By SALLY BIRD
ABOUT 600 people including many children turned out to attend the fourth dawn service at Pearcedale hall on Anzac Day.
For the first time, Pearcedale Hall Committee president and founder of the service, Maureen Smollen read out the list of names of people from Pearcedale who enlisted for World War I from the local area.
Of the 21 enlistees, six were killed in action or died of wounds during the war, including one of the three members of the Lyons family who signed up.
“I believe we are keeping the spirit of our Anzac’s alive and going by the number of young people attending, we will continue to remember with pride all our past and future soldiers on this very special day for many years to come,” Ms Smollen said.
“The wonderful Lions Club of Balla Balla were marvellous and along with our hall committee volunteers served hundreds of bacon and egg rolls, sausages and cereals.
“This was our forth dawn service and the numbers have tripled.”
Casey councillor Geoff Ablett told the gathering soldiers who went to war: “ … in the greatest of adversity found the best of themselves and of others and forged the foundation of the Anzac spirit … ”
The service was presided over by former Casey mayor Colin Butler, and attended by Lieutenant Commander Joseph Lindsay from Cerberus, the Pearcedale CFA and chaplain Murray Harris. Cranbourne Police, Vietnam Veterans
on motorbikes and Lions Club of Balla Balla from Tooradin were also represented, along with many Pearcedale locals.
