The flowers should have adorned the city’s cenotaph, but the threat of wet weather prompted the Wangaratta RSL sub-branch to move its Anzac Day service across Ovens Street from the memorial park to the arts centre hall. 

Rain had already greeted the crowd at the dawn service, with thunder and lightning a backdrop to the solemnity of the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. Despite the gloomy skies, Wangaratta RSL sub-branch president Warren Garrett was stunned by the turnout.

“It’s been a remarkable day with the number of people supporting both ceremonies, the dawn service and this service, totally unexpected,” Dr Garrett said.

“The guess is there was 4000 people for the dawn service and last year we would have had 1000 to 2000.”

An estimated 1000 filled the arts centre hall with up to twice that number left outside, according to the venue’s function co-ordinator Elisha Barry. 

Dr Garrett said it was decided at 7.40am on Saturday to stage the service indoors.

“It was bucketing down at that stage, then it fined up and we thought we had made a mistake and then when we came in it was raining again,” Dr Garrett said.

He apologised to those unable to get inside but added “we just had no other option”.

Dignitaries at the service included the member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy, Wangaratta council administrators Ailsa Fox, Irene Grant and Rod Roscholler, Wangaratta Anglican bishop John Parkes and police chiefs Superintendent Paul O’Halloran and Inspector David Ryan. 

Among the diggers looking on was Jack Reid, 91, who served in the army in New Guinea during World War II.

“It’s certainly brought a lot bigger crowd into Wangaratta,” Mr Reid said after riding an old fire truck at the head of the parade which travelled along Reid, Murphy and Ford streets.

Joining him in the back of the old Dodge were former New Zealand navy member Brian Kensington and Clarrie Flentjar, who served in the Korean War with HMAS Tobruk.

Reflecting on the centenary of Anzac Day, Mr Kensington was wistful.

“It’s a long time ago and I just feel it’s so sad to lose all those young people,” Mr Kensington said.

“For all those young people to be killed, I really feel for that.”

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