Surf boats reenact Anzac landing
A stirring re-enactment of the Anzacs’ initial landing set the scene for the dawn service at picturesque Terrigal Beach on the NSW Central Coast.
Flares were lit and music played as the boats came to shore, complete with audio of troops shouting and incessant gunfire as they marched into war.
Gosford resident Elisha Wenner said: “It was very moving to actually think about what it would have been like.”
It was one of eight dawn services on the Central Coast on Saturday, all attracting record crowds.
Locals packed Gosford Memorial Park to commemorate the centenary of the Anzacs’ landing at Gallipoli.
Hundreds attended the service at the Gosford Cenotaph, with people lining up on the other side of the road.
Youth was on show during the service in a fitting tribute to those whose lives were cut short on Turkish shores.
Members of Gosford’s Squadron 311 Australian Air Force Cadets formed the catafalque party, guarding the cenotaph. A cadet also gave the address.
Gosford RSL sub-branch secretary and organiser Patsy Edwards said: “We try to get the cadets, the young people, involved if we can.”
A wreath was laid by students of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School in Wyoming.
It was an emotionally charged atmosphere, many shedding tears, as the Ode was recited and the Last Post played.