I would like to acknowledge how the community in Morphett commemorated ANZAC Day this year.
The Plympton-Glenelg RSL again staged their Annual ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Glenelg.
The Plympton-Glenelg RSL was Founded in 1919 by World War I and II Veteran Bob McGhee and has a long history of supporting veterans in our community.
The Dawn Service is held at the Anzac Beach Memorial which is on the elevated, western end of Moseley Square.
The Anzac Beach Memorial is made of black granite and was built in 2015 when I was Mayor of Holdfast Bay Council. It is in the shape of a setting sun, which is so very appropriate at Glenelg beach.
On the memorial is inscribed the words
“At the Going Down of the Sun”.
“We will remember them”
Prior to the Dawn Service the crowd grew in number to a few thousand as people came from not only Glenelg but also the surrounding suburbs and congregated around the memorial at Moseley Square. The crowd was very respectful and waited in silence.
Looking around there were so many familiar faces and families from the local area across all age groups.
At exactly 6 o’clock the service started with the Master of Ceremonies Chelsea Carruthers starting proceedings before we heard the ANZAC Address from Josh Rooney.
The Catafalque Party, which was made up of air force cadets from the nearby Warradale Barracks, marched from the direction of the Glenelg town hall, through the crowd to take up their guard around the memorial.
I was honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of a grateful community alongside fellow dignitaries representing all levels of government including the former Federal MP for Boothby, Nicolle Flint (pictured).
This was followed by community groups and individuals having the opportunity to lay a tribute. It was pleasing to observe school children from the local schools St Mary’s Memorial, Glenelg Primary and St Leonards Primary lay wreaths to honour our service men and women. The school principals were also present to pay their respects on behalf of their school communities.
After the wreath laying Rob Gilles, who served on active service in South Vietnam from 1970-71 with 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, recited the Ode.
The Bugler, Harold Bates Brownsword, then did the Last Post before the crowd fell quiet for the minutes silence.
The minutes silence is haunting and occurs just as dawn is starting to break. The crashing of the waves is the only sound to focus people’s thoughts on taking them back to Anzac Cove those 109 years previously in 1915.
The crowd then comes to life again with the Reveille followed by the national anthems of New Zealand that was beautifully sung by Lara Mutu and the Australian anthem sung by Raechel Summers.
Many people remarked afterwards how moving and well organised the ceremony was and it is worth reiterating that it was run solely by volunteers from the Plympton-Glenelg RSL.
Thank you to those volunteers from the Plympton-Glenelg RSL, including Vice President Tich Tyson and grand daughter Chelsea Carruthers who ensured the dawn service ran smoothly.
The volunteers and also everyone in the crowd contributed to making the Dawn Service a fitting way to remember the sacrifice made by all our service men and women of the armed services.
As was said in the service
“We will remember them”
