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Australia Day conundrum – Shire to gauge sentiment

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Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin

The Shire of Denmark will gauge community sentiment this year about its support of future Australia Day and other major celebrations.

Despite advertising twice last year for a group to run Australia Day celebrations in Denmark none was forthcoming.

In the 2024-2025 budget the Shire earmarked $12,000 for an Australia Day event, which from 1983-2019 had been held in Berridge Park.

This event included Australia Day Active Citizens Awards announcements including four citizen of the year categories and three sports citizens of the year categories.

These awards were moved to a presentation during Volunteer Week in May.

But on January 26 the Shire will support two community events on Australia Day: a Peaceful Bay RSL-run sausage sizzle and a picnic and live music at Pepper and Salt Restaurant.

On January 26, 1788 the First Fleet arrived from England at Sydney Cove and because of the ensuing historical events is considered ‘Invasion Day’ for First Nations people.

Shire president Kingsley Gibson said a bigger conversation would be held with the community about Australia Day and other major celebrations.

Recent Citizens of the Year had indicated that they would have felt uncomfortable or would not have been prepared to accept an award on January 26.

Councillor Gibson said many people felt strongly in favour of retaining the former January 26 Breakfast in the Park format where councillors and Shire staff ran the event, and cooked and served the food.

But some staff, after a long time, up to 10-15 years, felt they wanted a change because the tradition locked them into working unpaid on the public holiday.

This had prompted the Shire to seek groups from the community to run the event.

Cr Gibson said many other people also favoured a change of date for the Australia Day celebration but some thought that the date should remain not as a celebration but a reflection of the good and bad of a shared history.

“There is no obvious unanimity,” Cr Gibson said.

COVID had disrupted the annual Breakfast in the Park event with the last being held in 2019.

Cr Gibson said in his personal opinion he wanted Citizens of the Year to be honoured at a more significant event than the previous Volunteer Week celebrations.

“They deserve a more significant ceremony and a greater deal of recognition,” he said.

The Breakfast in the Park was presented in a pleasant riverside, park ambience in warm weather attracting thousands of people.

Another popular event was the Easter markets, also in Berridge Park, usually falling during the last of the warm weather.

Cr Gibson said the Christmas Festival was a ‘no brainer’ as a successful event, held at the beginning of summer and before the peak tourist season.

Denmark Bulletin 23 January 2025

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 23 January 2024.

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