Emma Pritchard

Close to 100 Clarence Valley residents came together at the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month in Grafton’s Memorial Park on the weekend to pay their respects and observe a minute’s silence during the 2023 Remembrance Day service.

Heads bowed peacefully in a united show of respect as attendees remembered the thousands of men and women who fought and died in wars, armed conflicts, and peacekeeping operations, and reflected on the 105th anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended one of the bloodiest campaigns in history, World War I (WWI).

More than 60000 Australians lost their lives between 1914 and 1918, when they sacrificed their today so we could have our tomorrow.

And more than a century after the guns on the Western Front finally fell silent, communities across the country commemorated the occasion with a silence of their own.

Honourable Secretary of the Grafton RSL Sub-Branch Denis Benfield and MC for the service said Remembrance Day is an important occasion for all Australians to come together to pay their respects and express their gratitude to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

As the Prayer for Remembrance, Prayer for Peace, and Prayer for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) were read, the Australian flag flew at half-mast, and dignitaries, respective parties, family representatives, and members of the public, dutifully laid wreaths and placed red poppies at the base of the Grafton Cenotaph before The Ode, The Last Post, and Rouse were played.

Lest we forget.