Dawn Service Numbers Growing

VAL Quinell, president of the Scone RSL sub-branch estimates there were 300 or 400 people attend this mornings dawn service at the War Memorial in Scone.

ANZAC Day dawn service at the Scone War Memorial.

“There are hundreds of people nowadays at the dawn service; I think people are becoming more conscious of what ANZAC Day means,” said Mr Quinell.

“Remembrance Day is also growing and I think it is amazing, people were eight to ten deep on the road,” he said.

During the key address Mr Quinell said on this day 103 years ago our troops were loading into small boats to land on Gallipoli under the cover of darkness.

“The battles that followed ultimately lead to the loss of 8,709 Australians and 2,701 New Zealand troops,” said Mr Quinell.

“After Gallipoli, the ANZACS went on to distinguish themselves during the battles of the Western Front,” he said.

“In that conflict, the most costly in casualties were in France and Belgium where great battles were fought at villages and towns that are now household names to many Australians – Fromelles, the Somme, Bullecourt, Messines, Passchendaele and Villers-Bretonneux,” he said.

“For Australia, as for many nations, the First World War remains the most costly conflict in terms of deaths and casualties,” he said.

“From a population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,00o wounded, gassed or taken prisoner,” he said.

“Today we remember and pay tribute to those who served in that terrible war…not only do we honour the memory of those Australians who have fallen in battle, we share the sorrow of those who have mourned them and of all who have been the victims of armed conflict,” Val Quinell said.

Reverend Nate Atkinson gave the Benediction, George Clementson explained the origin of the dawn service, Scone Singers performed, community groups and individuals laid wreaths, Tash Kelaher sung the National anthem and the last post was played as Val Quinell raised the Australian flag.