Tradition of a different kind

With the commemorative ceremonies wrapped up across the district by early afternoon, an Anzac tradition of a different sort was already well under way at the Grand Central Hotel.

A potent mixture of good spirits and open wallets kept the entertainment flowing in the hotel’s backyard, where a game of two-up had a crowd of punters enraptured for several hours.

As the spinners sent the pennies flying, some lucky punters roared with delight, while others let out a collective groan.

Karen Walsh enjoyed her time enough that she decided to give her luck a try with a $50 bet.

“I’ve come here to celebrate Anzac Day, all the veterans many many years ago, and it’s a great day to celebrate their lives and how they protected our country,” she said.

“It’s been tremendous, with the amount of people who have arrived here today. It’s getting bigger and bigger each year, and it’s just been a fantastic day.”

Held to have been played by Anzac soldiers in the trenches, two-up can only legally be played on certain days of the year across the country.