Community focus for Australia Day
Communities across Baw Baw Shire will stage functions to mark Australia Day tomorrow.
For Australia Day this year, the community is encouraged to “Reflect, Respect and Celebrate” our nation and our people.
A formal citizenship ceremony will be a feature at Warragul where activities starting at 10.30am will centre on the West Gippsland Arts Centre and park surrounds.
The shire’s Australia Day awards – citizen, young citizen and community organisation of the year – will be announced, the Warragul Lions Club will provide a free barbecue and there’ll be family friendly activities.
Civic Park in Drouin will come alive from 8am until noon with a “Party in the Park” organised by Drouin Rotary Club.
Rotarians will provide free bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast, the local CWA branch is providing tea, coffee and morning teas and Drouin’s Lions and Apexians will be handing out giveaways to children.
Drouin Secondary College and The Stump Jump Band will provide musical entertainment and there’ll be plenty for children to do, including visiting the animal zoo.
Trafalgar Community Development Association, Lions club and public hall committee have joined to mark the day at the hall from 8am with a free breakfast and announcement of the town’s citizen and young citizen of the year.
Neerim district’s celebrations will be based at the Tarago Reservoir Park where as well as a free family barbecue and soft drinks there’ll be activities to provide plenty of fun for kids of all ages. Starting time is 5pm.
At the Market Street Park in Yarragon there’ll be a flag raising ceremony, free breakfast, local musicians, guest speaker and the Australian traditional thong throwing contest kicking off at 8.30am.
Other Australia Day events in the shire include: Cloverlea/Darnum: free barbecue at the Darnum Tree Stump from midday.
Hill End: flag raising, barbecue and trivia quiz at the community centre from 6 pm
Jindivick: flag raising and family barbecue starting at 6pm at the Kydd-Parke Reserve.
Labertouche: family cricket match followed by free barbecue and drinks for sale at the community centre from 4.30pm
Longwarry: 11am flag raising ceremony, barbecue and activities.
Narracan: 7pm kick-off with a free barbecue, soft drinks and sweets at the Narracan hall.
Rawson: The Erica and District Historical Society is hosting celebrations at Pinnacle Drive in Rawson between 10am and 2pm including a free lunch and icy poles and some bric-a-brac bargains.
Shady Creek: a free barbecue lunch and sweets and a chance to catch up with neighbours at the local hall starting at noon.
Tetoora Road: the community centre will be the venue from 4pm for a flag raising, barbecue and ice creams in the paddock area. As well as friendly games for children and adults there will be backyard cricket on the tennis court and soccer in the paddock and a historical display in the hall.
The Hill End and Aberfeldy communities jumped the gun, holding their celebrations on Saturday.
At Erica activities at the caravan park were highlighted by a fund-raising cricket match for the CFA brigade, a sausage sizzle provided by the Lions club and with drinks and coffee and baked spud vans to keep people nourished.
The Aberfeldy community marked the day with a free barbecue lunch and flag raising ceremony.