WHILE some COVID-related restrictions and guidelines still apply, public Anzac Day ceremonies will be returning across regional SA in 2021.
Renmark RSL sub-branch president Peter Higgs said their march and public service were cancelled last year, with six RSL members laying a wreath at the town's Cross of Sacrifice.
The march will return this year and be limited to just veterans, due to social distancing requirements.
"The dawn service will be held at 6.15am and we start the march at about 10.30am," Mr Higgs said.
"That finishes at the Cross of Sacrifice, where we have our big morning service.
"Our normal numbers are about 500, which is well under the 1000 limit under the COVID safety plan.
"We've got COVID marshals, a QR Code for the event, sign-in forms and our parade marshal will be overlooking the march to make sure social distancing is maintained."
In Port Lincoln, RSL sub-branch president Peter Linn said they would hold their dawn service at 6.30am at Centenary Oval, the venue chosen to allow up to 2000 people to attend.
"It's a real win because six to eight weeks ago it was looking like it would be a scaled-back event," he said.
"Last year, six of us laid four wreaths at the cenotaph and the service was broadcast on 5CC radio, with people commemorating at the end of their driveways.
"We're broadcasting again this year for those that want to do that again, but the difference is they're also welcome at the oval."
Mallala RSL sub-branch president Ray Coleman said their service would be "toned down", but veterans were grateful to be holding some form of commemoration, rather than nothing.
"We're having a wreath-laying ceremony at the town's monument at 6am and heading back to the RSL for breakfast with RSL members and invited guests," he said.
"We can have up to about 60 people at the breakfast. Last year, we just had a wreath laying."
The South East seaside community of Robe is pulling out all the stops in honouring veterans and current serving personnel, with a string of events planned for the Anzac Day weekend.
Specially-designed Anzac playing uniforms will be presented to footballers and netballers before their matches against traditional rivals Hatherleigh, while skydivers will parachute in the match ball and the Naracoorte 3rd Light Horse Regiment will be represented.
The inaugural Robe 2 Recovery Veteran Ambrose Golf Day will be held on Friday, the local garden club is holding an Anzac biscuit bake-off and the town's traditional march and dawn service will take place on Sunday morning.
Local photographer Jacqui Bateman is a co-founder of the Robe 2 Recovery initiative - a community-led program offering weekend respite stays for veterans in Robe - and says the community's enthusiasm and reverence for Anzac Day commemorations has grown with its involvement in the respite program.
"Anzac Day in Robe has always been a very important day in the town's calendar," she said.
"Establishing the Robe 2 Recovery program seemed like a natural progression.
"A lot of local businesses are involved, accommodation owners donate the use of their holiday homes for weekend respite stays for veterans and it's a program the whole community has become united behind.
"These special Anzac Day commemorations are a way of saying thank you to the Robe community for their support of Robe 2 Recovery, and also a way of continuing to say thank you to our veterans and current serving personnel."
The program has provided weekend respite stays for about 35 veterans, with Ms Bateman saying it would be further expanded to offer stays to 20 veterans or more a year.
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