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A beautiful, clear morning greeted more than 400 people who turned out to pay their respects at the Andersons Bay Cemetery posy laying ceremony on Anzac Day.
Led by MC chief petty officer Christina Scadden, RNZN, the service was an opportunity to remember the many Dunedin men who served overseas and were killed, and those who returned home to live their lives and are buried among their comrades in the cemetery’s services section.
The official party included representatives of the Australian and British governments, New Zealand Government representative Rachel Brooking, Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich, the RSA, Returned Service Women, and J Force, with cadets from TS Waireka cadet unit serving as the guard.
The Ode was recited in te reo and English by Tahuna Intermediate School pupil Tahu McGinty, with musical accompaniment provided by the City of Dunedin Pipe Band and Kaikorai Metropolitan Brass.
At the centre of the ceremony was the laying of more than 4000 posies, made of rosemary (for remembrance) and red paper (symbolising the poppy), a solemn task undertaken by about 50 members of Opoho Pippins, Brownies and Guides troupes, Grants Braes Brownies and Guides troupes, and Dunedin City Rangers.
Girl Guides Dunedin unit team leader Kathy Sircombe said the girls were very excited to be taking part in the ceremony for the first time since 2019, due to Covid-19 disruptions. They would earn the Anzac badge for theirefforts.
Ms Sircombe said the youngsters had recently heard a talk by serving members of the NZ Defence Force, who had shared with them stories of the NZDF’s role in peacetime.