The sign held an image of her cousin, a woman in an elegant white dress, and Deidre said the march was significant.

“Because of my cousin, Linda Locke, who was the 34th woman murdered this year from domestic violence,” she said.

“And it means an awful lot,” and her eyes welled with tears.

Deidre is a survivor of domestic violence, as was her friend Kym Newton standing beside her.

“I’ve been thorough domestic violence, and it has to stop, there has to be something done, and I’m standing for other women that have been through it as well, and survived,” Kym said.

“I’m a survivor.”

Before the 10am start time, more and more people joined the margins of the crowd and mingled with the students, women, infants and babies.

Several people in the growing crowd of about 200 were also survivors of violence.

Others were White Ribbon ambassadors; men who took the oath to speak up and out about violence within their community.

KC Edmonds, Dean Davis and Bailey Cosgrove of Inverell High School’s Clontarf Academy carried the 15-foot White Ribbon created by White Ribbon ambassador Graham Kerridge who was staggered by the response to the march.

“Beyond our wildest dreams,” he said.

The CWA, Inverell Mower Racing Club, Anaiwan Local Aboriginal Land Council, Armajun Aboriginal Health Service, Rural Outreach and Support Service, Inverell High School students and well over 100 community members took part in the march that stretched a full block long.

The route was lengthened this year, starting at Inverell’s Tatts Hotel turning around at Inverell Council and ending at the Union Bar.

A minute of silence was held there for all victims of violence, and a special mention was made of Inverell’s Simone Mottram, who lost her life in a domestic incident in October.

Afterward, Graham, ambassadors Ken Williams and Peter Caddey took the stage with Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, Vicki Higgins and Pam McLeay of the CWA.

Peter said he had no reservations about speaking out as a White Ribbon ambassador.

“It’s not a subject people want to talk about, and that’s why it isn’t out in the public as much as we’d like it to be, because people want to sweep it under the rug,” he said.

“But we need to talk about it, because if there’s not talk, there’s not going to be any action.”

Union Bar owner Joel McNamara sacrificed his well-tended beard to raise money for White Ribbon.

Several people pooled $105 to make the first snip, and Inverell Anti-violence committee member Sally Sweeney stepped up to do the honours.

Committee member and child protection worker Michelle Williams was grinning with the event’s support, and said people had donated $2394.84 toward the work of White Ribbon.

To see a full gallery of the Inverell Anti-Violence March, click here.