Aside from the large number of adults attending the Anzac Day service at Cobargo, it also drew many children.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
All up there was a crowd of about 200, with Cobargo RSL sub-branch president Jeffrey Lee saying there were more people than at last year's event.
"We punch above our weight for a small town," he said after the service.
"It's particularly good to see young people, that's what it's all about."
Pupils from Cobargo and Quaama Public Schools attended as well as students from Bega High School and the Cobargo Scouts, with Dr Lee saying the way to draw children to services was to make them short, interesting and relevant.
"Children don't tolerate things that are stuffy or false," he said.
The service paid its respects to New Zealand community members in the area, with Bega High student Kataya McCormack singing the country's national anthem in Maori and English.
Dr Lee said in previous years there had been a contingent of New Zealanders in the march under their own flag.
"Wars are bad but you've got to look at the good things, and it brought Australia and New Zealand a lot closer together," he said.
Another aspect that set Cobargo's service apart, he said, was the catafalque party provided by the Australian Defence Force over the last three to four years.
The bugler who attended also "sets the tone for the service", he said.
"It's a very difficult instrument to play, so it's extremely difficult to find someone who can play it - let alone someone who is skilled," Dr Lee said.
The small RSL club was down one member this year, as member Derek Quinto was walking the Kokoda Track to attend an Anzac Day service.
READ MORE: