Huge turnouts for moving remembrances

“The dawn service was very well patronised as were the two marches,” Mr Wenzel said.

“Badge sales were extremely good, too, probably the best we’ve seen in recent years.”

Some attendees put the Dawn Service turnout to close to 2000, with former local and current Air Force aircraftswoman Brooklynn Dowling delivering the ANZAC Prayer.

Another former local, Yarrawonga and Mulwala’s Alex Morley, a former Sacred Heart school captain, delivered the keynote address at the mid-morning ceremonies.

Lieutenant Morley, who was commissioned into the Army in 2022 after completing his training at the Royal Military Academy (Duntroon) in Canberra, training which included a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering via UNSW, told the tragic WWII stories of Yarrawonga Pilot Officer James Marshall Carter (killed in action after crashing over Germany) and Mulwala Lance Corporal John Jellicoe Marhsall, who returned to Mulwala after enduring two years as a Japanese prisoner-of-war, including surviving the torpedoing of a POW ship where its 772 prisoners were thrown into the sea.

But Lieutenant Morley, who is soon to be posted to Amberley in Queensland, said ANZAC Day also honoured those who had served in other ways, beyond just the devastating theatres of the world wars.

“ANZAC Day has grown to be a day in which we honour service in all its forms, and I encourage you to reflect on all sailors, soldiers, and aviators from the range of conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has been committed to, from the Royal Australian Navy marine technician in Vietnam, to the Australian Army sapper in East Timor, to the Royal Australian Air Force loadmaster in Afghanistan,” he said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said 103,000 Australians had fallen in wars and peacekeeping missions since and including Gallipoli.

Lieutenant Morley encouraged people to share their stories.

“Of the veterans present today, I ask you to share with your fellow ex-servicemen and women what you can with whoever may ask. Let it be known that your stories are not insignificant and that many are eager to hear of your service. We owe a great debt to those who have served our nation and to their families, and I extend a heartfelt thank you to all veterans of the Australian Defence Force,” he said.

Rounding out the speeches, the four high school captains from Yarrawonga P-12 College and Sacred Heath College and shared their reflections at services.

Sacred Heart College captain Jessica Freeman told the story of Bundalong’s Thomas McLeod Carmichael, whose diligence saw him rise to sergeant and then corporal in one of Australia’s first infantry units, but who died at Gallipoli.

“Spending four months vigorously training in the (Egyptian) desert, his infantry ventured into the unknown soils of Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 where they would be a part of the second wave,” Jessica recounted.

“On May 8, Sergeant Thomas McLeod Carmichael died on the grounds of Gallipoli due to unbearable wounds. Living to only 22 years of age, Carmichael dedicated his life to the country we reside in today.

“His courageous service to his country will forever be remembered and he and many other heroic individuals will continue to symbolise the strength and bravery of soldiers past, present and future.

“Coming from Bundalong myself, I am truly inspired by Carmichael’s story and his ability to have such an honourable impact on our nation, regardless of the size of his hometown.”

Fellow Sacred Heart captain Xavier Martin read the letter excerpts of Private WF Jones, who enlisted in Seymour, and wrote to his aunt about the experience of landing at Gallipoli at dawn.

“I had a rough time out there at the landing. It was like hell let loose. You do not know the minute you might be shot down or run into an ambush. I saw men walking along quite cheerfully thinking they were on safe ground when suddenly they would fall, shot dead by a Turkish sniper.

“It was awful there on the first Sunday afternoon, all the warships and the Turkish artillery going at the same time. All along the top of Gaba Tepe and Sari Bair was bursting, and there was dead and wounded everywhere. The machine guns are the things that fire about 500 shots a minute. They sweep along a line of men and drop them like corn before a reaper. It was a machine gun that hit me.”

Xavier recounted, however, that Jones - a distant cousin of locals Eileen Thorp and Robert Divani - was one of the “lucky ones” and survived the attempted invasion before being sent to recuperate in England.

“Today we call them heroes but in their day they were the same as all the young boys and girls here today,” Xavier said.

“We pray that one day we will forever live in peace and that we may no longer have to inscribe names into stone memorials.”

Yarrawonga P-12 College captain Jessica Linehan told the story of her extended family’s Jack, Tim and Bill Linehan, who grew up near Numurkah.

“Their early years were, like most farming families, growing grain and milking cows,” she said.

“However, when the war came, Jack and Bill enlisted within weeks of one another.”

Jessica said Tim, the third son, left the following year, set for Palestine and all three served some time with the Australian Light Horse.

“The three brothers paid a high price for their services … while in the 1917/18 Battle of Palestine, serving under the Australian Light Horse Regiment, Trooper Timothy Michael Linehan was killed during a charge on April 22, 1917 at just 30 years of age. He was buried at Deir El Blah war cemetery in Israel.

“After his service in Gallipoli, Jack was sent to Egypt with the Eighth Light Horse regiment. It was here that he was gassed and discharged as medically unfit in 1917. Jack received the news of his brother's death in action upon his arrival home. Jack then suffered breathing problems as repercussions from his injuries during his service, and passed away at the age of 71.

“Approximately 12 per cent of Australia's total casualties in World War I were a result of gassing and their effects.”

Jessica said Bill survived Gallipoli and was sent to France, where he was wounded twice, and returned to the family farm after the war.

“He sadly died at the early age of 48. All three brothers are still forever remembered as local heroes,” she said.

Fellow P-12 college captain Tessa Ryan recounted her and Jessica’s trip to the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea in September last year.

“While walking over the treacherous mountains and through the thick jungle, I thought endlessly about whose footsteps I was walking in - the men and women who fought along the track before me, to save our country, so that we can be standing here today,” Tessa said.

“Being able to experience firsthand the rugged terrain and how quickly the weather can change allowed me to better understand the conditions our soldiers had to fight in and survive together.

Going up and down the mountains made me realise what a challenge it would have been, with poor equipment, little to no training or food, and lugging heavy equipment and weapons whilst dodging bullets and evading the enemy.

“Mateship was key, relying on their mates to get them through not just the day, but maybe the next few hours.”