As the number of Anzac day attendees decreases year by year, Parade Chief Marshall Andrew Jennings explains the importance of honouring the parade that started in Brisbane during 1916.

Jennings stepped into the role of Parade Chief Marshall in honour of his father, a first-tranche national serviceman who was a marshall for a decade, a deputy chief marshall for a further 11 years, and parade chief marshall from 2018 until his death in 2021.

“When I got asked to take over from dad, it was an honour in itself because it was like a legacy, but I never fought – I was never in any of the defence forces,” Jennings, who oversees Brisbane’s annual Anzac Day parade, said.

“I thought it was going to be a challenge because the veterans might have thought ‘well, what do you know?’.

“But it’s about giving back to the veterans and making sure their experience of being honoured in the march is still continued.”

This year, Anzac Day marks 125 years of the Royal Australian Navy, 111 years since the Gallipoli landings and 11o years since Australia’s first Anzac Day parade, in Brisbane on April 25, 1916.

“Unfortunately, what’s happening now is obviously a lot of associations are getting smaller, but we’re just trying to get the younger generation to come and see the march, because it’s the original Anzac Day march,” Jennings said.

“We need to keep remembering why those people went and fought in wars to help develop Australia into what we are now.”

Jennings says social media is helped bring younger people to the parade.

Jennings said social media had played a big part in bringing Anzac Day parades to younger generations.

“It’s interesting because there’s more of the younger generation coming out now. A lot of people go to the dawn service and then they will stay for the march as well,” he said. 

The parade itself is a massive production – this is where Jennings’ experience managing large construction projects, such as the Ipswich motorway corridor, comes in handy.

While Brisbane hosts a dawn service in Anzac Square, the parade staff and 100-odd volunteers begin to set up in the CBD at midnight on Saturday. They are finished by 6am.

“We work with Brisbane City Council and the police, who then have a traffic control company who will set up all the road closures for the dawn service,” Jennings said. 

At 10am the premier opens the march – a tradition started by premier Christopher Foley – before the walk starts at precisely at 10.03am.

“The march starts at the corner of Elizabeth and George streets and it continues all the way down to Adelaide Street, turns right into Creek Street and they disembark down at Creek and Elizabeth Street,” Jennings said. 

The first group to march is World War II veterans, accompanied by flag bearers, an honour guard and mounted Queensland Police officers. The second group consists of defence service nurses and representatives from Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps Association.

“We have the honour guard, who this year will be the Royal Australian Navy,” Jennings said. “We’re slightly different from other states in that we rotate every year to let each service walk first because we believe everyone who’s fought should have their own honour every third year.”

Following groups include the Royal Australian Artillery Band, Army associations, the Royal Australian Regiment Association Queensland, Navy associations, Air Force and associations, and allied forces associations.

The last two groups – there are 10 – are made up of descendants of passed veterans and youth organisations.

“Within the city itself, we’d probably get at least 5000-10,000 general public attendees,” Jennings said.

More than 2000 serving defence personnel, veterans, descendants, youth organisations and community groups are also expected to take part.

Once the march concludes, pack up begins – and usually ends about 3pm.

For Jennings, who has worked on the parade since 2018 alongside wife Sharon, the event is about giving back to those who have served.

“It’s still honouring them and looking after them, but it’s a continuation. We just need to look after each other and make sure we can still live in an amazing country,” he said.