A crowd of about 4000 people united in Geraldton for an emotional and poignant dawn service to remember, reflect on and pass on the Anzac legacy and spirit.
There was a chill in the air as the crowd rugged up and waited for the sun to show, paying their respects in silence. A mixture of young and old could be seen amongst the crowd, with young people wearing the war service medals passed down from their relatives.
Hosted at the Geraldton RSL’s Birdwood House, the crowd remembered the Anzacs with admiration and respect for the lives that were taken serving this country.
Lieutenant Commander David J Edgell, from the Royal Australian Navy, delivered this dawn service’s address.
He reminded the crowd to “remember, not just the Anzacs of Gallipoli, but every generation that followed, to honour, service, courage and sacrifice and remind ourselves the Anzac spirit is not confined to history. It lives on wherever Australians are called.”
The audience sung the national anthem with great pride and respectfully acknowledged the New Zealand anthem. Tristan Penny hauntingly played The Last Post on the bugle.
Treasurer of the Geraldton RSL Barry Stinson said: “The dawn service is one of it’s the most significant part of Anzac Day for veterans and to have it here at Birdwood House is pretty significant. It’s a building that was started building in 1935, finished in 1937 and it’s always been the home of the RSL since then.”
“So to be able to continue that tradition of having Anzac Day services here ... is just a fantastic tradition that we’ve kept up. Hopefully we can keep it up for many years to come.”
Some of the crowd were veterans, or currently serving in the armed forces, many of them supported by their family members.
There was also a younger generation proudly representing their family members who had passed on or were unable to attend. Barbara Glenister and Philippa Rumble were part of this group, wearing their family medals with joy.
RSL Geraldton president Karl Edwards said that he was “very happy with how this morning went. All the blood, sweat and tears that have gone in for all the guys helping organising and setting up, we pulled it off beautifully.”
It takes three weeks of planning and organising to pull off the Anzac Day events, and even longer to organise the flyover that usually takes a few months in advance.
City of Greater Geraldton mayor Jerry Clune said: “I’ve been to several (dawn services) before, but this one, is probably the biggest one I’ve seen. They’re always well attended in Geraldton.”
Mr Clune said we “stand together in recognition of the sacrifice that’s been made to the benefit of what we got today ... throughout the City of Greater Geraldton, people come together and respect Anzac Day.”
Attendee Robert Auld was experiencing Geraldton’s Anzac spirit for the first time and was impressed by how many people turned up for the dawn service. He said it was larger than events he had been to in Perth.
Following the speeches was a warm welcoming gunfire breakfast inside Birdwood House, serving up a cheeky coffee or tea followed with a full English breakfast.
Later in the morning, a march made up of veterans and family, emergency service members, and Scouts and Girl Guides, lead by a drum beat from Geraldton City Band, continued the Anzac Day tradition.
The civic ceremony began at 11am and was a warm and sunny occasion.
Attendees were invited to participate in hymns, prayers, and the national anthems of Australia and New Zealand throughout the service.
Though numbers were smaller than the dawn service, the families and young children gathered were enthusiastic in their applause and participation.
Bugler Craig Bassett lead a beautiful rendition of the Last Post, and the Geraldton City Band and Batavia Coast Singers performed the musical numbers.
The theme throughout the service was paying respects and honouring the sacrifice of the Anzacs, while showing appreciation for the life we lead today.
“As we gather to honour the Anzacs, we also remember those who never wore a uniform, but whose courage and sacrifice were no less real,” said LCDR Edgell.
“The Anzac Spirit is often spoken in terms of courage under fire, but it also lives with endurance, loyalty, mateship, and selflessness. Families embody these traits every day, and without their quiet courage, the service of our men and women in uniform would be inherently harder.”
The service ended with a ceremonious firing of the guard’s rifles, a powerful gesture that demonstrated the discipline and skill of the group.
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