way) that puts the safety of members of the public or an event at risk, you'll be dealt with accordingly and police will take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour," he said.
Police were in full force at the Shrine, throughout the CBD for the services and ceremonies and will also have an increased presence a Thursday's AFL match between Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG.
Attendance at this year's Melbourne dawn service was down from about 35,000 people last year.
But Shrine of Remembrance chief executive Dean Lee put the lower numbers down to Anzac Day falling right after the Easter long weekend and more people attending local services.
Addressing the pre-dawn crowd, Premier Andrews urged them to care for "the next generation of Anzac".
"How can we possibly thank so many for giving so much?" he asked.
"Stand here at this hour in this still dark, sacred place and remember them, remember that they came from every corner of Victoria and Australia, every walk of life, every background."
This article originally appeared on Seven News.