Anzac Day: Regional West Australians out in force to honour Anzacs

For the first time since World War II, Anzac Day services have been cancelled across the nation in response to social distancing advice to reduce the coronavirus risk.

But this hasn’t dampened the spirit of mateship and remembrance as Australians this morning joined the Driveway at Dawn movement to honour the Diggers.

We look at how regional West Australians showed their solidarity this Anzac Day in lockdown.

Geraldton

The rain held off just long enough for the impromptu Anzac Day ceremony to finish.

On a quiet cul-de-sac in Geraldton brothers Mitchell, 14, and Ethan Scott, 16, an army cadet held their own ceremony in front of over a dozen neighbours.

Tea light candles lined the street and chalk paintings decorated driveways as families of the tight-knit community gathered at the end of their driveways to listen to Mitchell play the Last Post and Rouse.

Silence fell as the trumpet rang out over the street, beginning to glow in the morning light.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” the boys’ father Clint Scott said. “I haven’t missed an ANZAC day in 42 years, it’s always emotional but my sons have given me the best one yet.”

Bunbury

Bunbury took to the streets to pay respect on Anzac Day in place of the traditional service at the memorial on Victoria street.

Residential streets were lined with candles and poppies in commemoration as people came together to hold their own ceremonies.

Cornet player Jonah Golds, 15, would normally be playing at schools, RSL functions and football games this week, but this morning he led tributes in South Bunbury with a rousing rendition of the Last Post and the Reveille from his home at dawn.

“Music was always an important part of war for a lot of different reasons and it’s also an important part of the community,” Jonah said.

World War II veteran and centenarian Richard ‘Norm’ Eaton also took to his driveway to commemorate Anzac Day surrounded by close family.

“Hopefully we can carry on with more traditional ceremonies from next year, we don’t hope to have another Anzac Day like this,” Mr Eaton said.

Mr Eaton was the guest of honour at Bunbury’s commemorations last year and gave speeches at both the dawn and morning services.

Kalgoorlie

It was commemorated a bit differently this year, but that didn’t make Anzac Day any less meaningful for those in the Goldfields region.

Coolgardie, Kambalda and Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents took to their driveways to commemorate an unusual Anzac Day this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Candles were lit, drawings and sculptures of poppies adorned house fronts, Australian flags flew in the wind and a gorgeous pink sunrise bathed the streets in colour.

Young Boulder family, the de Jongs, went all out for Anzac Day with a handmade poppy wreath, hand-drawn milk bottle candle-holders, poppies along their fence and a locally made bin sticker to boot.

The family’s three boys were rugged up in matching dressing gowns, making it a slightly more casual service than their usual one at Loopline Park’s Boulder war memorial.

One street over, Kevin and Cheryl Brand listened to the sounds of the last post echo throughout the streets of Boulder with Mr Brand wearing his grandfather’s war medals, after giving his 15-year-old grandson his own medals to commemorate his personal connection to the Anzacs.

At the Boulder War Memorial, a small number of individuals and families arrived to lay the wreaths they would usually lay during the service, attended by hundreds in the past.

At 11am the Shire of Coolgardie live-streamed the ode, Last Post and Australian National Anthem, so people around the Goldfield could tune in and pay tribute from the comfort of their own homes.

Busselton

Peta Sadler, who has been playing the violin since the age of six, wanted to pay a special tribute to her grandfather this Anzac Day.

The Busselton resident stood at the end of her drive way with candles alit to play the last post in commemoration of her grandfather who was a prisoner of war in Poland during WWII.

Holding in her hands her grandfather’s violin which he acquired when he was a prisoner of war, Mrs Sadler said she felt a huge sense of pride.

“Knowing the lengths my grandfather went to just to bring this now 150-year-old violin back to Australia with him just blows me away,” she said.

Bridgetown and Manjimup

In the State’s Lower South West, people took to the streets in creative ways to raise awareness and funds for Anzac Day and the RSL.

In Bridgetown, the Last Post was played from Sutton’s Lookout and across town, Shannon Hartwell - dressed in full light horse garb - rode her horse in front of 94-year-old veteran Vernon Dauby.

Manjimup RSL president Rex Brown played the Last Post from his home at dawn, which could be heard out of town.

The Manjimup Gateway Hotel also held a drive through sausage sizzle from 10am to 1pm to raise money for the local RSL.