Thousands of Australians have made a late bid to attend the centenary Anzac dawn service at Gallipoli in 2015.

When the attendance ballot closed at midnight on Friday, 42,582 applications had been received, 1000 of them coming in the last hour and more than 10,000 in the closing two days.

There are 8000 tickets available for Australians, with only a limited number of people able to access the small cove on the Turkish coast.

The Australian ticket allocation includes 6000 general admission spots, 800 for direct descendants, 800 for veterans and 400 for school children and their guardians.

A government contractor will process the applications, eliminating invalid and duplicate submissions before an automated draw is conducted.

Successful applicants will be notified by April 25 and then have six months to provide proof of confirmed travel plans.

Minister assisting the prime minister for the Centenary of Anzac, Michael Ronaldson, said he knows many people will be disappointed to miss out.

Some will go on a wait list.

“Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to visit Gallipoli at another time in 2015, attend another Anzac Day service overseas such as Villers-Bretonneux in France, or watch the broadcast,” Senator Ronaldson said.

Political representation at the service will be limited to the prime minister, opposition leader, Senator Ronaldson and his Labor counterpart.