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Queenslanders turn out to remember fallen

Queensland's RSL president says Anzac Day crowds continue to grow, even as the number of World War II veterans dwindle.

The veterans are fewer in number each year and yet the crowds get bigger and bigger.

More than 100 years on from Gallipoli, RSL Queensland president Stewart Cameron says Anzac Day has never been more present in the consciousness of the community.

The crowd at Brisbane's ANZAC Square, for instance, is packed to capacity for the dawn service, and Mr Cameron expect it to be the same when the Last Post is played at 4.28am on Tuesday.

"The crowds are increasing, the shrine area is packed, it's literally packed and it's been that way for some years now, and if you go out to suburbs like Kenmore and Sandgate, again the crowds are getting bigger."

"It's a recognition in my mind that folk are actually understanding the true nature of service."

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The number of veterans continues to dwindle though, at least those with links to our most storied conflicts.

The World War I veterans are long dead, and Mr Cameron says of the one million Australians who signed up for service in World War II, just 20,000 or so remain nationally.

Yet he also wants everyone to remember the more recent veterans, many of whom still struggle with the burdens of their service.

"It's not just about remembrance day and Anzac Day, we need to acknowledge that it's the men and women who have come back and now have consequences of that service need support 365 days a year," he said.

Brisbane's parade will begin at 10am on George Street and continue through Adelaide Street and Creek Street.

There will also be numerous ceremonies and parades right across the state, from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait, including the iconic dawn service at Elephant Beach Currumbin.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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