Anzac Day today; the day of remembrance in Australia originally for Australian and New Zealand  Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in WW1. It is a national holiday and all major cities have a dawn service to commemorate both the peace before dawn and the dawn landings, and a parade. Instead of poppies they wear sprigs of rosemary, which is a traditional symbol of remembrance and which also grows on the Gallipoli Peninsula.I didn't make the dawn service :-( but I did go to the parade. I was there in good time to get a good view

and the parade began.

They say there's nothing like a man in uniform, but I just love the hats...

All the services were represented and the salute was taken by the Governor  of South Australia.

dress code for the veterans was obviously optional (or do you think he just joined in?)

unsure.....

.
but the ladies

and the school children kept up the standards!

The Scots were out in force and I can't believe how many Scottish Pipe bands there are in and around Adelaide. All but two of them were playing Scotland the Brave which all those who remember 60s tv ads can only think of as "Start off the day with piping Scotts Porridge Oats!" Mercifully two bands played Waltzing Mathilda and a third played wartime favourite songs.

The leader of the British contingent

and the Greeks were fairly obvious

but there were representatives from all the different cultures and nationalities which make up Australia.
The parade took exactly two hours to pass by which will give some indication of the numbers involved. Veterans from Vietnam, mostly reviled at the time were given a loud cheer as were the young soldiers just returned form a tour in Afghanistan (and , hopefully, not going back.) Quite a lot of the older  marchers were obviously finding the going tough, and the next of kin often with photos of their lost were a very poignant reminder of what the day was all about. We are just so lucky to be a generation which has missed a major war. The bravery and courage of the men and women who marched today is an inspiration to us all.

Following the march there was a short ceremony at the Cross of Sacrifice.