General News
18 April, 2026
Fresh poppies needed for Anzac bridge
Horsham residents are being encouraged to pick up their knitting needles and crochet hooks to help refresh a much-loved tribute on the Anzac Memorial Pedestrian Bridge across the Wimmera River.
As Anzac Day approaches, some of the knitted poppies displayed on the bridge have begun to fade after years of exposure to the sun.
Former Horsham Rural City Council mayor Mark Radford, one of the people behind the project, is now calling on the community to make new poppies to replace the worn ones.
Mr Radford said the project began during the centenary commemorations of World War I, when communities across Australia were invited to contribute handmade poppies.
“The centenary of World War I was held from 2014 to 2018,” he said.
“The original national project aimed for 5000 knitted poppies, but far exceeded expectations.
“They end up getting 100,000.”
Many of those handmade poppies made their way to Horsham, where they became part of a local tribute on the Anzac Memorial Pedestrian Bridge.
With support from the council and the RSL, the display also honours local soldiers who lost their lives in Gallipoli and other wars.
“We got special permission from the council, for Anzac Day, to put these knitted poppies on the bridge,” Mr Radford said.
Alongside the poppies, organisers attach name tags to recognise local soldiers who died in service.
“We ended up with, I think it was 48 names of local people who were killed in and around Gallipoli,” he said.
Each poppy is fixed to the bridge cables, often with a twist of barbed wire and a tag bearing a soldier’s name.
Mr Radford said the display continues to resonate strongly with the community, as so many of the names remain familiar to local families.
Over time, the weather has taken its toll on the knitted flowers.
“They’re starting to fade,” he said.
Mr Radford said some of the older poppies had lost their bright red colour and now looked orange, prompting the push for replacements ahead of this year’s commemorations and future displays.
He hopes local knitters and crocheters can make between 30 and 40 new poppies, although any contribution will be welcome.
“If I could get 30 to 40 new poppies, it’d be wonderful,” he said.
He said the group would still accept donated poppies after Anzac Day, with extras to be used again for Remembrance Day in November and future commemorations.
“We’ll still accept them, and they’ll go up for Remembrance Day in November,” he said.
People can drop off completed poppies at the Horsham RSL reception desk by Thursday, April 23.
While organisers have patterns available, Mr Radford said people do not have to follow them exactly.
“If anyone makes a poppy, just their own way, we will use it if we can,” he said.
Mr Radford clarified that the knitted poppies are used specifically for the bridge display, while other commemorative tributes, including crosses and paper poppies, will continue to feature at Anzac Day services.
Anyone with knitting or crocheting skills who would like to help can leave their completed poppies at the Horsham RSL.
