By Eleanor Wilson
Bunjil Place was flooded with dedicated locals this morning, with hundreds gathering to pay their respects at the Anzac Day dawn service.
A sea of beanies, scarves, gloves and the odd pair of pyjamas kept crowds warm on the seasonally frosty morning of proceedings.
Berwick RSL sub-branch president Pam Phillips congratulated locals on their attendance, which had bounced back admirably from the Covid impacted numbers at services in recent years.
Bagpipes echoed throughout the lawns as various community stakeholders offered their commemorations by laying wreaths at the memorial.
Joining Mrs Phillips in the wreath laying ceremony was State member for Gembrook Brad Battin, State member for Narre Warren South Gary Maas, Candidate for the seat of Bruce James Mooney, City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff, Narre Warren police station, Narre Warren Fire Brigade and the Rotary Club of Narre Warren.
The crowd was somber at the playing of the Last Post and Reveille, with chirping birds the only disruption to a powerful minute silence that concluded the ceremony.
Veterans and their families were invited to enjoy a gun fire breakfast after the service, while crowds who came to pay their respects slowly filtered out of Bunjil Place.
Cranbourne local Nicole Sanvoort brought her children to the service to share the significance of the day with them.
“Hopefully [by bringing the kids] they can continue to attend when they’re older,” Ms Sanvoort said.
As the sun came out later in the morning proceedings continued at the Berwick Cenotaph, with hundreds of locals lining Berwick’s High Street for the local Anzac parade.
Crowds clapped respectfully as veterans and their families marched down the main street, in the company of local emergency services, community clubs and current Defence Force members.
Berwick resident Neil Clarke attended the service with his son Xavier, to commemorate the sacrifice of his great-great uncle Thomas Walker. who was killed in battle at Gallipoli on 8 May 1915.
Mr Walker was killed in battle at Gallipoli on 8 May 1915 and is honoured with a plaque at the Emerald ANZAC memorial.
“I have three young boys and I think it’s important that they have some respect for the history as well, so I’ve brought one along today,” Mr Clarke said.
“My grandfather fought in World War II and my father served in the Malayan conflict so we do have a bit of history in the family.”
The Berwick service coincided with the Royal Australia Air Force flypast, which saw an array of PC-21 planes glide above the memorial about 11:20am, before the ceremony was concluded with a gun salute.
Among the veterans who attended the Berwick ceremony were Greg Farley of Fountain Gate and Ron Sprague of Berwick, school friends who entered the Vietnam war together as 20 year olds.
“Every year Ron and I go to the dawn service at Bunjil Place and then we come here and march with our grand children and great-grandchildren,” Mr Farley said.
“I love seeing the kids come along because I think that really gives them something to remember their fore-bearers by.”
Mrs Phillips, who is the Berwick RSL’s first female president in 104 years, said she was pleased with how well each of the services went.
“Last year we only had a small amount of people at the dawn service, but we had a lot of people there this morning,” she said.
“And down here [at Berwick] there were people everywhere, it’s the best we’ve had in a long time.”
