News
25 April, 2026
Thousands turn out for solemn day of reflection
The message at all ceremonies was similar: ANZAC Day is not about glorifying war but about remembering those people who have sacrificed their lives and who have served their country for the freedoms we now enjoy.
Thousands of people have turned out for ANZAC Day ceremonies across the region.
The message at all ceremonies was similar: ANZAC Day is not about glorifying war but about remembering those people who have sacrificed their lives and who have served their country for the freedoms we now enjoy.
The number of veterans attending ceremonies continues to decline but young people are turning out in force, ensuring the sacrifice made by veterans past and present is never forgotten.
Burradoo resident Bryan Lowe, 86, said ANZAC Day was extremely special.
“It means everything to me,” he told The Southern Wire before marching in the Bowral ANZAC Day parade.
Mr Lowe spent 20 years with the Royal New Zealand Airforce and spent time in Malaya as well as Vietnam supporting Australian troops.
As part of No.41 squadron he dropped supplies to Australian troops in Malaya and ferried them between airports in Vietnam.
He lost friends in both conflicts.
Mr Lowe stood out at Bowral’s ANZAC Day ceremony because he was wearing a traditional Maori korowai – a feather cloak only worn on special occasions.
He said he wore it on ANZAC Day every year - and only on ANZAC Day - out of respect for the friends he had lost.
“I wouldn’t wear it for anything else,” he said.
Mr Lowe has called the Southern Highlands home for more than 30 years.
· Keep reading The Southern Wire for coverage of ANZAC Day ceremonies across the region.
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