The flame had been a focus of the Bathurst region's war commemorations for more than 50 years, acknowledged as a powerful symbol of the lives lost in conflict.

The Eternal Flame sent the message that the sacrifice of the fallen had not been forgotten, that their service and courage would live on in our memories.

But the gas-fired flame had not been without its problems.

For one, it was not eternal. The flame had often been extinguished over the years, usually as a result of a draught entering the vestibule at the base of the Carillon.

Worse, though, had been the sticky black soot the flame has emitted over the years, creating a film across the walls and also the Carillon bells that have been installed above it. Keeping the soot down was an almost impossible job, regardless of how much cleaning time is committed to it.

And with an upgrade of the Carillon under way to finally make it a fully operational musical instrument, the gas-fired flame simply had to go. The only question was, what should replace it?

At first a proposal to install a hologram flame was considered but that was replaced by the concept of a modern bronze sculpture to be illuminated by LED lighting.

It did not appeal to everyone, with some labelling it disrespectful to the fallen. Some did not want change at all, preferring that the Eternal Flame remain as it was.

But surely any criticism was silenced the moment the new "flame" was first illuminated as part of Bathurst's Dawn Service on Thursday.

It is a beautiful monument, a poignant monument and a fitting monument.

It is a modern monument that honours the past. And it is a monument that will, in time, become an integral part of all our city's remembrance services.

And, just like the flame it replaces, the new monument will be an enduring symbol of their sacrifice and our thanks.

Symbols carry the messages that we, as a community, give them.

Through services such as Thursday's, we can give symbols meaning.

The commissioning of Bathurst's new Eternal Flame signalled the start of a new tradition for our community, and the continuation of more than a century of solemn remembrance. Lest we forget.