ANZAC Day memorial services are once again springing up in the some of the
region’s small communities, signalling a resurgence in commemorative activity.
Stories about the return of services to Nyah, Moulamein and Ultima feature in
this year’s Anzac Day wraparound.
LIKE many good stories,
this one starts at the pub.
When Moulamein local Alan Davies was asked by a
few guys what he did on ANZAC Day over a friendly drink, it occurred to him that
the town of Moulamein may appreciate a renewal of the traditional dawn
service.
A local dawn service hadn’t been run in the town since the local RSL
sub-branch closed around 10 years ago, due to lack of membership.
Since then
RSL member Mr Davies had been travelling to Swan Hill to pay his respects at the
dawn service each year.
“I just thought, ‘What about having our own?’,” he
said.
He was expecting five to 10 people to turn out in support of
servicemen at last year’s service, but welcomed a turnout of more than 40 people
to the Moulamein ‘triangle’, home of the local WWII memorial.
Mr Davies said
they were expecting a much bigger assembly this year, with some locals’
relatives coming from as far as Western Australia and Queensland for the
service.
“I hope they’ll all fit in the triangle,” he laughed.
“When
something fires around here, people want to know what the go is.
“We just
want to keep it going if we can.”
The dawn service will be followed by a
breakfast at the Moulamein Retirement Village for a gold coin donation.
