By Brendan Rees
Flames from their candles flickered into the crisp, still morning air as they gathered quietly in driveways, some still in their pyjamas, to pay their respects.
In a moving display of solidarity, families participated in their own dawn services on Anzac Day as the coronavirus halted decades of tradition.
This year’s Anzac Day certainly looked different but one not to be forgotten. There were no dawn services. No gatherings. No beers or rowdy games of two-up; nor was there veterans’ marches where children would normally wave their flags from footpaths and be eager to learn about the Anzac spirit.
Like many, Bill Shepherd, senior vice-president of the Dandenong Cranbourne RSL sub-branch, took to his Botanic Ridge driveway just before daybreak with his wife Joan beside him, proudly wearing his medals pinned to his RSL jacket in the ‘Light up the Dawn’ movement – an initiative introduced by the Victoria RSL this year to honour our servicemen and women, both past and present.
“It was great to see so many families out in their driveways with candles and tributes in hand,” he said.
“So many had poppies in their front gardens made by children. I think this might start a new tradition, as many of these people might go to a future dawn service, and others may have one in their own street, like this year. We met people in our street that we have not spoken to before.”
For Chris McKenna, secretary of the Berwick RSL, his day consisted of laying a wreath at 6am at the Bunjil Place cenotaph and later at the High Street cenotaph in Berwick as well as reciting the Ode – in a “simple little gesture” – to honour the fallen.
The Australian flag on High Street was also lowered to half-mast during the morning as a mark of respect.
“The ‘Light up the Dawn’ was pretty special just from watching it on the news that night. I think that was a noble gesture on everyone’s behalf,” Mr McKenna said.
Mr McKenna, a 38-year-veteran of the Australian Army’s Royal Australian Engineers Corp, said it was sad not being able to catch up with mates on Anzac Day but was most “humbled” by the community in doing their bit to pay their respects – including laying a wreath at various war memorials.
“A few people drove past and tooted their horns; as proxy as it might sound, a noble gesture,” he said, referring to the High Street cenotaph.
President of the Berwick RSL, Wayne A’vard, said despite this year’s different format of Anzac Day, the community’s willingness to adapt to the coronavirus restrictions was “absolutely magnificent”.
“It’s just wonderful to see.”
