As the gentle rain fell over those that had gathered to pay their respects to the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy in Australia today, the bugle rang out with the Last Post, sounded by Hayden Dalton.
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Although the crowd was not large, the numbers have increased dramatically over the past 10 years, according to Harden Murrumburrah Historical Society President Robyn Atherton, who attended with her husband Paul.
“Ten years ago, you were lucky if ten or 12 people attended the Dawn Service,” Mrs Atherton said. “There seems to have been a surge of interest in Anzac Day over the past couple of years, which is important because we need to remember our history.”
Sisters Julie Odgers and Michelle Galloway, made the pilgrimage from Melbourne with Michelle’s son Harris to pay their respects to the girl’s father and grandfather.
“Our grandfather, Phillip Joseph Slattery, was from Galong and fought in both World War I and World War II,” Mrs Galloway said. “The family home, Carinya, is still standing and we visited yesterday. The lady who lives there now was nice enough to invite us in to see where our father grew up.”
“Dad, Vivien Joseph Slattery, passed away in November last year at age 91,” Mrs Galloway said. “And as Julie and I are going through his things, we are finding out so much about him and his connection to this area. It brought a tear to our eye to see his and our grandfather’s names here on the Harden cenotaph.”
“We are hoping to come back to Harden for next year’s Anzac Day celebrations,” Mrs Galloway said. “And hopefully we will be able to bring more members of our family. It is so important for us all to learn about our heritage.”