The sun rises behind the Hastings Civic Square Cenotaph at the Anzac Dawn Ceremony. Photo / Paul Taylor
The sun rises behind the Hastings Civic Square Cenotaph at the Anzac Dawn Ceremony. Photo / Paul Taylor
Anzac Day brings together people from all walks of life to remember New Zealanders and Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
Yearly the NZ Remembrance Army restores veterans’ graves and tells their stories both on its social media profiles and in-person - usually on-site at cemeteries.
This year has been no different and with Anzac Day coming up fast, the Hawke’s Bay team have been out and about cleaning, preparing and adding red poppies to the graves of fallen soldiers in preparation.
The Hawke’s Bay team has also been out cleaning up soldiers’ graves at the Eskdale cemetery, which was covered in silt from Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Hawke’s Bay NZ Remembrance Army team uncovered an overgrown section of Eskadale graves that had been forgotten.
The team thought they had cleaned all the soldiers’ graves, but then came across an upper area at Eskdale cemetery, which they’d had no idea was there.
Luckily this area was high enough to have escaped the cyclone’s silt but the gravesites were overgrown and weedy.
The team found an information board under the weeds on one of the graves, which they repaired and reinstated once the grass was removed.
In preparation for Anzac Day, the NZ Remembrance Army Hawke’s Bay team have been cleaning the graves of soldiers around the region and placing poppies.
Hawke’s Bay NZ Remeberance Army co-ordinator Denise Gore said, “It’s important to remember the sacrifices made in war to give some perspective on things we consider difficult in our lives and to appreciate that our people fought for others against immoral regimes.”
Hastings District Council has also been getting ready for Anzac commemorations, bringing back last year’s popular light-projection poppy wall at Hastings Library.
Running from April 22 to April 25, the light installation features falling poppies and the World War I and World War II Hastings honour rolls.
The best time to view the falling poppies is during the hours of darkness, usually from 5am to 7am and from 6pm to midnight.
A light projection of poppies flowing down the wall, followed by the names on the Hastings World War I and World War II rolls of honour, returns to Hastings for Anzac Day.
As for the day itself, Clubs Hastings CEO Jackie Wells expects thousands to turn out to the seven Anzac Day services being held across Hastings.
Wells said, “Anzac Day is a very significant day when the relatives and public can gather to remember the fallen and those that sacrificed their lives, a date that will never be forgotten.”
On Anzac Day, Clubs Hastings is also offering a $5 breakfast, a place to gather after the Dawn Service for comradeship. Proceeds will go to the Poppy Fund.
