HUGE crowds paid their respect to Anzac service men and women in Bendigo on Monday.
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For the first time since 2019, large crowds were able to attend Anzac services with Bendigo District Sub Branch president Peter Swandale impressed by the turn out.
"It's been a wonderful day. I'm very pleased that the Bendigo community came out to pay their respects,'' he said. "After the past few years, it's actually quite a large relief actually.
"The first year of COVID we had myself and the senior vice-president - that was it. So to come out today and see hundreds and thousands of people here, it's wonderful. It really gives you that feeling of remembrance.
"For me, it's important that we reconnect with our veterans who weren't vaccinated. We now have an opportunity to see them face to face, and there was quite a few today that I saw and was great to see them. I think that was fantastic."
Prior to the Anzac Day services, Bendigo's Dawn Service was held at the Soldiers Memorial Institute in Pall Mall as opposed to its traditional setting of the Cenotaph in Charing Cross.
Mr Swandale said organisers were considering whether to move the Dawn Service back to the Cenotaph.
"Where the Cenotaph is, that's what represents World War One," he said. "So we'll reevaluate it during the next 12 months and determine where we'd like to have it. But it's 50/50 at the moment."
During the ceremony speakers paid tribute to the people suffering in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Mr Swandale said Anzac Day was a reminder there were still people affected by war all across the world.
"I think (Ukraine) brings home, especially when you see it on TV, the suffering," he said. "It brings back that people in this world do suffer.
"We, as a nation, have stepped up and are providing equipment. As I said in my speech that we're always ready to go, and Australians will always stand up."
Mr Swandale said the Bendigo community should be proud of its contribution to the Ukraine war effort following Australia's decision to provide Bushmasters to assist the Ukrainian army.
"When you see them on TV and, and the Prime Minister's talking about it, you think 'how good is that, that we make that in Bendigo?' We should be very proud as a community of what we what we do," he said.
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