WESTBURY'S dawn service on Saturday drew crowds almost three times larger than they have ever been before.
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More than 600 members of the Westbury community came out for the 6am service and another 600 attended the second service at 11am.
Westbury RSL sub-branch president Denis Webb said he believed it was the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli that led to this large increase in numbers.
"It's the most important event in the nation of Australia and we should be ever-mindful of those who have made our country what it is," Mr Webb said.
"We should be mindful of our grandfathers and the sacrifices that they made so we may continue in the lifestyle that they fought for.
"It was the centenary of the Anzacs that drew the people out this year."
With a few additions to the service this year, it was directed not only towards Australian soldiers but also towards the New Zealand soldiers who also fought in battle. "For the first time ever at Westbury, the flags of Australia, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force and New Zealand were paraded down the street," Mr Webb said. "We had the Westbury Primary School choir sing the New Zealand anthem in Maori and also in English, which was a hit."
