New Dawn Service

By Melissa Meehan
WITHOUT a cenotaph and in a new facility, the Pakenham Dawn Service went off without a hitch, with hundreds of locals attending the service to pay their respects to soldiers lost.
Locals, young and old, set their alarms early, rugged up in their warmest clothes and grabbed the umbrella and ventured to the Pakenham Racecourse.
They were greeted by SES volunteers handing out poppies and were sheltered from the light misty rain by the racecourse roof.
RSL President Ray Caldwell compered the event after regular MC Norm Joseph was forced to pull out due to illness.
Halfway through the service attendees were invited to join the RSL members for a Gunfire Breakfast – after which many left, leaving guest speakers Mayor Graeme Legge, Councillor Collin Ross and MP Edward O’Donohue to address a reduced crowd.