Red Sunday commemorates the incidents of April 24, 1915, in which the Ottoman Empire rounded up and imprisoned 250 Armenian intellectuals and leaders.

For the Armenians, it was the beginning of what academics and a growing number of states – including, just last week, Pope Francis – label the first genocide of the 21st century, in which over 1.5 million Armenians were killed.

In remembrance of the genocide, thousands of Armenian-Australians marched on Sunday in the 100th Anniversary Armenian Genocide Commemoration March.

Designated event organiser Hagop Jake Boghossian said the march was intended to honour both the Australian Anzacs and the Armenian genocide victims, as well as the Australian humanitarians of the time.

"After the Gallipoli campaign, when Allied troops returned back to the Palestine area, the Palestinian front, what occurs is that Anzacs see the atrocities, a lot of Armenians shot in front of them," he said. "The Anzacs were one of the first witnesses [of the genocide], and they started to make accounts of the events.

"In fact, there was an orphanage opened in 1922 by an Australian father, opened in Lebanon, in Antelias. One thousand and seven hundred Armenian orphans were there, looked after by Australians," he said.

Organised in affiliation with the Armenian 'Homenetmen' scouts group, the march began by laying wreaths at Chatswood Remembrance Park before moving onto the local Armenian Orthodox Church for mass, with the red, blue and orange of the Armenian flag filling the streets.

"On Thursday night, 1.5 million Armenian genocide 'martyrs', as they are known, were all canonised," said Boghossian.

"We walked back to our church, because this is where we belong. The cross led the march today."

The services follow Friday's commemorations of the mass killings at Sydney Town Hall, where Treasurer Joe Hockey and human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson were notable attendees.

Australia has attempted to remain detached from the debate, acknowledging the devastation wrought by the Ottoman Empire's collapse while avoiding use of the word 'genocide'. The government did not send any representatives to centenary commemorations in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.

Human rights lawyers including Geoffrey Robertson have urged Australia to recognise the incident in recent days.

Although the Turkish government has consistently denied the deaths amounted to genocide, Boghossian says people know better.

"People know what went on, if governments don't know, that's their dilemma. Our issue is not with the people of this earth. If a government of a certain geographical area doesn't want to reconcile what's going on, that's for them," he said.

Chatswood Police said the march was peaceful and passed without incident.