REIGNITING the ANZAC Day spirit after four years will be the Penshurst community, who has invited all to come and their pay respects at the dawn service next Thursday, 6.00am (silent reflections from 5.45am) at the Penshurst Cenotaph.

Since 2019, Penshurst has not held an ANZAC Day service, however despite the town having no RSL, this year the service will be led by members of the community who wish to come together and commemorate the sacrifice made by our armed forces.

The community are also making the effort to engage the Penshurst youth in the ANZAC Day memorial, with the Mount Rouse and District Historical Society combining with Penshurst Primary school to decorate the Old Penshurst Court House for the first time.

The ANZAC tribute of poppies and drawings being placed on the front gates will take place next Wednesday, April 24 at 2pm.

Following this, the dawn service on ANZAC day will run for 40 minutes and will be followed by a sausage sizzle which had been a tradition in past services.

Local guest speaker Marcus Rentsch will be leading the ANZAC Day Address, with the Acknowledgment of Women in our Services spoken by Brenda Uebergang, Requiescat by Greg Linke and poem by Brian O’Brien, and the ANZAC day dedication being spoken by Kate Orchard and prayer by Reverend Peter Cook.

The service will be accompanied by musical items from guitarist Paul Sutherland and Hamilton Pipe Band members Ken and Di Crosier.

Service organiser, Jacqui Tribe said that as a community-run event, they hope to see many locals show their support on the day and pay their respects to the Australians who have given and continue to give their lives in service.

“It’s the most important day of the year - if it wasn’t for these men and women none of us would have anything to celebrate in life,” she said.

“Penshurst is a small town with no RSL, we have brought our community together to commemorate and we hope to see as many supporters as we can.”