Passion to pay respects remains in difficult year

SA and NT Returned and Services League president Cheryl Cates said she was pleased that the desire to pay respects remained strong through the general public.

"It's wonderful that the public are understanding in regards to what Anzac Day is about and why we can't have these public commemorations, and it's great to see people are showing respect in the way they can," Ms Cates said.

She said while most RSL subbranches were closed, a few were intending to run dawn services which would be attended by a limited number of veterans.

Ms Cates encouraged members of the public to pay their respects by commemorating on their driveways at dawn, placing wreaths on their front doors, and visiting local memorials and cenotaphs throughout the day.

Member for Barker Tony Pasin said it would be important to feel connected to each other on Saturday.

He urged those in his electorate to upload photos of their commemoration to social media, with the hashtag #AnzacAtHomeInBarker.

"In the future if someone said COVID-19 meant Anzac Day 2020 was cancelled, that myth can be put to bed, because of that record of commemoration," Mr Pasin said.

"I also hope that people will ring someone in the community who served our nation, and make sure they don't feel alone."

In Tumby Bay, local RSL member Geoff Stewart will drive through the town streets at dawn on Anzac Day, carrying a speaker playing the Last Post, Reveille, and other military music.

With 2020 marking the 100-year anniversary of the Tumby Bay RSL, president Graeme Noske said members wanted to make Anzac Day "extra special" in the centenary year.

He said the threat of COVID-19 made it very important to pay respects this year.

"Everyone is saying how tough they're doing it this year with coronavirus, but what we're going through is nothing compared to what the Diggers went through," he said.

In the South East, an inaugural Anzac Day football match between Robe and Hatherleigh - organised by veteran respite care initiative Robe to Recovery - has also been cancelled. Robe to Recovery committee member and Rwanda veteran Mick Trevitt said Anzac Day was extremely significant in country communities.

"In rural areas, people make you feel really proud of your service, whereas a lot of city people don't know a veteran, so it's not as personal to them," he said.

He said while the cancellation of the football match was disappointing, the match would go ahead in 2021.

"(The cancellation) is a small inconvenience, and when you think what Anzac day is all about, it's not that tragic," he said.

"We have laid the groundwork for next year, and we have a platform we can work off, so it should be quite seamless to organise the event for next year."