By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
BOWED heads rose to the sky, as five aircrafts roared through the clouds above hundreds of locals who came to pay their respects on the Anzac Centenary.
In Clydesdale square on Saturday 25 April, the Cranbourne Anzac Day service had people spilling out onto High Street and over to Clydesdale Avenue.
Cranbourne resident of 28 years, Sharyn Tilley, has attended the Cranbourne service for five years and said the turnout seemed bigger than usual.
“I think it’s good to see so many people here, in spite of all that’s happened in the lead-up everyone’s still coming out, paying their respects and doing the things they would normally do,” Ms Tilley said.
“We are very multi-cultural and I think the turnout today reflects that,” she said.
Only one lane was left for a slow stream of traffic on High street and the parade marched from Ritchies Supermarket to the cenotaph where the service was held from 10.30am. A local Irish pipe band played Waltz Sing Matilda as they led the march to the cenotaph.
Sikh Volunteers Australia marched with a banner that read, ‘Australian Sikh Community commemorating Sikhs and Aussies who laid down their lives,’ along with the Cranbourne Fire brigade, Cranbourne and Pearcedale Girl Guides, Casey district Scouts, St John ambulance, Cranbourne police and many more.
The march set the scene for a poignant service presented by Cranbourne/Dandenong senior vice- president Bill Shepherd.
Mr Shepherd reminded everyone of the men and women who served not only in Gallipoli but in the Battle of Fromelles and Bullecourt, the Korean War in the battle of Kapyong Springs and wars fought in Borneo, Malaya, New Guinea and Vietnam.
“We remember the airmen who flew in hazardous missions over Europe in World War I, the gallant pilots who fought in the victory at Milne Bay, we remember the sailors and submariners who were away from home for long periods on hazardous missions fighting to keep the vital sea lanes open,” Mr Shepherd said.
Cranbourne resident of nine years, Atesh Singh attended the service for the first time with his wife, young son and 11-year-old daughter who had been selected through St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary School to attend the centenary service.
“It’s important for our children to know the history and the culture and how the country developed, once they have been taught about the history they like to come to these events because they understand the meaning,” Mr Singh said.
Grade 4 student at St Agatha’s Primary School Cranbourne, Milla, came to the service with knowledge of the centenary of Anzac from her school service.
“We planted an oak tree with a seed that had fallen from a tree in Gallipoli and learnt about the poppies in Flanders Field,” Milla said.
More than 40 locals, organisations, sporting clubs and businesses laid wreaths in honour of the fallen and the crowd was treated to live performances of the New Zealand and Australian national anthems by Lynbrook Primary School teachers, Leona Gray and Heather Thorne. Mateship, resilience and the sacrifices of the many untrained soldiers was touched on in Mr Shepherd’s speech and a lone air craft flew above in honour of all those lost.
