Residents line driveways in unique salute to Diggers
WHILE official Anzac Day parades and commemorations were called off due to coronavirus restrictions, Diggers past and present were far from forgotten on the Gold Coast.
Thousands across the city rose before the sun to show their support for the Anzacs, lining the streets as part of the national driveway dawn service campaign.
Among them the residents of Dorset Place, Elanora. A speaker in the middle of the cul-de-sac played a live stream of the memorial service from Canberra. It was organised by neighbours Tara Burke and
Sarah James. The two friends said the morning echoed the feeling of the dawn service usually held at Elephant Rock on Currumbin Beach. Neighbours gathered around an art installation of poppies and banners at the end of the street.
“We really miss the beautiful sculpture that they have of the poppies spilling down Elephant Rock and it’s such a magnificent service, and we did it in our own miniature way,” Ms James said. “We think it was a great success.”
Dorset Place neighbour Kathleen Lamb remembered her brother Con Duffy, who was a soldier in the Cyprus War. “He was a lovely brother but he was never the same (after he returned),” Ms Lamb said. “We haven’t forgotten him.”
“From what
I could see, there was quite a good turnout,” he said.
In Banora Point in northern NSW, Josh Mitchell rallied his Pioneer Pde neighbours into the street.
“A lot of them didn’t come out at the start but I had the music going from 5.30am. I think just making a bit of noise, it brought people out I haven’t seen before,” Mr Mitchell said.
Further north, Liz and John Lafferty and their daughter marked the occasion from their Helensvale driveway.
Mr Lafferty served in the artillery in Somalia in 1993 and said he was pleased to see a number of homes on his street, Monterey Keys Dve, take part.