Narrogin set to commemorate 100th Anzac Day service without local RSL sub-branch

Narrogin will host an Anzac Day dawn service to mark the 100th anniversary since the town’s first Anzac Day commemoration, but it will be the first without the local RSL sub-branch.

The Narrogin RSL sub-branch made the difficult decision to close its doors due to dwindling membership at a meeting held at the Soldiers Memorial Institute on March 31.

Without the RSL sub-branch, the responsibility of organising the important day has fallen to the community.

The Shire of Narrogin and community members have stepped up to host an Anzac Day dawn service at 6am followed by a full service at 10am at Memorial Park.

Community members are encouraged to lay a wreath at the war memorial.

The troop march and gunfire breakfast will not go ahead this year.

Shire president Leigh Ballard said community members had pitched in to keep this year’s service running.

“At this point in time, there will be no troop march or gunfire breakfast, its just a dawn service at 6am and a full service at 10am at Memorial Park,” he said on Tuesday.

“Anzac Day is a significant day of remembrance for Narrogin, not only for the 100-year anniversary since the foundation stone was laid but we also we had such a huge influence on numbers for the war.

“It’s an important day for the community.”

Mr Ballard said the Shire was looking to form a community group to organise Anzac Day commemorations in the future.

“Going forward, we are hoping to put together a group of community minded people to help organise Anzac Day so that it can keeping running,” he said.

“If we get a community group or interested community parties to run Anzac Day then that would be ideal.”

For more information or to help with Anzac Day in the future, call Leigh Ballard on 0428 832 095