Services honour effort

By Tania Martin
IT’S time again for hills’ residents to pause on Sunday 25 April, Anzac Day, for those who lost their lives in WWI and subsequent conflicts.
RSL sub-branches from across the Dandenong Ranges are inviting people to commemorative services to remember those who gave so much.
Cockatoo:
LOCALS are invited to the popular dawn service at Cockatoo from 5.45am.A traditional Anzac Day march will start outside the town’s primary school at 10.45am, finishing at the cenotaph. A service will follow and the sub-branch will remain open for the day.
Emerald:
A DAWN service will be held at the town’s RSL sub-branch in Memorial Avenue from 5.45am.
Diggers and ex-service men and women will also take part in a traditional march from Emerald’s cenotaph in the main street, down past the Shell service station to the sub-branch from 10.30am. A commemoration service will follow from 11am and the RSL will be open for the remainder of the day for games of two-up and refreshments and food will also be on offer.
Gembrook:
AT the rising of the sun, locals will get the chance to remember those who gave up so much for Australia’s freedom at a dawn service.
Gembrook RSL will hold its traditional march down Redwood Avenue from 10.30am, followed by a commemorative service at the town’s cenotaph.
Kalorama:
Mt Dandenong’s Anglican Church will hold a commemorative service at the Peace memorial adjacent to the Five Ways Lookout from 8.30am.
The service will be led by Archdeacon Stephen May and Macarthur Job will be the guest speaker.
Monbulk:
MONBULK MP James Merlino will join diggers and ex-service men at a dawn service from 5.45am.
Locals will also be invited to enjoy a traditional Gunfire Breakfast following the service. Hundreds will also line the streets from 9.30am for a traditional march down Main Street before attending a wreath laying ceremony at the town’s cenotaph Casey MP Tony Smith will attend the 10am service and Monbulk Primary School principal Ray Yates will be the guest speaker.
The RSL will be open all day with plenty of entertainment on offer including the Anzac Day AFL clash between Collingwood and Essendon playing on the club’s big screen television.
There will also be games of two-up for diggers and their families to enjoy.
Mount Evelyn:
A TRADITIONAL March will be held a week early for Mount Evelyn diggers and their families on Sunday 18 April. Ex-service men and women will march along Wray Crescent from 2pm which will be followed by a commemorative service at the town’s war memorial.A dawn service will also be held on Anzac Day from 5.45am at the RSL sub-branch in Birmingham Road.
Mt Dandenong:
HILLS youngsters will get the chance to pay their respect to those who gave so much at a Yarra Valley Legacy commemoration service on Wednesday 21 April.
The service will be held at the Dandenong Ranges National Park from 11am. More than 20 schools are expected to join the day, remembering diggers from the 39th, 2/14th and 2/16th battalions who played an integral role in the Kokoda campaign in WWII.
Sassafras:
DIGGERS, ex-service men and woman will take part in a traditional march down Mt Dandenong Tourist Road from 10.30am.
A memorial service will follow at the town’s cenotaph at the Village Green Park.
Refreshments will also be provided at the Mt Dandenong RSL sub-branch.
Upwey-Belgrave:
HUNDREDS are expected to pay their respects at a dawn service at the Upwey memorial from 6am.
Breakfast will be service following the service for just a gold coin donation.
A traditional march will also attract be crowds as it travels down the main street in Upwey which will be followed by a service at the sub-branch rooms.
A noon commemoration ceremony will also be held at the Belgrave memorial in Wattle Avenue.