Marj Morgan and Glenys Danahay enjoy the shade of the gum trees at John Pilley Reserve for Kyabram’s annual Australia Day celebration.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
In the early morning sunshine on Monday, January 26, the Kyabram community gathered under the gum trees at John Pilley Reserve for a celebration of Australia.
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More than 100 people made their way to the reserve at 8am for a classic Australian hot breakfast of sizzling sausages, crispy bacon and fresh eggs, accompanied by steaming cups of Milo.
The event was organised by Kyabram Rotary, which worked alongside the Kyabram 1st Scouts and Youth Reference Group members to serve breakfast to the eager crowd.
Rotary’s Steph Dean hosted the morning’s formal proceedings with assistance from her two-year-old daughter, Amelia, who charmed the crowd as she wandered and danced across the stage.
Ms Dean introduced the guest speaker for the morning, past Young Citizen of the Year Jack Norris, who spoke about what it meant to be an Australian.
“Australia Day isn't just about a single moment in history, a single viewpoint or a single experience — it’s about who we are today and who we choose to be tomorrow,” he said.
“Of course, it is a day to pause and a day to reflect, but most importantly it is a day to celebrate what it truly means to be in Australia.”
The ceremony's highlights were the presentation of three community awards: Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Group of the Year.
First presented was the Community Group of the Year award, which went to the Kyabram Historical Society for its dedication to preserving the town’s rich heritage.
The Young Citizen of the Year award was presented to 20-year-old youth advocate Simon Evans, recognising his exceptional commitment to volunteer service throughout the year.
Finally, the prestigious Kyabram Citizen of the Year award was presented to Margaret Wilson, honouring her decades of quiet yet profound volunteer contributions across numerous local organisations.
Journalist Jemma Jones was at the event on Monday morning, capturing all the Australia Day fun.
Gwen and Graeme James fly the flag.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Guest speaker Jack Norris with Steph Dean, holding daughter Amelia, 2.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Young Citizen of the Year Simon Evans with Rotary Kyabram co-president Dom Dean.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Sheryle Dickson, Kathy Lapworth and Robyn Campbell show Australia Day spirit.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Young Citizen of the Year Simon Evans with Kyabram P-12 College chaplain Liz Spicer.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Rotary Kyabram co-president Dom Dean with Citizen of the Year Margaret Wilson.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Kyabram Rotary and Kyabram 1st Scouts were busy serving up breakfast on Australia Day.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Campaspe Shire councillors John Zobec and Luke Sharrock with Renee Pichler.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Kyabram 1st Scouts raised the flag at the ceremony.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Kyabram Rotary co-president Dom Dean with Community Group of the Year representative Clive Toms from the Kyabram Historical Society.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Guest speaker Jack Norris speaks about what it means to be an Australian.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Australian flags were a popular accessory for the celebration.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Amelia Dean, 2, stole the show.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Glenys and Rob Blamey enjoy their breakfast.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
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