Each year, on ANZAC Day, the Southern Shoalhaven community steps up and comes together. What many people see on the day, the dawn service, the main march, the wreaths laid, is only a small part of a much bigger story.
Behind it is months of care, coordination, and commitment, led by the Milton Ulladulla RSL Sub Branch.
“We start planning on the first Monday after New Year’s Day,” says President Sean Phillips. “It takes a lot of people. There would be nothing short of a hundred people who touch it, with a core group of about two dozen.”
At the heart of that effort is Sub Branch Secretary Allan Dangerfield, who Sean is quick to acknowledge. “Allan really drives the planning,” he says. “From that first Monday, Allan starts pulling it all together.” It is steady, behind the scenes work that most people never see, but without it, the day simply would not happen.
That core group stretches far beyond the sub branch itself. Local service clubs, volunteers, the Ex Servos Club, the Laws family, Rotary, Lions, RSL Pigeon House, Police, SES, RFS, the town band, council, Transport for NSW and never forget our schools – they all play a role. It is a true reflection of how this towns spirit showing up, together.
And that spirit is something Sean does not take for granted.
“We live in the best town in the best country on Earth,” he says. “It is how the town embraces us. They show up and show respect, and that means everything.”
But ANZAC Day here is more than a ceremony. It is what Sean describes as one of the biggest moments of community consolidation in the year, alongside events like the Blessing of the Fleet. It is a day where people gather not just to remember, but to reconnect.
“There are people I served with who come down and march with us,” he says. “It is a reunion for a lot of us.”
This year, that sense of connection will be felt even more deeply with the presence of 100 year old Bruce Hilton, a World War II occupation force veteran who served in Japan after the war. “We are so lucky to have him, and others like him, marching with us,” Sean says.
While the day itself is deeply significant, the work of the sub branch extends well beyond April 25. Throughout the year, members visit local schools, helping younger generations understand the meaning behind ANZAC Day. Through club grants and The Milton Ulladulla Ex Servos, they support Year 11 students from Ulladulla High School to walk the Kokoda Track, connecting young people with history in a deeply personal way.
They also lead and support other commemorations across the year, including Remembrance Day, Middle East Area of Operations Day, National Servicemen’s Day, and services recognising veterans of more recent conflicts, such as East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
“We do it all on a shoestring budget,” Sean says. “People do not always realise how much goes on behind the scenes.”
And on the day itself, the responsibility is constant. From early morning through to the final moments, organisers are thinking about everything, from logistics to welfare, especially for older veterans.“You are always on the go,” Sean says. “But the town pulls together for us.”
After the formalities, there is a quiet exhale. Veterans gather at the Star Hotel in Milton before heading down to the Ulladulla Ex Servos Club, a moment to reconnect, reflect, and simply be together after a long and meaningful day.
For Sean, being part of this, and helping carry it forward, is deeply personal.
“This is my hometown,” he says. “I have relatives who have served in every war since the First World War. I am just part of that tradition carrying on.”
It is a responsibility he holds with care, not just to honour those who served, but to hold space for reflection in a world that still feels uncertain.
“It is a day of remembrance, not a day of celebration,” he says. “Take the time to reflect.”
As ANZAC Day approaches, the invitation is a simple one. Come along. Stand with them at dawn service. Line the streets for the march. Pause, reflect, and be part of something that belongs to the whole community.
And for those who have served, or are currently serving, the door is always open.
“We are always open for ex service members to come and join the sub branch,” Sean says.