Generations march side by side at Buninyong Anzac Day service

A HUGE turnout paid tribute to fallen defence force personnel in Buninyong yesterday, with crowds making the most of the perfect weather to take part in the town's Anzac Day service.More than 250 people, from babies to veterans were on hand to see, for the first time, crosses bearing the names of fallen service men and women from the Buninyong area.The traditional wreath laying ceremony was well represented by the district's schools, service clubs, and other organisations, while bagpipes played constantly as those who laid wreaths paid their respects.A haunting rendition of the Last Post was played to absolute silence as the large crowd stood as one to acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice made by more than 100,000 Australians in armed conflicts to date.City of Ballarat councillor Des Hudson spoke during the ceremony and told the crowd why Anzac Day was important to him.Cr Hudson said his grandfather had served in both world wars and saw his brother die in a trench beside him during the second world war."My grandfather didn't talk much about the war," Cr Hudson said."Whenever there was a movie or a television show portraying war, he would mutter under his breath, 'it was nothing like that.'"I think unless you've actually been to war, it's very hard to know exactly what it would have been like."The Buninyong RSL sub branch made a number of presentations, including an annual $350 grant to some students from Buninyong Primary School, to help promote awareness of the Anzac spirit.Australian flags and broad smiles dominated the march, with many younger participants proudly showing off their relatives' war medals. The large contingent then marched from Memorial Park to the Town Hall to continue the service.