Crowds at Cook Park weighed-in on how to make Australia Day great again

CWD asked attendees what they loved about Australia and celebrating it with a barbecue.

Name: Wayne Lavelle

Job: Retired Telstra project manager, now taking care of a few sheep on a Molong Creek property.

What makes an Aussie? Mateship. Friendship. A welcoming personality and the ability to be able to help when a fellow Australians isn’t as well as off.

How do we keep Australia great? We need to be all inclusive. It means we need to show respect and understand everyone’s point of view. When that’s achieved we can all be working towards the great country we are.

What’s the best way to celebrate? The whole idea of being Australian is to do what you want to do with the people you love – that might mean a barbecue, a game of golf – whatever it means is how you should celebrate.

Names: Rod and Jenny Maxey

Jobs: Retired farmer and teacher.

Do you think it’s important to celebrate Australia Day? Mr Maxey: Yep. It’s a celebration of who we are, what we are and who we stand for. Mrs Maxey: A celebration of Australia in some form or another is necessary – it’s a nice chance to celebrate the country we call home and the people we are.

Have you spent any time overseas? Mrs Maxey: Yes. Everytime we come home we think ‘what a great place this is – we are just so lucky.’

Who do you think should’ve won Australian of the year? Mr Maxey: Kurt Fearnley

Name: Angela Reynolds

Job: Hospital admin

Do you celebrate each year? I must say the last few Australia Days I have felt a little bit confused about celebrating. There’s a lot of uproar about the date and I’ve sort of changed my attitude. I think if it was going to help with reconciliation I’d be for moving it. It would be horrible to lose the celebration of the day though.

What do you think is important to celebrate? What a great country we have and how lucky we are to live in a democratic nation. When you think about how the early settlers forged the country with nothing and built it up to what it is today – we’re clever! They must’ve done it so tough but they did it.

What’s the most Australian way to celebrate? Just get out there. Everyone likes a drink and it’s fun to get out and have a good time. Not like the young Australian bogan types – but a barbie with friends.