Australian flags to fly at Orange Cemetery for Anzac Day

Australian flags have started to appear at the foot of many a gravesite and there will be more to come in the leadup to Anzac Day.

Orange City Council Mayor Jason Hamling spoke about what the gesture means.

"The tradition of cemetery staff putting small Australian flags on the graves of service men and women began a few years back as part of the commemoration of the centenary of the first World War," he said.

"It's continued since then, and it's expanded to include the graves of any veteran from any of the wars."

Mr Hamling added that while the flags usually appeared in the lead up to Anzac Day, staff said the Easter long weekend was a time when the cemetery attracted visits from many family members, so it was decided to erect the flags a little earlier this time around.

"The flags certainly add a very poignant element to a visit to the cemetery," he said.

"It's very moving to see just how many Orange residents have served in the armed forces."

The Orange Cemetery has 94 war service graves from the first World War, where families have opted to acknowledge their war service on the headstone or with a plaque.

Of those 94 veterans, 63 people survived the war and returned to live in Orange.

The other 31 are commemorative plaques for people who are buried on the battlefields of Europe.

The graves marked include those of Private Arthur Louis Edwards of the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion who died the day after the landing on Gallipoli at the age of 28, Private Cecil Reginald John Lidster of the 21st Light Horse Regiment who died at Gallipoli on June 6, 1915, and Private William Robert Clive Beasley of the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion who died on May 2, at Gallipoli, aged 20.

Anzac commemorations across NSW will return on April 25 for the first time in three years as the state relaxes pandemic health measures. The traditional game of two-up will also be played across pubs and clubs along with full-scale dawn services in Martin Place and a march in Sydney's CBD.

RSL NSW president Ray James welcomed the announcement and called on veterans of recent Middle East operations to join them in a place of prominence in the Sydney CBD March.

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