United at a distance to honour Anzac tradition

On an Anzac Day like no other, West Australians were encouraged to unite to honour the fallen from a distance.

The driveway dawn service movement took hold across Narrogin and surrounds as families stood outside with their neighbours, listening to the Ode and the Last Post.

At the crack of dawn, Garfield Street in Narrogin was softly lit by milk bottle lanterns made by resident Sue Burbridge.

“I thought it would be a nice project to do with community spirit and to make everyone feel involved,” Ms Burbridge said.

“I approached the neighbours to see if they were interested and I used my self-isolation time to make up the lanterns.”

After the national anthem was played on the radio, Grant Street’s Don Bird played his bagpipes.

Mr Bird has been playing the instrument for 60 years and has always played them on Anzac Day.

“The bagpipes usually lead the Anzac parade and this is the first year they haven’t done so,” he said.

Mr Bird said the playing of the bagpipes was a tradition from when units had a pipe band.

Despite no public services this year, the people of Narrogin still paid their respects, leaving rosemary and wreaths at the Memorial Park war memorial.

The memorial was recently fitted with a new bronze plaque entitled Narrogin Roll of Honour 1914-1918, which contains the names of the World War I soldiers who were omitted from the original plaques in 1937.

When the original plaques were commissioned, the names of the servicemen listed was decided by their place of enlistment, rather than place of birth or residence.

Narrogin RSL sub-branch president Ries Chattillon conducted research to establish an accurate record of the names of the servicemen from Narrogin who enlisted, served and died at war.

“It has been an honour and labour of love to bring the names of these soldiers to light and to have them memorialised this way,” Mr Chattillon said.