ANZAC Day preparations are under way around the Mackay district.

South of the city, a new war memorabilia display at Sarina RSL Club has been launched and at Calen the annual Anzac Day clean-up has taken place to ensure the hall is in top condition.

The Sarina RSL Club has been preparing a memorabilia room with a war-related display at the RSL club in time for Anzac Day after receiving a grant from the Department of Veteran Affairs and donations from the Sarina Platoon Reunion Club and the Sarina Scope Club.

One of the co-ordinators of the memorabilia Room, Sharon Price, said the development of the memorabilia display was well-timed in relation to this year's Anzac Day.

“The community will be able to come and see the display for the first time on Anzac Day. We've focused the memorabilia so far on the Cenotaph. We are trying to follow up the families of those whose names are on the memorial. We are hoping to research everybody who has served from Sarina and the surrounding areas so we will have their history on record for future generations,” she said.

The Sarina RSL Club is asking for help from community members who have information or photos relating to servicemen or women.

Meanwhile, Calen benefited from a visit by Greg Sutherland and other Rotary Club of Mackay members who helped clean the Memorial Hall, where an Anzac Day ceremony is held every year.

Mr Sutherland said it was an Anzac Day tradition for elderly residents of the Calen district to make sure the hall was in top condition for former servicemen and women, their families and the community. But with volunteers ageing the cleaning had become difficult.

Rotary Club of Mackay president Frank Gilbert said, “Anzac Day is so special and if you look around that hall you see the sacrifices members of this community made for our country”.

One elderly resident said the Rotarians did such a good cleaning job that the hall looked like it had been repainted.

(Don't miss the Daily Mercury's 24-page Anzac Day feature, which will appear on Friday.)