MORE than 100 people paid tribute to Victoria’s bushfire victims at a memorial service in Bunyip on Sunday.
Father Jeff Richardson led proceedings at St Thomas’s Anglican Church which also acknowledged the work of local emergency services.
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson was one of those to pay tribute to the region’s firefighters.
“The men and women who make up the CFA are our heroes who put their lives at risk to protect us all,” he said.
“Look into the eyes of our firefighters, they are bright with hope. Only the lines around their faces portray the tiredness they feel.
“The trauma that is felt by firefighters, police, other services and our elderly residents, many of whom live alone, adds to our grief.”
A crowd of about 100 also attended a memorial service at the Cardinia Cultural Centre on Sunday, where the National Day of Mourning Memorial Service was beamed in from Rod Laver Arena.