Australia Day ceremonies honour our best and brightest

Bourke, Brewarrina, Lightning Ridge, and Walgett communities turned out to honour their best and brightest on Australia Day last Thursday and to celebrate what is means to be Australian.

The Australia Day awards in each community proved one thing – there are outstanding people among us who give more than they take and make our towns better places in which to live.

Each Australia Day ceremony was well-attended, with the Mayors of Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett thanking their communities for rallying during recent hard times, reaching out to help their neighbours, volunteering and for giving their best in sport.

Bourke Mayor, Barry Hollman welcomed all those who gathered at Bourke’s War Memorial Swimming Pool and made special mention of the depth of community spirit in Bourke.

Councillor Hollman said Australia Day was an opportunity to celebrate a proud, ancient, multicultural nation built on shared values, freedom, and opportunity.

He thanked Australia Day Ambassador Robina Beard who travelled to Bourke for the ceremony.

“We are all part of the story of Australia – from those whose ancestors walked on Country for tens of thousands of years to the newest Australian citizens, which includes two people naturalised in Bourke on this Australia Day,” Clr Hollman said.

“We live in a beautiful country that presents harsh challenges. We know that in Bourke. We have previously battled extended periods of debilitating drought and more recently experienced near record levels of flooding. As a community, Bourke is very resilient”.

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