The Centenary of Anzac Cenotaph Project saw 34 poles erected at the Lilydale Cenotaph, which show the faces and histories of 69 men with connections to the region who died during the First World War.

Lilydale RSL vice-president Dave Cleaver said it had been 100 years since the signing of the armistice, so it was fitting that they were completing a WWI project.

“The concept is that the poles represent battalions of soldiers, and the reason for the height of them is so when you walk amongst them, you feel a bit inferior,” Mr Cleaver said.

Treasurer Anne Youl said part of the reason poles were chosen was as a connection to Lilydale’s well-known painted poles.

Mr Cleaver said when sunlight shines on the memorial at certain times, the signs create words on the ground and the poles present a formation of soldiers in the shadows.

“There was a lot of thought that went into this,” he said.

Mr Cleaver said when they began the project in February 2017, the land was a cow paddock.

“[Volunteers] have been working on the memorial nearly every Saturday for over a year,” he said.

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“We’ve worked in the rain, hail, [and] sun.

“But, it’s nothing like what the soldiers had to go through.

“The most important thing is to remember our fallen soldiers.

“When you put a face to the name, it really brings it home.”

Mr Cleaver said he wanted to thank the volunteers who had worked on the memorial, with “a lot of friendships built and solidified” in the process.

However, he said a special thanks went to Kerry Brown for his help with big tasks such as excavating.

“He did so much,” Mr Cleaver said.

Ms Youl said it had been a “big few weeks” for volunteers to get the memorial ready for its official opening on Sunday.

“We’re very proud,” Ms Youl said.

Colonel Andrew Herbert and the Reverend Ken Box will open the new WWI centenary memorial at the Lilydale Cenotaph at 3pm on April 22.​