RESIDENTS across the region will pause today to remember the sacrifices of armed forces and civilians during times of war as part of Remembrance Day.
At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, one minute of silence is observed across the country to mark the cessation of hostilities on the Western front during World War I.
The ritual of observing one minute of silence was first proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey in 1918 and continues to be universally practiced each year.
In Swan Hill, the service will be held at the war memorial at the intersection of McCallum and Campbell streets.
Unlike Anzac Day, Remembrance Day is not a public holiday in Australia but services are held at 11am at war memorials and cenotaphs across the country.
Traditionally, the Last Post is sounded by a bugler followed by one minute of silence. After the minute of silence, flags are raised from half-mast to masthead as Rouse is played.
Remembrance Day is observed across the world in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, South Africa, The United States of America, Bermuda, Ireland and New Zealand as well as in Australia. In many of these locations, two minutes of silence is observed at 11am.
Since Federation, Australian units have served in the Boer War, the Boxer Rebellion, World War I, World War II, Korea, the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesian Confrontation, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the War against Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in many Peace Keeping Operations around the world.
