THEY may no longer be with us in body but the spirit of our World War One diggers lived on through the record-breaking Anzac Day dawn service crowd in Port Macquarie on Saturday.
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Well before 5am, thousands of residents flocked to the Town Green cenotaph to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Anzac tradition. A lone piper filled the still and otherwise respectfully quiet morning air as ex-servicemen and women were joined by their families and friends.
The crowd spilled on to the Hastings River with paddleboarders, canoeists and boaters taking up position on the water to honour the significance of this Anzac Day and its continued relevance as a part of our nation's history.
RSL sub-Branch president Greg Laird was moved by the attendance saying it was a credit to Port Macquarie and a testament to the importance of the Anzac tradition which is at the foundation of Australia's coming of age as a nation.
"The sons and daughters of Anzac came forward without question," he said. "On this day we remember the sacrifices of those men and women for an ideal - a way of life. Let's hope our sons and daughters never forget the example set by their forefathers."
Mr Laird said the freedom and liberties enjoyed today came at great cost and the Anzac legacy remains alive and relevant today through the simple act of remembering.
Army cadet officer Natasha Woodberry reinforced Mr Laird's sentiment that the Anzac spirit was born on the shores of Gallipoli.
"At Gallipoli our soldiers proved themselves to the motherland and established our identity," she said.
Wreaths were laid by Lyne MP David Gillspie, Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams, Mayor Peter Besseling and representatives of local community and school groups.
Both the Australian and New Zealand flags flew side by side as The Last Post echoed out across the Hastings River and the sun broke over the horizon in a spectacular start to a moving day of remembrance.