Residents of Goornong and district packed into the local Soldiers Memorial Hall on Wednesday to pay their respects.

It was only the third ceremony of its type in the town, according to Elmore RSL secretary and treasurer Fred Wawrzik.

His subbranch had taken over local services in recent times, as well as care and maintenance of the hall’s honour boards.

“The community had never had one before I came here,” Mr Wawrzik said.

“When they learnt I was an ex-serviceman and had run many services in other towns they asked if it was possible to have one here.

“We started three years ago with an Anzac Day service and as you can see we fill every chair.”

More coverage: Your guide to Anzac Day 2018 in Bendigo and central Victoria

Mr Wawrzik said most people in the community came to the event.

“For a community of this small size, with only a couple of hundred people, it is a great turn out,” he said.

“It’s a great community. They contribute not just in thought. They contribute to the welfare of veterans in the local community.

“Also, they contribute to those in other areas because they purchase quite substantially for the Anzac and poppy appeals.”

He told the crowd Anzac Day had once honoured the brave young men who served at Gallipoli.

Over time, the day’s meaning had evolved, coming to encompass all wars up until the preset day, as well as all men and women who had gone to do their duty on behalf of the nation.

“Today, give a thought to those servicemen and women still far from home, who are both on active duty and peace keeping operations,” he said.

He said those missions had included Rwanda, East Timor Somalia, Syria, Namibia, Iraq and Afghanistan.