As steady rain pelted much of Northland yesterday, the organisers of the region's biggest Anzac Day commemorative event – Whangārei's RSA dawn ceremony – wrestled with a decision to call it off. Photo / Sarah Curtis
As steady rain pelted much of Northland yesterday, the organisers of the region's biggest Anzac Day commemorative event – Whangārei's RSA dawn ceremony – wrestled with a decision to call it off. Photo / Sarah Curtis
The return of fine weather this morning has not shaken Whangārei RSA president Brian Towgood’s support for the decision to cancel today’s Anzac Day dawn service – the largest in Northland.
Towgood, himself a returned serviceman now in his 70s, said the call was made by the event organisers afterextensive discussion and careful consideration of safety – particularly for the ageing veterans who would have been attending and taking part.
The region’s largest Anzac Day commemoration, traditionally held at Laurie Hall Park from 6am, was cancelled about 3pm yesterday after steady rain fell across the district and MetService warnings remained in place until 9am today.
“Yes, to wake up early and see the change in the weather, I thought ‘oh heck’,” Towgood said. “But my immediate reaction was that we cannot control the weather.”
“The decision yesterday was made in the interest of safety,” Towgood said. “And the age of our veterans – because regardless [of what critics say], they do not really understand the age of the veterans that march now.”
As a returned serviceman himself, Towgood said he stood by the decision.
“I fully support it,” he said. “It was made with the veterans – their age and everything – taken into account.”
The criticism was difficult, Towgood said, but the reaction ultimately reflected the enduring importance of Anzac Day to the community.
“At the end of the day,” Towgood said, “it shows people still care.”
While some online critics argued those who fought in wars endured far worse conditions, Towgood said the comparison missed an important reality.
“We’re looking at people in their late 70s and early 80s now,” he said. “That has to be taken into account.”
Another major concern was the infrastructure required to stage a dawn service for several thousand people. Towgood said the electronic sound and lighting equipment that needs to be installed on site posed safety risks in prolonged wet conditions.
Equipment that had been installed earlier in yesterday’s continuous rain was removed soon after the RSA’s decision .
The cancellation prompted strong reaction online, with more than 200 comments posted beneath a story announcing it on the Northern Advocate’s Facebook page.
Many commentators argued the service should have gone ahead regardless of the weather, with remarks such as “the war didn’t get rained off” and calls for people to “get wet” and attend anyway.
Others came to the organisers’ defence, urging critics to consider the wellbeing of elderly veterans, particularly those in their 80s and 90s.
Towgood said he had not read the online comments in detail, but acknowledged the strength of feeling on both sides.
Friday's steady rain across much of Northland affected preparations for this morning's RSA Anzac Day dawn service, which was cancelled over safety concerns because of on-site electronics and the welfare of aged service people. Photo / Sarah Curtis
“People have got a passion for it,” he said. “And us guys who served have certainly got a passion for it. What we had to do yesterday was not a knee‑jerk reaction. There was one hell of a lot of very deep discussion before that decision was made.”
Suggestions were also aired online about alternative venues, including Semenoff Stadium, but Towgood said those options were not feasible at short notice.
“You can’t click your fingers late in the afternoon,” he said. “You would need permission, you’d need to pay for the venue – there’s a lot involved.”
He said, however, that the cancellation had highlighted the need for robust contingency planning now extreme weather events were becoming more common.
“With the environment we live in now and what’s happening with the weather, there has definitely got to be alternative arrangements made,” Towgood said. “That will be discussed once we are through this.”
The decision also brought back memories of the last time Whangārei’s dawn service was disrupted by weather – an incident Towgood recalled from many years ago, when the service was still held in Rust Ave.
On that occasion, the ceremony was moved indoors to Forum North, but capacity limits meant many people were turned away.
“I clearly remember the arguments that came out of that,” Towgood said. “People were getting turned away at the door and it wasn’t pleasant.”
Despite the cancellation of the main dawn service, Anzac Day was still marked across much of Northland. Dozens of smaller community commemorations went ahead around the region, many scheduled for later in the morning and some at indoor venues.
The Whangārei RSA’s annual 10am service at Maunu Cemetery also went ahead, and on a bigger scale than usual.
Mainly intended for the families of returned service people buried there, this year’s event included an address by the Navy Commodore Brendon Clark DSD, who was previously scheduled to speak at the dawn service.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.
