Forbes will come together this ANZAC Day to honour the service, courage and sacrifice of Australia’s servicemen and women, with a program of traditional commemorative events for Saturday and a week-long illumination on the Town Hall.

The ANZAC Day march, which traditionally draws large numbers of participants and spectators to the town’s streets, is expected to do so again this year and locals are invited to line Lachlan and Court streets on Saturday morning.

Among the features to look for in the march is Club Forbes’ newly acquired army jeep, which will take its place among the veterans and service groups.

The riderless horse, a deeply symbolic element of military remembrance, will feature in the march led by a local young person.

The riderless horse has been used in military ceremonies for centuries to honour fallen soldiers and remains a poignant symbol of loss, respect and mourning for those who did not return.

This year Forbes will welcome a group of service personnel marching behind the 107 Field Battery banner as RSL Sub‑Branch president Bryan Jones is joined by a number of men he served alongside during his deployment in Malaya.

Beyond the day, the façade of the Forbes Town Hall is being transformed nightly with a projection titled Lest We Forget. Supported by funding from the Australian Government’s 2025–26 Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program, Forbes Shire Council will deliver a moving visual tribute to those who have served.

For seven consecutive nights, the projection will feature ANZAC imagery alongside photographs of veterans from the Forbes community.

The illuminated display will be visible after dark and is expected to become a quiet gathering point for reflection in the lead‑up to ANZAC Day.

The project draws inspiration from the RSL’s nightly ode and incorporates powerful symbolic elements such as poppies, light and shadow, combined with specially curated commemorative artwork.

Central to the tribute are the faces and stories of some of Forbes’ own local heroes, including Bill Miller, Bessie Violet Smith, Don Breen, Bill Besgrove, George Anderson and Albury Fullerton Jones.

Accompanying the projection will be an instrumental soundtrack composed especially for the event by songwriter Warren Thomas.

Service details are:

ANZAC DAY IN FORBES

Dawn service

5.15am - Assemble in front of Club Forbes

5.20am - March to the Victoria Park Cenotaph, Harold Street

5.30am - Dawn service commences

Mid‑Morning March and Service

10.15am - Assemble in Cross Street

10.30am - March commences

Approximately 10.45am - Service and wreath laying at the Victoria Park Cenotaph

Approximately 11.30am - Service concludes

ANZAC DAY IN EUGOWRA

The Dawn Service will commence at 5.45am at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park.

The mid-morning march will start at the corner of North and Broad streets and proceed to the Cenotaph, in Memorial Park, for an 11am service.

BOGAN GATE

Dawn service in Hutton Street - 5.50am-7.20am.

TRUNDLE

9.45am - March 'fall in' at the Central School

10.30am - Commemorative service at the Trundle Memorial Hall