Australia Day 2024 was celebrated in Narrabri Shire on Friday with recognition for the community’s achievers and an official welcome to eight new Australian citizens.
Celebrations were held in Narrabri, Wee Waa and Boggabri to mark the national day. Narrabri Shire’s Australia Day ambassador Clyde Campbell AM was an inspiring guest speaker at each event, delivering to his audiences a message of optimism and resilience. The theme of Australia Day 2024 was a celebration of the nation’s diversity, inclusiveness and a shared, prosperous future.
Mayor Darrell Tiemens welcomed the community to the shire events.
The day began with a breakfast and activities at Wee Waa’s Namoi Echo Museum followed by the main awards and citizenship ceremony at the Narrabri Aquatic Centre and lunch and afternoon activities at Boggabri pool.
In Narrabri, ceremony MC Jesse Weekes announced Joan Griffiths as the shire’s Citizen of the Year, an acknowledgement of Mrs Griffiths’ contributions across many facets of community life over many years.
Other awardees who were recognised and applauded for their contributions and achievements were Sophie Hartnett (Young Citizen of the Year), Wee Waa & District Historical Society (Community Group Service Award), Lennon Simmonds (Junior Sportsman of the Year), Emily Simpson (Junior Sportswoman of the Year), Jason Anderson (Senior Sportsperson of the Year), Scott Pollock (Community Arts and Cultural Development Award) and Kathryn Hamilton (Environmental Award).
Narrabri Shire mayor Darrell Tiemens conducted the formal citizenship ceremony, welcoming the audience and emphasised the importance of the day, to applaud the essence of Australia, ‘boundless beauty and national resilience and to celebrate Australia’s multiculturalism’.
“Our diversity makes us strong,” the mayor said.
Eight new citizens were officially welcomed into the Australian family.
Ambassador Clyde Campbell AM spoke of his three priorities in life – ‘‘family and friends, his business, robotics, and his determination to support the search for a cure for Parkinson’s disease.”
Mr Campbell grew up in a country town and after a trade apprenticeship developed his training into what is now a global robotics company working on multi-million dollar projects.
His crusade for a cure for Parkinson’s began when he was diagnosed at the age of 44.
He had noticed tremors in his hands and sought a doctor’s advice who referred him to a neurologist.
“I decided to help search for a cure,” Mr Campbell said.
Mr Campbell said he focused on resilience in his attitude and activities in life.
“I look for the positives.”
He founded the Shake it Up Foundation to support the work for a cure.
Subsequently on a business trip to the US, Mr Campbell formed a partnership with the Michael J Fox Foundation with the common goal of determination to find the cure for Parkinson’s which affects some 100,000 Australians.
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