Liam McNally
Melton RSL are expecting up to 4000 attendees to their ANZAC Day Dawn Service, and will be hosting a pre-ANZAC Day service at the Aintree Walk of Honour in conjunction with Caroline Springs RSL.
The ANZAC Day service will begin at 5.30am at the Melton War Memorial, with a 6am Dawn Service, followed buy a gold-coin Gunfire Breakfast at the Country Club at 7am.
At 9.30am, attendees will meet at Alexandra Street for a 10am March to the Civic Centre Memorial.
Melton RSL President Stephen Cook said that at 11am the service will return to the Country Club for games of Two Up “to enjoy the afternoon and show respect”.
The service at the Aintree Walk of Honour will take place on Sunday, April 23 from 10.30am.
Mr Cook said the ANZAC Day March has been taking place in Melton for 15 years.
“It has been getting bigger and better each year… as melton gets bigger we get more all the time,” he said.
Mr Cook said that ultimately, the day is about honouring the “ultimate sacrifice”.
“We live in an amazing country, to have what we’ve got is through the sacrifice of others. If it wasn’t for the men and women out there who precede me we wouldn’t have the community we have today, with its rich diversity of different cultures.
“It’s a time to reflect and remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, those who have come back changed from the wars. It’s not about celebrating, it’s about reflection and about making sure we don’t have to go to war again.”
