With his grandmother Glad Pretty at his side representing the War Widows’ Guild of Australia, the pair walked solemnly along Vincent Street.

Dead Man Pennies were given to the next-of-kin of the men and women who died during World War One. 

The Daylesford community gathered to pay their respects, with the Daylesford District Vietnam Veterans leading the march as the nation commemorated the 50th anniversary of Long Tan.

Guest speaker Reverend Jeff O'Hare from the Brotherhood of St Laurence and chaplain to the Choir of Hard Knocks spoke to the crowd about the founders who were inspired to start the brotherhood after seeing the traumas experienced by returned servicemen and women.

“Gathering is not about nationalistic pride or the glory of war, there is no glory in this,” he said.

“But as we gaze on the names on this memorial...we remember them, the fallen, all who served, with gratitude, not for the conflict but for a nation standing for the rights of freedom.”

He said he recalled meeting an elderly gentleman, a war veteran who had never had the opportunity to “debrief” or tell his story and had lived a life holding the memories inside.

“He was a victim of the the expectation that those he came home to, his family and community, were not the ones to tell...but to leave their story where they left it, a long way from home.”

Returned serviceman Daniel Simpson, who had served in Iraq, agreed the service was a chance to remember, but also to highlight the mental trauma experienced by returned soldiers.

“It’s a chance to remember all those who served and died and also those who struggled since they got back,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of soldiers returned from recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who’ve really suffered from mental illness, so it’s good the community recognises it.”