ANZAC Day - Lest We Forget

[Damo]

Numbers were up significantly in the country
Woodend march (which was fantastic) has their biggest turnout.
HUGE crowd of thousands at the Mount Macedon service

[WilliamPowell]

Numbers were up significantly in the country
Woodend march (which was fantastic) has their biggest turnout.
HUGE crowd of thousands at the Mount Macedon service

That's great to hear Damo

We have a family friend who sometimes attends the Mt Macedon service and she's said it's incredibly powerful & moving 

[Damo]

I normally go to the Kyneton dawn service with my eldest daughter, but we did the march in woodend for a change this year and it was very moving .. watching veterans fight out of their wheelchairs and march with family and friends and receive the reception they did was fantastic

Mt Macedon is meant to be an extremely good service .. this year the crowd was significantly up from what I’ve heard

[one-eyed]

A very different Anzac Day this year without the public commemorations due to covid-19.

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The National Commemorative Service will be held from 5.30am AEST. It's being broadcast from inside the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra, and you can watch it live on ABC TV, listen on ABC radio, or stream on ABC's YouTube or Facebook feeds.

Victorians can catch the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance service on ABC Melbourne and ABC Victoria Facebook pages from 6:10am local time and on ABC Melbourne radio from around 6:15am.

People are expected to gather in their driveways, on their balconies or at their front gates to "Light up the Dawn" about 6:00am.

Whether you're able to connect with the live broadcast outside or not, there are some important elements of an Anzac Day service to remember.

1. The first of those is the Ode, a section from a poem called "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon:

    They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
    Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
    At the going down of the sun and in the morning
    We will remember them

2. The next element is to sound the Last Post, a bugle call used during the First World War (and earlier) to mark time.

3. After the Last Post, mark a minute's silence — this is to remember those killed and wounded in all conflicts.

4. The end of the minute's silence is marked with Reveille, another bugle call.

5. Then, hear the national anthems of both New Zealand and Australia — you can sing along, or even join in if you play an instrument.

What if I miss the dawn services?
From 11:30am AEST, tune in for a quiet moment of reflection including the Ode, the Last Post and a minute's silence.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-24/how-to-commemorate-anzac-day-light-up-dawn-driveway-services/12174808

LEST WE FORGET.

[WilliamPowell]

So different this year

But we stood in our driveway, candle, photos of Grandpa and my nephew and a live stream

Lest We Forget

[Damo]

So different this year

But we stood in our driveway, candle, photos of Grandpa and my nephew and a live stream

Lest We Forget

Well done WP

We will remember them

[mightytiges]

Link for the live stream of the dawn service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRpy5apViPQ

Lest We Forget.

[WilliamPowell]

Honoured to be back at the Shrine this morning for the Dawn Service

Was one of the fortunate 1,400 who got a ticket

Lest We Forgrt

[Damo]

Honoured to be back at the Shrine this morning for the Dawn Service

Was one of the fortunate 1,400 who got a ticket

Lest We Forgrt

How disgraceful limiting it to 1400

Who comes up with these ideas? Where is the logic in the decision making.

And the fact there was 75k at the MCG makes it even more ludicrous

[Francois Jackson]

Honoured to be back at the Shrine this morning for the Dawn Service

Was one of the fortunate 1,400 who got a ticket

Lest We Forgrt

How disgraceful limiting it to 1400

Who comes up with these ideas? Where is the logic in the decision making.

And the fact there was 75k at the MCG makes it even more ludicrous

who else

[mightytiges]

Nothing to do with the 'G. Sydney had similar restricted numbers for their dawn service.

There were 500 seated at the George Street end of Martin Place and a further 750 at the Pitt Street end. The inner sanctuary around the Cenotaph was restricted to 100.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-dawn-service-returns-to-normal-after-covid-forced-absence-20210425-p57m4g.html

All state capitals had small restricted numbers for their dawn services with the exception of Brisbane.

[Damo]

MT
It has EVERYTHING to do with what took place at the G.

How can 75k be allowed to attend one public event and limiting the dawn services be justified. My problem is not the numbers at the G, the only thing better than 75k there would have been more than 75k being there.

My problem is the disgraceful limiting of numbers at the dawn services. 

[mightytiges]

MT
It has EVERYTHING to do with what took place at the G.

How can 75k be allowed to attend one public event and limiting the dawn services be justified. My problem is not the numbers at the G, the only thing better than 75k there would have been more than 75k being there.

My problem is the disgraceful limiting of numbers at the dawn services.

It was the RSL's decision. Which is why almost all other states had the same policy. The RSL encouraged people to attend local events or stay at home and watch the live stream instead.

Any ticketed event of any size needs to be manned which costs money. Unlike the AFL, the RSL is not a multi-billion dollar sports/entertainment business with thousands of paid employees/staff and should be spending its money on Legacy & helping surviving vets, etc. The RSL is also typically run by volunteers who are mostly old and seriously vulnerable to Covid. Logistical wise, it was practical for the RSL to host a ticketed event of small numbers at the Shrine.

[WilliamPowell]

Will keep my comments brief on this

But RSL need put their hand up here and take responsibility here.

This all started in February and I have followed ever development since because of the significance of the Day to our family.

In February the Victorian RSL threw their hands up in the air and said it's all too hard and they cancelled the Dawn Service and the March. Their reckoning was they couldn't (perhaps wouldn't) submit a COVID Safe Plan for the 2 events.

It wasn't until an all mighty backlash because other states we forging ahead that  the Victorian RSL decided to work with government and submit a plan. They submitted and it got approved

MT is correct about the financial side of things. The AFL and the MCC will spend what they need to get as many through the gates as they can. Simply for every dollar it costs to manage the crowds they recover and turn a profit. RSL isn't like that. 

At service there were limited people checking and scanning tickets. Clearly, the RSL did indeed pay some people to do the scanning. At the parade assembly points it was same. They had representatives from the agency they used for the registering process scanning tickets and assisting with QR scanning for those who had registered before the March. I am sure the RSL had a budget but it would be nowhere near that of the AFL or MCC

Re the ticketing. Tickets to the service were available from 11am on Thursday 15th April. Due to work i didn't go on line until after 1pm. I thought we'd miss out but at that time there was still plenty of tickets available. So, yes we were very lucky and for that I know how fortunate we were being able to attend yesterday

I understand why people were disappointed with the numbers but at least there were services and marches across the country this year (except WA). And For that I am for one grateful

[mightytiges]

To all the diggers - thank you and hope you all have a great day.

Lest We Forget!



ps. By the way, that was one stirring edition of the NZ national anthem at the 'G last night. The lady who sung it deservedly got a huge roar from the crowd at the end.