Crowd cheers support for marching veterans
Crowds five deep lined St George's Terrace for the start of the Anzac Day parade.
Thousands of children perched on the edge of the pavement waving flags and some wearing their relatives' medals.
The crowd applauded and cheered as the first marching band played Waltzing Matilda to start the parade.
Servicemen and women saluted the official party on St George's Terrace including WA Governor Malcolm McCusker and Perth Mayor Lisa Scaffidi as they passed.
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Thousands of people walked from Kings Park after an emotional Dawn Service to watch the parade.
Some estimates put the Dawn Service crowd at nearly 50,000.
Peggy Boehm, 88, was sitting by the side of the road waiting for her 91-year-old husband to pass by.
He served in World War II at age 17 and was in Borneo when the war ended.
RSL State President Graham Edwards in the march. Picture: Nic Ellis/The West Australian
Ms Boehm and her family, including her grandchildren, have been attending the Anzac Day march for more than a decade.
She said it was important to remember the efforts of Australia's servicemen and women.
Nada Brock brought her sons - Finley, eight, and Lewis, five - to the march for the first time.
“We wanted to go to the dawn service but it was too early for the boys, so we watched it on TV instead,” she said.
Although there are no veterans in the family, Ms Brock said she wanted to teach her young children the importance of Anzac Day.
Harry Penn, 94, who served in the Pacific during WWII. Picture: Nic Ellis/The West Australian
“We're Australian and I want to teach them why we have a public holiday and what it means,” she said.
Ms Brock said her oldest son was already learning about the Anzac spirit at school and was keen to learn more.
This year's march focused more on veterans from the Vietnam War to the present day, as well as many youngsters proudly wearing medallions of their ancestors as they marched.
Picture: Nic Ellis/The West Australian
Tourists also lined the street to pay their respects and were eager to ask questions of Australians about the significance of each marching group.
One boy called to his mother “Look, there's Dad!” as his naval father gave him a quick wink and wave.
The loudest cheers remained for the older veterans, many of whom rode in RSL vehicles, acknowledging the crowd with nods and waves.
