Anzac events back in-person

APPROACHING Anzac Day this Sunday, 25 April, Alan Douglass is “thrilled.”

On behalf of the Midlands-Ballarat RSL Sports and Services Club, he’s helping to coordinate the way the city commemorates the annual day of remembrance as its president, and said proceedings will return to the way they were pre-2020.

“We’re able to have a service and a march again. It’s great for the veterans to catch up and march with their old mates, and it’s a thrill for them to march in honour of their mates who never returned from war,” he said.

“Even though events will be restricted to a degree, at least our Anzac Day services are going ahead. It’s great to be back as normal again.”

Approximately 260 people can participate in the Sturt Street march, taking off from Lyons Street north, in line with COVID-safe guidelines, and anyone wishing to go to the dawn or midday service should register with the City of Ballarat.

“You can only go to either the dawn service, or the 11am service because numbers are capped, and they’re ticketed.

“We’re allowed to have 2500 at the 11am service at the cenotaph, and 1500 at the dawn service at 5.45am, and once they’re filled, there’s no more,” Mr Douglass said.

“After the dawn service, there is one bus available to carry anyone who wishes to go to the Midlands-Ballarat RSL Sports and Services Club for the Gunfire Breakfast, and that bus will stay there to carry people back to the 11am service.”

Around midday, servicemen and women are invited back to the club for an afternoon of fellowship, where there will be refreshments, conversation, and games of two-up.

Anyone wishing to march should call the Ballarat RSL on 5332 3300, provide their details, and which section they wish to march with.

They should arrive at 10am on the day, before the march-off at 10.30am from Lyons Street north. Register your attendance for either Ballarat service at bit.ly/2RJIBQF and receive a ticket.