BULAHDELAH residents were forced to search elsewhere to pay tribute to those who fought in the Great War with no service offered at the Cenotaph.

A number of locals arrived at 10am on Thursday morning expecting a commemoration but none took place.

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It looked as if none had been organised, however there was no notification it had been cancelled.

Ros Lansdowne said she waited half an hour and searched for some sign of a service elsewhere in town.

“After living in Bulahdelah for the last sixty years we expected a service just like every other year,” she said.

In fact, no public service was planned.

Bulahdelah RSL Sub-Branch Secretary Steven Newman said with only 14 volunteers, they weren’t able to hold the service they’d like to.

“Many of the volunteers have been sick and in hospital,” he explained.

“We simply couldn’t organise a commemoration with so few people.”

With no clear sign of the cancellation, residents believed the service would go ahead, but the RSL couldn’t notify otherwise in time.

“It’s just a shame that they couldn’t tell us it wasn’t on,” Mrs Lansdowne said.

Nearby, the Armistice was remembered at Tea Gardens and also at both St Joseph’s Primary School and Bulahdelah Central School.

Steven Newman says the RSL is aiming for a much greater commemoration next year.

As COVID-19 restrictions ease across the state, the Bulahdelah RSL is looking to reconnect with their members and the community.

By Samuel BARTLETT