SOLO… Amelia Leach of the Parkes Shire Concert Band, will be playing the Last Post on her trumpet from her mailbox at 6am tomorrow.
Although there will be no dawn services, street parades and public ceremonies tomorrow to commemorate Anzac Day, we can all do something special to ensure we will always remember it.
“Australians are known for their qualities of mateship, humour, ingenuity, courage and endurance – and during this time of uncertainty, it’s particularly important that we demonstrate these qualities and harness the ‘Anzac Spirit’,” said Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM.
“By paying our respects from home we can ensure we keep the Anzac legacy alive, and also keep our friends, family and community safe by helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
The Parkes Shire Council has compiled a list of suggestions for how locals can acknowledge Anzac Day and ensure Australian servicemen and women are appropriately remembered.
• Stand at the end of your driveway at 6am and/or 10am on Saturday, 25th April and observe a minute’s silence, or you can play The Last Post on an instrument. Amelia Leach, member of the Parkes Shire Concert Band, will be playing her trumpet from her mailbox at 6am, as will several other members of the band.
• St George’s Anglican Church in Parkes will play the Last Post and Reveille over the external speaker system at 6am. At 7:30am there will be an online Service of Remembrance that has been pre-recorded and may be accessed through https://parkesanglican.online.church. There will be a link to the recording made available later during the day on Facebook or searched through YouTube.
• At 2pm Geoff Steventon will host a biblical talk on ‘Christians in the Military – What does the Bible Say’. Geoff is the Pastor of Koinonia Community Church in Peak Hill. He served in the Army Reserve for 34 years, joining as a Private and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
• Tune into the ABC’s live broadcast of the national Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra from 5.30am. There will also be a 10am service from the Anzac Memorial in Sydney on ABC and streamed live.
• Record yourself reciting the ode or share a message of support for veterans on social media using the hashtag #ANZACSpirit.
• Reach out to a mate. Many people are alone during this time of isolation. It’s an opportunity to invoke the ANZAC value of mateship.
• Make a paper poppy wreath for your door or fence to show your support.
• Bake a batch of Anzac biscuits!
• Donate to the ANZAC appeal online, www.anzacappeal.com.au. to help provide specialist services to thousands of veterans and their families.
Geoff Stokes is the Anzac Day piper, and has played Flowers of the Forest, a lament for Anzac Day, at the Dawn Service and morning ceremony for many years. He also played first violin in the local orchestra.