Anzac Day evokes a wide range of feelings with us all. I can remember the ‘clinking’ of my dad’s medals, early in the crisp April morning and I remember later in the day, sitting captivated by the endless ABC broadcast of the Sydney march.

I waited for the mysteriously named ‘Second, First Pioneers’ to pass before the camera and saw dad on TV.

Historically Anzac Day also has many markers, covering individual bravery and mateship, our national unity and an ongoing legend, honour in defeat, so much sadness and an important aspect of national character.

Here in our beautiful municipality, we commemorate Anzac Day in Jamberoo on Saturday with a march, in Kiama with a dawn service and a march and service afterwards and in Gerringong and Gerroa with dawn services.

The flags outside the Council Chambers and at Blue Haven will fly at half-mast for the day.

Details of the marches and services are listed at the end of this column. I’ll be attending several of these commemorations.

I served in the early seventies with The Royal Australian Artillery. The only action I saw was a rather nasty brawl in the Dubbo Golf Club.

It was strange for me to feel so ‘at home’, as such a rebellious person, in such a structured group, but I did... much as I feel today being part of your council!

For those who’d like to find out more about local military history, Kiama Library’s self-guided tour lets you experience what life was like in Kiama during the First World War.

Using your smartphone and the Kiama Library Tours app, you can take the 2.3 kilometre WWI tour at your leisure, stopping along the way to learn about a soldier’s story or a significant site.

For instance, in 1916, 2000 soldiers at a time trained at a camp set up around the Kiama showground, then a second camp opened up.

All South Coast recruits were initially trained in Kiama at these camps.

One the soldiers who trained here, Private Carr, left a lovely poem but sadly was never to return. He was killed in Villers Bretonneux on 23 April 1918.

He has no known grave but his words live on:

We’re leaving you, Kiama, for a far and distant shore

In a week or so we’ll say goodbye. Perhaps forever more

The glimmer from the lighthouse that the lonely sentry sees

And the Sunday morning church parades, when we get on our knees

The blowhole and the motor rides we had to Jamberoo

Will always bring sweet memories I know to me and you

So au revoir, Kiama

You have treated us right well

We’ll think of you in Flanders and we’ll think of you in hell.

Anzac Day events across the Municipality

Jamberoo (Saturday 23 April)

March from 10.30am from the RSL Hall

Kiama (Monday 25 April)

Dawn service 5am at Blowhole Point

March 10.30am from opposite the Old Council Chambers on Manning St

Kiama Bowling and Recreation Club Anzac Day service from 12.15pm.

Gerringong (Monday 25 April)

Dawn service 6am, eastern end of Belinda Street.

Gerringong Bowling Club Anzac Day service from 11am.

Gerroa (Monday 25 April)

Dawn service 7am, Gerroa Boat Fishermans Club