New tradition dawns

By Bridget Brady
MAUREEN Smollen would have been happy if 50 people turned up.
Instead a crowd of about 200 attended what was believed to be Pearcedale’s first Anzac Day Dawn Service on Sunday, and Ms Smollen was “thrilled”.
The president of the Pearcedale Public Hall Committee said the success of the Dawn Service surpassed her expectations.
“Everyone came up and said what a really lovely service it was and how wonderful it was that we’ve got a service here and that they will always come and support the local one,” Ms Smollen said.
“I believe that with the community’s support of the Dawn Service is here to stay and will be embraced by not just our older folk but by our younger generation as well.”
The Pearcedale Public Hall Association worked to revive the Anzac Day spirit in the town this year and organised the Dawn Service. They also plan to establish a memorial site at the hall grounds.
There was an RSL sub-branch in Pearcedale in the 1950s, but Ms Smollen said it was unclear if a Dawn Service was ever held.
Either way, Ms Smollen said she was delighted with the response after about a 50-year lapse of a Dawn Service tradition in Pearcedale.
“I was really thrilled because our Remembrance Day is really well supported but I just thought ours (Dawn Service) would gradually increase, but it just hit me straight away.”
Ms Smollen said people travelled from as far as Rye and Rosebud for the service, which included guest speakers David Barnes from HMAS Cerberus and Casey councillor Geoff Ablett.
Ms Smollen said she wanted to thank the volunteers, “sound man” Dale Westwood, the hall committee, the Balla Balla Environmental Group and the Bendigo Community Bank for their support.