Emerald
The Emerald Anzac Day dawn service will be held at the recently-opened Anzac Place, next to the Emerald RSL, from 5.30am on April 25. The crowd will form for Emerald’s morning service at the cenotaph in Main Street, opposite the Commonwealth Bank, at 10am. The march will go to the Emerald RSL alongside Anzac Walk and everyone in the hills community is invited to participate. The official morning service will begin at 10.55am and run until about 11.30am. All are welcome at either service.
Gembrook
Gembrook is expected to attract the biggest crowd in the town’s history for Anzac Day services later this month. The dawn service will be held at the Gembrook cenotaph from 6am on the corner of Pakenham Road and Redwood Drive. A march, led by bagpiper Robert Crozier, will commence from 10.45am and arrive in time for the 11am memorial service at the cenotaph.
Cockatoo
Cockatoo’s dawn service will be held at the RSL on Belgrave-Gembrook Road at 6am on April 25 and will be followed by a free gunfire breakfast. The main service, including a march from Cockatoo Primary School, will begin at 10.30am. The following day there will be a military exhibition at the Cockatoo Community Hall from 10am-8pm at Alma Treloar Reserve.
Tynong
A memorial service to be held at the Tynong Memorial, Railway Avenue, Tynong on Anzac Day 25th April at 10.30am. Port Ward councillors will be in attendance as well as other guest speakers. The choir from St Thomas Aquinas College will sing the Australian and New Zealand National anthems. At the conclusion of the service, everyone will be invited to St Thomas Aquinas College in Tynong Road, to view war memorabilia, projects and displays created by the students. There will be a guest speaker as well as readings and performances by the students. Barbecue lunch, drinks and snacks will be available for purchase for those who stay.
If you need more information, you can either call Pauline Preston on 5629 2488 or Noel Pullen at St Thomas Aquinas College on 5629 2500.
Officer
The Officer Progress Association will host a special Anzac centenary service at 9.45am for a 10am start on Saturday 25 April.
Officer does not usually hold a service, but decided to for the centenary year to officially re-open the Memorial Gates, which were recently moved as part of major renovations to the recreation reserve.
Beaconsfield
The Beaconsfield Anzac Service will be held, as has been the tradition, the Sunday prior. The service will be held at 2pm on Sunday 19 April at the cenotaph on the corner of Wood Street and the old Princes Highway, with afternoon tea afterwards at the kindergarten.
Pakenham
FOR over 50 years, locals have gathered each Anzac Day at the Pakenham RSL for the dawn service. This year’s guest speaker will be a veteran returned from Afghanistan, addressing those gathered on the eternal spirit of Anzac. Following the service, the Rotary club is expected to serve breakfast to over 700 people at the Pakenham Hall. The artwork of local primary school children will be on display, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.
Berwick
A DAWN service will begin Anzac Day commemorations in Berwick at the City of Casey Offices Memorial, followed by the annual ‘Gunfire’ breakfast, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Narre Warren. The main commemoration service will begin at 11am in the Memorial Area on High Street. This year’s guest speaker will be Wayne A’Vard, speaking about his family’s experience with war.
Upper Beaconsfield
UPPER Beaconsfield will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings with a ceremony at the corner of Salisbury and Emerald/Beaconsfield roads.
The ceremony, which be centred around the town’s cenotaph, will commence at 11am on Anzac Day, 25 April.
Kooweerup/Tooradin
A DESCENDANT of a Lone Pine from Gallipoli will be planted at the Kooweerup War Memorial at the end of the centenary Anzac Day service. Members of the RSL will form up at the clocktower in Kooweerup at 5.30am, then march down the newly opened Avenue of Honour in Rossiter Street to the cenotaph at Cochrane Park for a 6am service.
After the service, a bacon and egg breakfast will be cooked by the Kooweerup and District Lions Club.
The attention then moves to Tooradin for an 11am service, then returns to Kooweerup at 5pm for a special Anzac Cup football match between neighbouring clubs Kooweerup and Lang Lang at the recreation reserve.
Bunyip
The Bunyip community has a big Anzac Day planned with a service in Garfield at 1pm, with the Bunyip march taking off at 2pm. An original restored army jeep will lead the way once again, with soldiers, local community services and the Cardinia Civic Band marching behind. The Bunyip Junior Football Club will hold a service on Sunday 26 April where a member from the Cardinia Civic Band will play the bugle and the army jeep will also be on show, and on Friday 24 April a service will be held at Hillview Bunyip Aged Care at 11am.
Lang Lang
Lang Lang RSL will host two Anzac Day ceremonies to remember those who served in World War I.
On Friday 24 April, a service will be held at Lang Lang Primary School. A dawn service will be held the next day at 6am at the town’s cenotaph located at Westenport Road. For information, contact Keith Brown on 5997 5226.
Nar Nar Goon
ALL are welcome to pay respects to the men and women who served the country during World War I at a centenary event put on by Nar Nar Goon RSL.
An Anzac Day dawn service will start at 5.30am at the town memorial on the corner of Main Street and Longwarry Road in Nar Nar Goon. The service will be followed by a gunfire breakfast at the fire station next door. For information about the event, contact Mr Murray on 5942 5470.
