Shepparton remembers the fallen

Shepparton’s Anzac Day dawn commemorative service was led by Brian McInneny, with a welcome address by Shepparton RSL president Rob Wilkie.

The special guest speaker for the morning service was Royal Australian Armoured Corps Warrant Officer Class One, Sean McElhinney.

Mr McElhinney has accrued 30 years of service, with deployments to East Timor and Afghanistan. Currently, he serves as Regimental Sergeant Major of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, and spends his time with family, including his parents from Shepparton.

“On this day, we honour not only the original Anzacs, but all the men and women who have served their nation in war, in conflict zones and in peacekeeping missions,” he said.

“From trenches to deserts, from jungles to skies and seas, they served with honour, shaping the character of our country with strength and resolve.”

Mr McElinney spoke of his own experiences of a dawn service, April 25, while on deployment in Afghanistan.

“We stood in silence, thousands of miles from home, yet connected by an unbreakable thread to those who had come before us. The familiar words of The Ode resonated differently there in a place where danger was not a distant concept but a daily reality,” he said.

“I remember looking at the faces of my mates, all united in the solemn moment of remembrance. That morning, the legacy of the Anzacs felt tangible and immediate.

“It reminded me that when we gather like this at dawn, whether in the dust of Afghanistan or here in the heart of Shepparton, we are participating in an unbroken tradition that spans generations and crosses continents.”

Other special guests at the ceremony included Notre Dame students Kiera Shaw and Elena Radevski, who read the poem We Remember Those on Anzac Day, and Australian Army Chaplain Kyung Ee, who recited the Anzac Requiem. Juliana de Quilettes also sang the song Spirit of the Anzacs.

The crowds paid their respects during the minute of silence, before the volley salute by the Shepparton Shooters Association.

Paying their respects included many local veterans and their families, members of the public and many Shepparton football clubs, including Shepparton United and Shepparton Bears, laying poppies and wreaths.

Mr Wilkie said the morning service went well, and was thankful the rain held off.

“This is probably the biggest turnout we’ve had for the service,” he said.

The only bigger service he remembered witnessing was the 2015 service for the 100-year anniversary.

“(I’m glad to) see all the young people here in the morning, just great to see the younger generation here,” he said.

“It’s always a special moment for me, and I just love the dawn service.”