ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Natalie Browning
)The Geraldton City RSL has announced it has cancelled this year's Anzac Day march and services will be held in private for members and veterans only.
Services are continuing at other locations around the state including the dawn service at the State War Memorial in Kings Park and the march through the Perth CBD.
About 4,000 people attend the dawn service in WA's Mid West each year.
Geraldton City RSL president Barry Stinson said the decision was made after discussions with local police and the City of Greater Geraldton that there was no way to control visitor numbers in line with COVID-19 restrictions.
"The Geraldton City RSL has reluctantly sort of decided not to hold any public commemorations or the normal march that we've held over the years since 1917 to which the general public have been invited," he said.
"But this year, due to the COVID restrictions that we're under, we can't control the number of people that are gathering in those public places so therefore we've reluctantly agreed and just decided to have a members-only dawn service followed by our standard gunfire service."
Call for public services
The Member for Geraldton Ian Blayney said he found the decision "odd" given other public events were going ahead.
"If Western Australia hasn't had any community transmission for a long time … if people want to attend a dawn service, maybe observe some distancing requirements, I think it's time we are allowed to have one again."
A veteran of the Korean War, Eric 'Gundy' Thomas, was a lone figure outside last year's cancelled service at Birdwood House.
He said it was important to remember the "blokes who didn't come back" and it didn't feel right to do that at home.
"Oh no, I like to be where it's supposed to be," he said.
ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Natalie Browning
)Northampton is 50 kilometres north of Geraldton and RSL president Bevan Suckling said services there would go ahead.
But Mr Stinson encouraged Geraldton locals to commemorate the event as they did last year.
"To light up the dawn with their own private commemorations in the privacy of their own driveways," he said.
"Together with the City of Greater Geraldton, we will be livestreaming our dawn service."
Mr Blayney said he would prefer the public to be able to attend.
"We accepted it last year as there was a lot of uncertainty around," he said.
"The service that we had where people stood at the front of their house was a different and quite moving service in itself, but personally I think it's time to move on."
