By Tanya Steele
Healesville residents paid tribute this morning on the 108th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli for the Anzac Day dawn service at Healesville RSL.
Colette Shaw, the RSL President, was pleased by the turnout.
“It means a lot to our local veterans to see so many people turn out to say thank you and pay their respects,” she said.
“We had nearly double the amount we had last year.”
Ms Shaw partly credited the crisp winter morning that wasn’t too wet or cold for the higher numbers, with the carpark and the surrounds of the RSL full of people in attendance.
In her opening speech, Ms Shaw paid tribute to those who have served Australia.
“They enrich our nation’s history,” she said.
“May we and our successors prove worthy of their sacrifice.”
Walter Skilton welcomed people into the service playing the bagpipes, summoning the sleepy citizens walking along Maroondah Highway to gather in the carpark and surrounds of the RSL.
Jim Caddle RSL Secretary said everything went smoothly and was glad to see the large crowd listening intently to the service.
“I saw some people getting a little emotional,” he said.
Councillor Fiona McAllister made a moving speech and which included the history of James Wandin Senior who was a Healesville born First Nations Australian soldier who fought for Australia, but had to wait to enlist as he was not initially recognised as an Australian citizen.
“I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude on behalf of Heasleville RSL, Aunty Joy Murhpy Wandin and all the family who are here with us today to share his story,” she said.
“Today we pay special attention to those like him, who overcame so much to stand up and protect this country.”
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flag was included in the flag raising ceremony for the first time alongside the Australian and New Zealand flags.
The RSL have plans to install a fourth flag pole so that the RSL flag may fly alongside the other three.
Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, Wurundjeri Elder was in attendance and pleased to see the First Nations flag raised, she said was happy to hear of it when the RSL called to tell her about the new addition.
Her granddaughter was there to raise the flag, flanked by the Healesville Scouts standing catafalque and a wreath dedicated to James Wandin Senior was laid at the service.
In his speech at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Prime Minister Alnthony Albanese said that we have not always honoured those who have fought in our name as well as we should.
The prime minister said it was also important to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who donned the khaki “fought harder for Australia than Australia was sometimes willing to fight for them”.
After the wreath laying, ceremony attendees observed a minute’s silence, the still morning air heralding the dawn with kookaburras calling in the background.
Healesville RSL’s bugler John Stanhope played The Last Post and Reveille at the ceremony, something he has been performing for the service since 1975.
The Healesville High School band were present for the ceremony and played a beautiful arrangement of Advance Australia Fair to the crowd.
Two student school captains from the school, Natalia and Connor recited In Flanders Fields and a Response poem.
The ceremony finished with a tasty breakfast served inside the RSL and people caught up over a warm drink.
