Thousands attend Anzac Day services at Geelong and Point Danger

LARGE crowds have attended our region’s biggest Anzac Day ceremonies, with thousands turning up at the Point Danger dawn service and Geelong’s RSL march.

Crowds at Johnstone Park's Anzac Day service.

ANOTHER bumper crowd has attended this morning’s Anzac Day dawn service in Torquay.

Thousands of people filled Point Danger for the solemn commemoration, marking 99 years since Australian and New Zealand forces stormed the beaches of Gallipoli.

New Torquay RSL president Ian Gilbank said the event was a success as attention now turned to next year’s much awaited centenary of Anzac celebrations.

“We introduced a few new features this year, such as an improved sound system and showing the service on big screens to help cater for those people towards the back of the crowd,” he said.

“We had a great crowd today, but we know we’ll have many more next year, so this was a bit of a dry run for that.”

The Torquay service has become hugely popular in recent years, and is now the second largest in Victoria, behind only the service at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.

Organisers told the crowd they believed this morning’s service might be the fifth largest in all of Australia.

The appeal comes from a stunning coastal backdrop, which bears some resemblance to the beaches of Gallipoli.

WOFF Gilbank said it was the sights and sounds of the location that set such a unique mood for the service.

LEST WE FORGET

“I haven’t been to Gallipoli, but I imagine this bears some similarities,” he said.

“Just to close your eyes during that minute’s silence and hear the waves crashing in the background is unique.”

More than 100 veterans took part in the pre-dawn march at Torquay, followed by a 75-minute service.

Some onlookers perched in trees for the service, which included an address by guest speaker retired Major Bob Elworthy, an army communications specialist who served in Vietnam and later went on to become an advocate for veterans.

Morning services will be held throughout the Geelong region and Australia today.

GEELONG’S ANZAC MARCH

In Geelong, ripples of applause followed 250 veterans down Malop St during the mid-morning parade.

Waving plastic Aussie flags, the crowd filled the Johnstone Park basin as the marchers took their position for the Geelong RSL’s main service.

Newly elected Geelong RSL president Andrew Hanns said the service was as big, if not bigger, than ever, with estimates suggesting up to 4000 people in attendance.

Guest speaker Colonel Stuart Dodds spoke about Australia’s contribution to conflict and peace-keeping operations over the past century.

“The scale of the loss and sacrifice by Australians over the years is difficult for us to comprehend,” he said.

“For those of you that may watch the Anzac Day (football) match at the MCG this afternoon, consider this: Even that magnificent stadium isn’t big enough to hold the more than 102,000 Australian service men and women who have died in the service of this country. It puts it into some perspective.”

What would you like to see at Geelong and Torquay’s centenary commemoration of Anzac Day next year? Let us know in the comments.

The Roulettes do a flyover over Johnstone Park. PIC: Mark Wilson