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The Tweed community will reflect, respect and celebrate what it means to be part of the unfolding national story on Australia Day next week.
The Tweed Shire Australia Day Awards, set to be held in Murwillumbah on Thursday 26 January, will recognise outstanding achievements by members of the community.
This will be followed by a citizenship ceremony which will see 35 residents from 17 countries – from as far afield as Finland, India and Brazil – become Australian citizens.
As in previous years, this is an invitation-only event for recipients and their families. A number of public community events are also being held across the Tweed, at Tumbulgum and Tyalgum.
The ambassador at this year’s Tweed Shire Australia Day official ceremony will be State Emergency Services (SES) volunteer Grant ‘Jack’ Frost.
Mr Frost was the winner of the Volunteer of the Year – Individual Award at the 2022 ceremony.
Jack spent more than 4 decades in the aviation arena, first in the Royal Australian Air Force and then as an international commercial pilot. Now retired, he spends a significant portion of his spare time as a NSW SES volunteer.
Jack has been a member of the SES since 2014 and before that a volunteer member of the Kingscliff Coast Guard.
As the Unit Commander of SES Murwillumbah, Jack is involved with the leadership, training, preparedness and operational capability of the local SES unit and its volunteers.
Last year’s Tweed Shire Citizen of the Year Amanda Philp will visit a local Australia Day community event at Tumbulgum. She is an Australian Seabird Rescue volunteer and Marine Science graduate.
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said Australia Day 2023 would provide an important opportunity for the Tweed community to reflect on the challenges of the past year, particularly the unprecedented flooding of February-March 2022.
“It’s a time to come together to reflect on what a supportive and vibrant community we have here in the Tweed and to celebrate the incredible achievements of members of our community,” Cr Cherry said.
“We reflect on our nation’s past, which began more than 65,000 years ago and the impact of European settlement on the First Australians, the world’s oldest continual culture.
“Australia Day is also an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity and rich migrant heritage which is very much part of our unique Australian identity, and we look forward to welcoming 37 new citizens in the Tweed.”
Winners of the Tweed Shire Australia Day Awards will also be announced at the ceremony. The categories are:
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Citizen of the Year
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Community Event of the Year
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Art and Culture
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Sport Achievement (Individual and Group)
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Volunteer of the Year – (Individual and Group)
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Young Achiever of the Year
Council-sponsored events at Tumbulgum and Tyalgum will feature community awards and family-friendly activities.
The Tumbulgum festivities begin at 8am in the Rangers Sports Club with a traditional Aussie barbecue breakfast, followed by music, local awards and children’s craft sessions. Finish the morning cheering along players in the village’s traditional cricket match - Village People v. North Tumbulgum Cavaliers.
At Tyalgum, Australia Day activities begin at 9.30 am at the Tyalgum Community Hall with a flag raising and Acknowledgement of Country, followed by a decorated bike parade and community awards at 10 am. Visit What’s on Tweed for details of community events.
To give something back to the community, Council is also offering FREE access to the Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre’s Murwillumbah pool, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Check in at reception. No tickets required for the afternoon session. Come and enjoy Australia Day with us!
For more information on Australia Day in the Tweed, visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/AustraliaDay.
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