Preparations are well underway to mark Anzac Day across the Sunshine Coast on April 25. This is the 105th year since the Gallipoli landing.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the dawn services and mid-morning services being held across the region.
Nambour RSL Sub-Branch secretary Neil Friend says he is always pleasantly surprised to see the growing turnout of people of all ages to services throughout the region.
“When I was first posted to Canberra back in the early ’90s, myself and a mate of mine would attend the dawn service at the war memorial and there would be 300 people maximum,” he says.
“We’d all be clustered around the podium and now, down in Canberra, you’ve got to park kilometres away before you can get anywhere near the place.
“The biggest thing is the fact that Anzac Day services seem to be attracting more and more people to keep the memory alive, which is wonderful. I suspect a lot of that has to do with the education being provided to the young people.”
Mr Friend, a former navy officer, gave the Anzac Day address last year and says this year, Conspicuous Service Cross recipient colonel Scott Gills will speak at the dawn service and ex-Air Force Vietnam Veteran Len Bebbington will address the main mid-morning service.
“At Nambour, we have five schools involved in the parade and local students sing the Australian and New Zealand national anthems for the services,” he says.
“It is a truly multi-generational gathering, with kindergarten students marching for the first time last year, and joining us again this year, and we have jeeps that bring the older generation through. Among them this year is [Member for Nicklin] Marty Hunt’s wife Kelly’s grandmother, who served in the second World War. She is now 92.”
Anzac Day Services
Buderim
Dawn Service: 5am at Buderim Village Park, across from Memorial Hall.
March: Woolworths carpark at 8.30am, marching down Burnett Street to the Buderim State School oval.
Main Service: 9am under the Pine Forest at Buderim State School.
Caloundra
Dawn Service: 5.15am at Lions Park, Kings Beach.
March: Participants to gather at the Stockland Shopping Centre carpark at 8.30am to march via Oval Avenue, Arthur Street and Third Avenue from 9am.
Main Service: Wreath laying service at the Bob McInnes Memorial Garden from 10am.
Coolum
Dawn Service: 5am at Coolum/Peregian RSL.
Kawana
Dawn Service: 5.15am at Kawana Waters RSL.
Main Service: 10am at Kawana Waters RSL.
Maleny
Dawn Service: 4.28am at the Maleny RSL Memorial Hall.
Mid-morning Service: 9.45am at the Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
March: 10.15am form at Maple Street near Cooke Park to set off for Maleny RSL Memorial Hall at 10.30am.
Main service: 11am at Maleny RSL.
Maroochydore
Dawn Service: 4.28am the Cenotaph on The Esplanade, Cotton Tree.
March: Assemble 8am, march commences at 8.30am from Memorial Avenue outside the Maroochy RSL to the Cenotaph at Cotton Tree.
Main Service: 9am at the Cenotaph, Cotton Tree.
Mooloolaba
Dawn Service: 4.45am at Mooloolaba Beach.
Mudjimba
Dawn service: 5.30am Power Memorial Park.
March: Form at the corner of Coolabah Street and Mudjimba Beach Road at 10.30am, steps off at 10.45am.
Main service: 11am Power Memorial Park.
Nambour
Dawn Service: 5.15am ex-service marchers assemble in Ann Street near the WWI Heroes Walk to march at 5.28am to the Wall of Remembrance in Quota Memorial Park for the service.
March: The main parade marchers assemble in Howard Street at 8.30am, for step-off at 8.55am down Ann Street, Matthew Street and into Quota Memorial Park.
Main Service: 9am at Quota Memorial Park.
