Domestic DIY display shows honour and respect

By Bree Harding

Apr 27, 2025

Shepparton residents Jac and Shane Bilney have put an Anzac display in the front yard of their Kennedy Rd property every Anzac Day and Remembrance Day for the past five or six years. Photo by Bree Harding

Anyone who’s driven down Shepparton’s Kennedy Rd in December would probably be familiar with the Bilney family’s annual festive display, featuring characters carefully cut and painted to mark the occasion of Christmas.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Around six years ago, Shane Bilney, their creator, crafted some characters of a different kind for display on more sombre occasions twice a year.

Two soldier silhouettes staked into the home’s front yard stand guard on either side of a large red poppy, guarded by an Australian flag to the left and a New Zealand flag to the right.

The family has a rich defence force history, with both husband Shane’s and wife Jac’s grandparents serving in the army.

Jac’s brother and a couple of cousins have served, or are still serving.

The couple also has many friends in the Army Reserve.

“We do this to show our honour and respect,” Jac said.

Jac and Shane Bilney light up their Anzac display in Kennedy Rd, Shepparton, when night falls, and from 5.30am each day around Anzac Day and Remembrance Day each year.

The Bilneys get lots of positive feedback from friends on social media about their displays, with many strangers also stopping to chat about them when they pass by.

They put the Anzac display up shortly before Anzac Day and Remembrance Day each year.