Australia Day revellers in the Great Lakes stayed away from formal celebrations, opting instead to take advantage of the last weekend of the school holidays and the almost perfect summer weather the sun, surf and lake-side barbecues.
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While in previous years the Club Forster auditorium was overflowing, and standing room only was the norm, there were plenty of vacant seats and left-over morning tea during today’s hour-long ceremony.
However, mayor David West was unfazed, instead once again calling Forster the jewel in the crown and admiring the hundreds of Australian and boxing kangaroo flags he sited – and the pristine Wallis Lake – as he crossed the Forster-Tuncurry bridge to the MidCoast Council event.
“What a great place to celebrate Australia Day,” he said.
A proud local, Cr West described NSW as the best state to live in Australia.
One of the great delights for me is to acknowledge the committees and our great citizens, and perform the citizenship ceremony.
Twelve new Australians took the pledge before they were joined by the gathering for a public affirmation ceremony and the Australian anthem.
MidCoast Council was represented by councillors Jan McWilliams, Karen Hutchinson and Troy Fowler, general manager, Adrian Panuccio along with local State MP Stephen Bromhead,
Australia Day ambassador, Kylie Hilder shared her sporting achievements and continued to marvel she was able to carve out a career while continuing to live in Taree and then Forster.
Sport is the lifeblood of our communities; sport plays an important role in our communities raising money for local charities and bringing communities together, she said.
Peter Craig was named Citizen of the Year.
Mr Craig, who arrived and settled in Forster from Wagga Wagga on Australia Day 47 years ago, was a former APEX member, a long term Glaica House committee member, a volunteer with the one-time Forster IronMan and part of the management committee at Cape Hawke Hospital.
He also has been logistics director for Relay For Life, tutored for Adult Education, and volunteers for the Tuncurry Hall Committee.
While he was humbled, delighted and surprised at the one time, he also said there were other, more worthy members of the community who deserved the accolade.
Mr Craig said he was disappointed there weren’t more nominations for the prestigious award.
Accomplished young footballer Riley Van Haren was named Sportsperson of the Year, while the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Motor Club won the Activity of the Year for its Motorfest event.
Thirteen-year-old Riley is keen to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
He plays representative football for Mid North Coast, an area stretching from Forster to Kempsey.
Riley was pretty chuffed the award was presented by his one-time touch football coach, Kylie Hilder.
Jeanene Duncan
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
