The town’s main street was filled with those who marched, followed by the main ceremony around the cenotaph.

Narromine RSL Sub-Branch president Neil Richardson said he was pleased to see the large number of people at the Anzac Day ceremony.

“I think the crowds are getting bigger every year. I’m very pleased with the turnout, and it’s great to see so many students turn out especially because it’s a public holiday and school holidays,” he said.

Mr Richardson said previously schools had not encouraged their students to attend Anzac Day as it was seen to be glorifying the war, but now the school children were educated on the day.

“It’s important to remember everyone who went to war, not just those who died or came back wounded. They all came back wounded, even if they didn’t show it. We see it in Afghanistan and Vietnam, it happens in all wars,” he said.

The sub-branch president said it was also an opportunity to look to the past and learn from it. Mr Richardson said Anzac Day made people realise the realities of war.

It was something he said he hoped the politicians of the world would never prompt, he said.

It was a sobering moment during the ceremony when Maurice Campbell read out some of the statistics of battle.

At the 244 days at Gallipoli there were 28,150 casualties, he said which translated as 115 deaths per day. At the Battle of Fromelles there were 5,533 casualties in a single day and during the 56 days at Passchendaele, 608 soldiers were killed a day.

Gary Pierpont also addressed the crowd to tell the story of his father-in-law Frank Smith and the hardships Mr Smith suffered as a prisoner of war during World War II.

Mr Smith was stationed in Singapore in 1942 when the Japanese gained control. For three years he was in prisoner of war camps.

Firefighter Marc Barton, who marches every year with Fire and Rescue, said he could put his reason for participation into one word: sacrifice.

It was important to pay tribute to those who served, Mr Barton said. Anzac Day was something he hoped would continue for the younger generations.