Strolling down Pall Mall on Wednesday, blazing sun on your back and a sea of Australian flags fluttering in the breeze, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the end of January.
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Instead, it was a different show of patriotism.
The Bendigo Anzac Day service followed the same script as previous years, but with a different backdrop.
More coverage: Your guide to Anzac Day 2018 in Bendigo and central Victoria
The fence encircling the Bendigo Soldiers Memorial Institute mattered little, with its new vibrant colour there for all to see.
It was indeed the talk of the crowd as people milled around in anticipation of the parade.
“It’s smartened it up a lot”, “It (colour) grows on you, for sure”, were some comments made by those who regularly attend the Anzac Day service in the heart of the city.
Serial attendees mixed with those who had travelled interstate to pay their respects on a national day of remembrance.
School friends Verity Dixon and Barb Tyler perhaps epitomise what Anzac Day represents to contemporary Australians.
Ms Dixon – born in New Zealand with a father who served as a fighter pilot in the NZ air force, now lives in South Australia and is an Australia Citizen – came to Bendigo to meet Ms Tyler, who served in the army in Bendigo in 1977, but now lives in Daylesford.
The pair will catch up with friends, some army, some not, to remember relatives, and time spent together.
Graeme and Marlene Llewellyn’s grandfathers served in the Great War.
Marlene’s died in battle while Graeme’s survived, but he struggled during his time as a veteran.
“Today is about us remembering because we never really had grandfathers,” they said.
Marlene, whose father also served in World War II, said Anzac Day had a special significance for her.
In delivering the Anzac Day address, Group Captain Jon Keily said: “It's a day to acknowledge the selflessness of all those who have been prepared to lay down their lives for the Australia that they knew, so it can be a place of freedom for all.”
“The thread that connects our troops is the grit, the determination and the will to endure adversity that they faced fighting for our way of lives and our freedoms.
“This fight has always involved great sacrifice and we have not always prevailed, as was the case with Gallipoli, but our troops have always fought in a way that warrants respect and thoughtful reflection.”
- We’d love to see your Anzac Day pictures and video – share them with us through our Facebook page, our Snapchat account bgoaddy, by tagging us @BgoAddy on Twitter or by using #bendigoadvertiser on Instagram.