Lest we Forget
This year’s ANZAC Day Ceremony was attended by an estimated 1,000 people, and raised $1,882.90 for Legacy.
The sun rises over the ocean on ANZAC Day 2026, watched by an estimated 1.000 people
Here is a personal account of the day by Sandy West:
Saturday 25th April dawned dark and damp. As I made my way to the beach for the dawn ceremony, my thoughts turned to the 41,000 young men sitting in transport boats off the beach at Gallipoli 111 years ago, getting ready to land, knowing many would die before reaching the beach.
Once again, the ceremony was led by Mike Tamblyn, and the New Zealand Anthem was sung by three of our local ladies, followed by the Avoca Beach Public School choir being joined by singers from Kincumber High School to sing the Australian National Anthem.
Mike Shervington, a veteran of the British and Australian armies brought everyone up short by recounting an ambush in Afghanistan. It made us aware of what the troops went through in trying to make this world a safer place for all of us.
Mike then went further with his address by depicting in words the scene at Gallipoli. One hundred and eleven years since that fateful landing, and it was starkly brought home to us when he described so vividly the distance the troops had to cover and how exposed they were to the Turkish troops defending their homeland. When he said “turn to face the pines”, every man, woman and child, no matter how young or old, turned and listened intently as he described, in detail, what the ANZAC troops had to contend with under constant fire. It certainly gave us a much greater appreciation of how vulnerable and exposed those brave young men were.
Every year, our ceremony grows, and this year we had more wreaths laid than ever, with families and organisations showing great respect. The bugler, Tom Smithson, brought many to tears with reveille and the Last Post as the sun rose over the ocean. Lest we forget.
Thank You’s
Each year Avoca’s ANZAC Day ceremony is jointly hosted by the Surf Club and the Community Association. We are grateful to the many people who willingly gave their time and expertise to help run the event:
Adam, from Avoca Beach Butchery, for delicious bacon, eggs, and sausages.
Stone Real Estate for the bread and incidentals associated with the breakfast.
Marj and Con Ryan for their generous sponsorship of the sound system .
Stu Harvey and everyone at Avoca Beach Surf Club, for the use of the club and the kitchen staff and facilities.
Sandy West for coordinating the laying of the wreaths
Thanks to Shaun Williamson for project managing the whole event, Mike Tamblyn for his excellent MC skills, Mike Shervington for his goose-bump inducing account of the events in Gallipoli; Tom Smithson for his beautiful rendition of the Last Post.
A special mention to the students of Kincumber High School, who spoke so well, the Avoca Beach Public School choir and our beautiful Kiwi choir.
Finally, special thanks to Steve Fortey for his hard work in earlier years to establish the Avoca ANZAC Day ceremony as an annual event.
Apologies if I missed anyone from this list - your contributions helped make the event a great success.