Summary

The Cox family joined people across Australia commemorating Anzac Day through the 'Light Up the Dawn' event during the COVID-19 lockdown on 25 April 2020.

During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, the Returned Services League put out a call for Australians to commemorate Anzac Day and participate in the Dawn Service from their homes. It was called the 'Light Up the Dawn' initiative. People were encouraged to light candles, listen to the Dawn Service radio broadcasts, play the Last Post, and observe a minute silence from their front yards, balconies, windows and driveways.

The Cox family participated from their home in Belmont Geelong. Alison Cox created a set of three candle lanterns from three-litre milk cartons to which she adhered motifs made from a coloured contact book covering of soldiers, military equipment, poppies and the words 'Lest We Forget', generated from her cricut machine [that allows the operator to design and cut-out individual images]. A candle was placed in each lantern and positioned along the front of their driveway.

Alison's husband, Damien, has been a member of the Australian Defence Force for over 30 years. He built a fire pit on the driveway and camping chairs were arranged around the fire. Their children Emily, Ryan and Kathleen were dug out of bed, and wearing beanies and warm clothes the family gathered round the fire, the candles were lit and they waited for dawn. Alison remarked that it was the motivation of their father being in the army, Emily being a member of the army cadets at Geelong Army Barracks and scout badges to be earned if they participated, that got them out of their warm beds! In a description of her experience that Kathleen, aged 11, wrote for the Museum, she states: 'When I got out of bed I changed into my onesie then got my jumper, fluff socks and beanie on, then I headed outside... It was still dark but the light from the candles made you just able to see.'

The family listened to the streamed Dawn Service from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on ABC radio. They were the only people they could see on their street but could hear other people playing the Last Post and playing other musical instruments. Alison recalls that 'it was really quiet but lovely.'

Alison and Damien wrote the following reflections on the importance of Anzac Day to them and their 2020 Dawn Service experience:

'Anzac Day is an important day for our family as Damien has been in the Australian Defence Force for over 30 years and two of his brothers have also served in the Army. Recently our eldest daughter Emily has continued this tradition by joining Army Cadets and our family have also been heavily involved with Scouting for many years that also provides scout badges for participation in Anzac Day services.

We have always begun Anzac Day with a dawn service either on an Army base where we have been posted or at a local community service and then spend the remainder of the day participating in local marches with Army cadets and scouts. This year, even though we were all in isolation it was still really important for us to commemorate in some way. The Light up the Dawn movement really gave us the chance to gather together in a new way and share our solidarity with everyone.

As we sat in the silence of dawn around the fire pit we realised we were the only ones on our street. It was really quiet but lovely to reflect together as a family. While we listened to the Dawn Service on the radio we begun to hear the sounds of the last post and instruments playing the Reveille echoing across the dawn from driveways we couldn't see. This was the moment that we really felt connected with others commemorating the day.

After the service ended, the kids went back to bed and Damien and I sat around the fire enjoying a coffee while watching the sunrise and together looking at all the Facebook posts from friends across Australia and New Zealand sharing their own pictures and stories of their Light up the Dawn service.

This was one of the most personal and poignant Anzac Days we have celebrated as we not only got to reflect on it quietly as a family, but also be part of a unique nationwide commemoration.'

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