IT’S an important national day but for many people, Anzac Day is personal.
It is for Bass Coast Mayor Cr Rochelle Halstead.
Here in part is what she had to say at a very well-attended service on the foreshore at San Remo.
“Across the country today, in towns big and small, Australians are gathering just like we are — at dawn, at memorials, in silence — to remember and to reflect,” said Cr Halstead.
“Here in San Remo, we are part of that national tradition. A proud coastal town with strong ties to the sea, to community, and to service.
“The values we associate with the Anzacs — courage, mateship, endurance, and sacrifice — are values that still resonate deeply here.
“For many of us, Anzac Day is not only about national remembrance, it’s personal. It certainly is for me.
“My grandfather, Eric Leslie Brokensha, served in World War II. He enlisted in January 1942 and was discharged four years later in 1946.
“He served as a Private in the Australian Military Forces, and like so many of his generation, he didn’t often speak about what he experienced.
“But his service, and his quiet strength, resilience, and humility left a lasting mark on our family.
“His story is just one of thousands, but it reminds me that behind every name etched on a memorial, every medal pinned to a chest, is a real person. A family. A story that shapes who we are. Today, we honour them all.
“We honour those who served and never came home. We honour those who returned, forever changed. We honour the families who carried the burden of war long after the fighting ended.
“And we acknowledge those still serving today - here and overseas, who carry on the legacy of those who went before them.
“We are free because of their sacrifice. And we are grateful.
“So, on behalf of Bass Coast Shire Council, I thank you for being here today in San Remo. For remembering. For passing the stories on and for keeping the spirit of the Anzacs alive in your hearts.
“Lest we forget.”
