Strong Anzac spirit on the Fleurieu

The tiny community in Tooperang on the Fleurieu has a population of less than 400.

Consisting mainly of farmers, the community may be small in size but has plenty of spirit.

On ANCAC Day this year, people from across Australia will attend the town's dawn service.

"We have people coming from WA who are relatives of JS Leonard, a WW1 digger who came from the region," local resident John Thredgold said.

"We had 250 people attend last year and we are expecting more than 350 this year."

Between 2014 and 2018, Australia commemorates the Anzac Centenary, marking 100 years since its involvement in the first world war.

Communities will remember not only the original ANZACs who served at Gallipoli and the Western Front, but commemorate more than a century of service by Australian servicemen and women.

With this is mind, the Federal Government's Anzac Centenary Program encompasses all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australians have been involved.

It aims to give all Australians the opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice of all those who have worn the nation's uniform, including more than 102,000 who made the supreme sacrifice.

It also aims to encourage Australians to reflect upon and learn more about the country's military history, its costs and its impacts on the nation.

Tooperang War Memorial Hall Inc president Lee McKenzie said the federal government grant offered through the program had helped locals complete some significant upgrades to the local hall before ANZAC Day.

"The federal government were offering grants for any event that promoted the 100 years of the ANZAC landing," he said.

"We were lucky enough to secure a grant for more than $1100."

The money helped create a new porch area in the war memorial hall.

The new area features honour rolls and a painting of the ANZAC landing. The painting was generously donated by the local Pitchford family, of Pitchford Produce, vegetable growers and the only producers of broccolini in SA.

The painting is a replica of a famous painting The Landing at ANZAC by Charles Edward Dixon.

The porch is just one of the upgrades to have been made to the hall in recent years.

"Originally it was just a tin shed, just galvanised iron and it was used as a store room," Mr McKenzie said.

"We had it clad and we put in proper lighting and sliding doors."

The hall is now used for social events such as weddings.

It was officially opened in April 14, 1956.

But the original plans for the hall go back as far as 1945, after the end of the second world war.

"During the first world war, the Tooperang School was the local meeting place," Mr McKenzie said.

"At the end of the second world war the school was bought by the Seventh Day Adventist Church."

The local community decided it needed a new meeting place.

"The town has been lucky enough to have a hardworking committee in place ever since," Mr McKenzie said.

Money to establish the hall was raised through events such as gymkhanas, community events and meetings.

It was originally a hayshed, and a floor was added to it.

"A number of returned soldiers commented that it was not until they came to these community halls that they really felt they were home," Mr McKenzie said.

And the hall's hardworking committee has since been able to make the substantial upgrades, with a full service kitchen now included.

This year there will be a special ANZAC Day service at the hall.

Visitors to the service can walk around the hall and read the stories of those from the region who served, many of them farmers or those who worked for farmers.

"At our service seven years ago we had 100 people, so with 250 people last year the interest gas certainly grown," Mr Thredgold said.

The dawn service will begin at the traditional 6am, followed by breakfast.