Respect: Julian Kraan, Brittany Hopson, Mekaela Kraan, Shanae Hopson and Cameron Barnes stood vigil all night at the Echuca Cenotaph.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
Inspired by a similar tribute in Sunbury, after three years of planning, Mekaela Kraan finally saw to fruition her plan to carry out a pre-Anzac Day vigil.
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“I saw it in Sunbury and I thought it would be awesome to bring it to Echuca,” she said.
Ms Kraan attempted to start the new tradition in 2020 but was prevented from doing it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remembering: Julian Kraan, Brittany Hopson, Cameron Barnes, Mekaela Kraan and Shanae Hopson stood in line ready to stand vigil.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
“I’ve finally been able to get it off the ground in the last couple of months,” she said.
Ms Kraan said she had always had a “fair interest” in participating in Anzac Day that only deepened over her time as a scout.
She said that paying her respects to Australian soldiers was the “decent thing to do” and that she hoped the event would encourage the participation of younger kids.
Ms Kraan was joined by other Rovers, Julian Kraan, Brittany Hopson, Shanae Hopson and Cameron Barnes as all five started the vigil at the Echuca Cenotaph together.
Creating history: Rovers stood for the first vigil around the Cenotaph.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
After their first shift, younger scouts were given the chance for 15-minute shifts each before Ms Kraan, her Rover comrades, as well as other adults stayed there for the rest of the night until six in the morning.
In total, Ms Kraan said there were about 50 people who were taking part in the vigil.
Vigil: Brittany Hopson was one of the people who took part in the vigil watch overnight.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
Retired Wing Commander John Glover spoke the event about his time in the air force as well as his own experience sitting vigil beside a fallen soldier’s body.
“We had a real genuine vigil ... until (the soldier’s body) was returned home,” he said.
“It was a very fulfilling task, even if it created for me memories that I could have done without.”
Speaker: Retired Wing Commander John Glover spoke at the vigil service.
Photo by
Shannon Colee
He said he wanted people to recognise not just the sacrifice made by soldiers in this country but also by their families; those who lost people they loved or who had to help veterans pick up the pieces after returning home.
Wing Commander Glover said that it was “really exciting” to see new tradition that meant more to younger generations “be born.”
He said that new events like an overnight vigil was a great way for young people to pay their respects but without it being “unduly dim or formal.”
“All the young people that participated in the vigil, they will go home with a sense of history.”
Wing Commander Glover said he hoped that next year more people would come out and support or serve shifts during the vigil but added that this year’s leaders did “a great job” organising the event.
“I give great credit to the leaders; scout leader, school teachers, anyone involved in encouraging the young people in their care to think differently about what they are doing,” he said.
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