Parramatta turns out for Lancers
Thousands have lined the streets in Sydney's west to honour Australia's fighting horsemen.
About 100 members of the 1st/15th Royal NSW Lancers marched through Parramatta on Saturday to celebrate 125 years of tradition and mark the centenary of the raising of the 1st Light Horse brigade at the beginning of World War I.
The Parramatta Lancers, as they are also known, wore original uniforms from the world wars.
Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove opened the parade and thanked the lancers for their courage. His father was part of the unit in the 1950s and '60s.
"Through all of this evolution and change, what has remained constant is the courage, tenacity, professionalism and loyalty with which the Parramatta Lancers have served our nation," the governor-general said.
Demonstrating their commitment, brothers Conrad and Sterling Nicholls travelled from the Central Coast to join the parade.
Proud mother Gaye Nicholls says her boys learnt discipline and responsibility while having fun.
The cadet lancers, aged 17 and 14, make the trip to Parramatta every Friday night for meetings.
"The boys love getting firsthand experience. They really couldn't do anything better on a Friday night," Mrs Nicholls said.
The parade, which was steeped in history with tanks and armoured vehicles, also attracted history buffs such as Lindsay Ashby from the Blue Mountains.
Mr Ashby, 63, said the display of horsemen and tanks was especially exciting.
"It gave me a buzz to see them," he said.
"My father was in the submarines with the British navy and my uncle was a paratrooper at D-Day."
After the parade, spectators were invited to an open day at the Parramatta Barracks where the NSW Lancers have been based since 1897.
