Dubbo RSL Sub-Branch president Tom Gray says he is proud of the way the community embraced a different way of commemorating Anzac Day.
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The retired member of the navy said residents had honoured those who served their country despite not being able to gather together at the city's cenotaph as normal.
Public Anzac Day ceremonies were cancelled this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the wake of the decision, there had been a movement to stand at people's individual driveways in tribute, and Mr Gray said Dubbo had responded.
People had reported to him of being out on the street at 6am to pay their respects, and had seen neighbours doing likewise.
"And I went to the shop yesterday and the number of poppies and flags on the front fences and on the lawns really make me feel proud, I felt very proud actually, that the community did get behind it," he said.
Mr Gray said some veterans had made their way to the cenotaph at different times to show "respect for our fallen, and our current serving members".
He said it may have been hard for some people.
"The hardest thing, I felt was not being able to be with your mates and just have a yarn and see how you're going, as I've said before," he said.
"Anzac Day, there's blokes that only get together with other ex-military people on Anzac Day, and here this year, they may not have had that opportunity."
He told of making calls to and receiving calls from people with whom he'd served in the navy to "see whether everyone's all right".
The sub-branch president felt heartened by young people getting involved in this year's alternative commemorations.
"The other thing I liked, and I saw it on the news and knew it happened here in Dubbo, was the younger people were outside, out on the footpath," Mr Gray said.
"I know there was one street, I've heard this a couple of times, where different young people organised their street to be out there at their driveway at that time in the morning to have their candles and do the minute's silence and they even played Advance Australia Fair, that kind of thing, and the bugles were piped all over the place, so it was really good."
Trumpet player Samuel Vail, 21, has performed at Anzac Day ceremonies for the past 12 years, and while that was off the cards this year, he decided he could do his bit to honour the Anzacs.
"I was also following the suggestion of great Australian trumpeter James Morrison who called upon all brass players to perform it in their driveways at 6am on Anzac Day," Mr Vail said.
He sounded the Last Post after dad Tim read the ode outside their home in central Dubbo.
"Mum had lit a flame, as had many neighbours who came to their front gates," he said.
His sister had baked Anzac biscuits, which had been shared with neighbours.