ORANGE City Council Orange Australia Day community committee chair Helen Corby believes Sunday week’s Australia Day celebrations at Cook Park will be “bigger and better” than ever.
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Expressing delight in the national theme for the day ‘Thank you Australia: let’s say thanks for our way of life’, Mrs Corby said she had been blown away by the achievements of some of this year’s Australia Day award nominees.
“Every year I’m blown away by what the people of Orange do, and often nobody knows about it,” Mrs Corby said, with the official award ceremonies beginning at 10.45am at Cook Park on Sunday, January 26.
Citizen, junior citizen, community group and community event of the year winners will be honoured on the day, one of the highlights of the city’s Australia Day festivities according to Mrs Corby.
“I know some of the nominees, and I didn’t know they were involved in all of this work,” she continued.
“Every year it’s just getting bigger and better.”
The Australia Day festivities begin at 7.30am at Cook Park, with a plethora of entertainment set to perform in front of a healthy crowd.
Mrs Corby said the chance to celebrate our great country was also reason enough to be present at Cook Park on Australia Day.
“I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate such a great country, say thank-you for our way of life and for people to come together,” Mrs Corby said.
“It’s also a great day for the new citizens.
“We have so many volunteers in Orange, it’s fantastic to honour them for their dedication.”
And the nominees are ...
Citizen of the year:
Lynette Bullen
Wanda Driscoll
Leanne Dubbelde
Cathy Goodlock
Dr David Howe
Denis Mullen
John Sinclair
Lloyd Stevens
Dianne Aitken
Fiona Rossiter
Christine Thompson
Junior citizen of the year:
Elizabeth Clarke
Lauren Crean
Ailish Seedsman
Alanah Seedsman
Anthony Wilson
Deepthi Swaroobini Selvam
Community group of the year:
Orange and District Early Education Program Inc.
Holy Trinity Orange Pealers
The students of Kinross Wolaroi School
Foodcare Orange
Community event of the year:
Camp Quality
NAIDOC Week
Orange and District Historical Society
Day's program:
7.30am: City of Orange Brass Band and breakfast.
8.30am: Canobolas Highland Pipe Band.
9.15am: Official ceremony begins - Welcome to country, flag-raising ceremony (Andrew Gee), mayor’s speech John Davis, Australian national anthem by the Orange Male Voice Choir, welcome to ambassador Jacinta Tynan.
10.15am: Citizenship ceremony.
10.45am: Australia Day awards.