By Callum Ludwig
Healesville residents came in droves to commemorate Anzac Day with many people paying their respects at the dawn service, march and morning service.
The dawn service took place at the Memorial on the grounds of the Healesville RSL at 6am, and at 10am the march proceeded down Maroondah Highway from Church St to The Memo, where the morning service was held.
President’s elect of the Healesville RSL Colette Shaw officiated the morning service and welcomed everyone to the first unrestricted service in Healesville since 2019.
“At our Anzac Day commemorations back in 2019 I don’t think any of us could have imagined that it would be three years before we could return in unlimited capacity to honour our veterans,” she said.
“But we are a resilient lot in Healesville, and can I say throughout COVID and storms, particularly last year were many with that power, our spirit of unselfish behaviour and helping others was very much on display.”
Anzac Day 2022 marks 107 years since the ANZAC troops landed in Gallipoli.
“On this day, above all days, we remember those Australian men and women who died or suffered in the great tragedy of war,” Ms Shaw said.
“It was in the violent campaign which follow that the Anzac tradition was forged. These elements of tradition have inspired and offered an enduring example to later generations of Australians.”
Councillor Fiona McAllister was the guest speaker at the event, who noted the poignance of the Anzac Day this year in the face of the war raging in Ukraine.
“Australians and New Zealanders all around the world take time to pay tribute to the many thousands of brave Australians and New Zealanders who left their homes and their families to fight for the values that we hold dear; democracy, equality, liberty and fraternity,” she said.
“It should only ever be the desire for peace that sends our soldiers into the horrors of war, where good people are killed and injured, and good people are required to kill and injure others. With this strongly in mind, today is a day when we honour our defence forces and remember the need to fight for peace.”
