By Ewen McRae
Preparations for Melton’s Anzac Day commemorations are under way, with thousands of people expected to attend services, marches and events across the day.
The day will start with a traditional dawn service at 6am, followed by a gunfire breakfast at the Melton Country Club at 7am. The march will commence along High Street at 9.50am, followed by a morning service and then a day of camaraderie and friendship.
Melton RSL president Ian Lawrey said the day was most important for bringing the community together to recognise the sacrifices of our service men and women.
“About 12-13 years ago we would have been lucky to get 150 people at the dawn service, whereas now we expect anywhere from 3000-5000, so it is growing in importance,” Mr Lawrey said.
“We thought it was important to include the children, so we now have a large number of school kids coming along, and they read the Anzac Requiem at each service.
“The city has grown so much in recent years, and it is hard to get into the city to celebrate the day, so we’ve created this here for the local community and they’ve shown their appreciation and shown up in droves.”
Mr Lawrey said one of the highlights of Anzac commemorations this year is a photo display at the Country Club, which features photos from World War I through to the present day.
Ewen McRae
