A record breaking crowd turned out to honour the fallen at the dawn service in Laurieton on Anzac Day 2019.
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The stillness of the air was a far cry from the rain at last years commemorations and women, men and children came together to remember the past.
Allan 'Buster' Beatty OAM gave the keynote address and paid tribute to the "forgotten heroine" volunteer nurses of World War I.
"They [nurses] worked under the most hazardous of conditions, endured extreme discomfort in the most harrowing of circumstances and lost their lives," Mr Beatty said.
"Women have played a significant role as nurses over time. World War I saw the commitment of large numbers of women employed as nurses and other medical workers.
"Nurses were expected to be single or widowed, some married women got through the recruitment process and some married at war.
"They served in many different places and were engaged in many different kinds of nursing and support occupations."
Mr Beatty went on to say the nurses who served were "instrumental" in the war effort.
"During World War I nurses served with the Australian Army Service and they were the only women in the Australian Imperial Force," he said.
"Australian nurses also serviced with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Service and they contributed to the war effort overseas working with organisations such as British, French and Belgium Red Cross and the Young Women's Christian Association.
"On the western Front they worked in advanced dressing stations and field hospitals behind the lines often in range of artillery and subject to aerial bombardments."
He said particularly during World War I nurses were often stationed in the line of fire helping soldiers wounded in battle.
"Casualty clearing stations were the first stop for many wounded soldiers. These advanced surgical stations were located as close to the action as possible.
"They were so close to the fighting they were often shelled by the Germans and the nurses of the Australian Army Service felt as good as if they were on the frontline.
"Their work involved long hours particularly during major battles and when many soldiers came in badly wounded little could be done to help apart from offering comfort, a kind word a smile.
"Lest We Forget."
The march in Laurieton will begin at 10.30am at Laurieton United Services Club before the 11am service at the Cenotaph.
