The president of RSL Victoria says many veterans and members of the public are choosing to commemorate Anzac Day in smaller, local ceremonies this year, due in part to confusion around arrangements for events in the CBD and the risks associated with the pandemic.

However, Dr Rob Webster said he was looking forward to seeing crowds return to the Anzac Day dawn service and march on Sunday, after coronavirus restrictions forced the cancellation of public commemorations last year.

The 2019 Anzac Day dawn service at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance. Credit:Joe Armao

A total of 1400 members of the public are allowed to attend the dawn service this year, and about 1600 veterans and their family members have registered for the march. In 2019, 25,000 attended the dawn service and 10,000 marched.

A capacity cap on the number of people who could march was increased from 5500 to 8000 this week following a backlash and confusion about changing arrangements for the event, which was initially cancelled in February. Some veterans have said they would boycott this weekend’s marquee AFL matches at the MCG, where crowds of 85,000 people are allowed.

Since the cap for the march was raised on Tuesday, about 300 additional people had registered to attend, Dr Webster said. Those who have not registered but still want to march will be allowed to register via a QR code system on the day.

Dr Webster said there was a number of reasons for the low attendance rates, including reluctance by those over 70 who were in a vulnerable age group and hadn’t had a COVID-19 vaccination.

“We have also encouraged people to stay local wherever they can,” he said.

“We know we have got nearly 200 sub-branches across the state running Anzac Day events and we know because some of the confusion around the march that many of the unit associations who might typically come into the march and then go to Footscray or Hawthorn for their reunions decided to march close to where their reunions are.

“So I think like last year, there will be a very strong turnout at local events or on the ‘Light up the Dawn’ driveway events … The commemoration will be widespread, not as concentrated this year, that’s the sense I’m getting.”

Light up the Dawn was created last year and invites people to light a candle and stand in their driveway, balcony or living room at 6am to observe a minute’s silence.

Residents of Clara Street in Macleod, in Melbourne’s north-east, set up a makeshift stage for a dawn service on Anzac Day, 2020.Credit:Eddie Jim

Dr Webster said the controversy surrounding numbers at this year’s march had shown the community how passionate veterans were about Anzac Day.

“I don’t know if that’s been widely acknowledged before… the community now can really understand the passion the veterans have for getting together, being with their mates and the benefits for things like mental health that is provides,” he said.

On Sunday, the Shrine of Remembrance will open at 4am for those who have registered to attend and tickets will be scanned. The dawn service will start at 5.40am.

Social distancing will be required, with pavement markers and COVID marshalls employed to reinforce physical distancing.

There will be ceremonial proceedings including bugle calls, speeches and a wreath laying from 6am, before people will be invited to lay a poppy at the Stone of Remembrance.

The Anzac Day march down St Kilda Road to the Shrine of Remembrance will run from 9.30am to 11.15am.

Representatives from the Royal Australian Air Force will be in the leading contingent of the march, just behind the official party, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the formation of the RAAF. Current serving members of the defence force, veterans, allies and descendants participating in the march will march in groups allocated by their era of service.

At the conclusion of the march, a commemoration service will take place which will include an official wreath-laying, and a recitation of the Ode of Remembrance and the Anzac Requiem.

Both the dawn service and parade will be live-streamed which Dr Webster said was a great initiative allowing local RSLs to hold their own events.

“Many are running lower-key dawn services but are then going to be open and have big screens with the Anzac Day march and the commemoration service,” he said.

Despite a move towards local events, Dr Webster said he was looking forward to seeing a slow return to normal on Sunday.

“I think it will be terrific to see people out and about again, because we were isolated in our own little bubbles, we were restricted in what we could and couldn’t do. So this year, even if we can’t have a full-blown event, it’s a step forward,” he said.

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