Australia Day 2021 HomeLiving HereAustralia Day 2021 Join your neighbours and other residents of the Western Downs in celebrating our fantastic country on Australia Day, Tuesday 26 January 2021. All across our region you can find events, activities and celebrations which aim to recognise, celebrate and reflect on our great achievements and reconnect with what it means to be Australian. See a full list of regional events taking place on Australia Day 2021 below: REGIONAL EVENTS BELL Bell Bunya Community Centre Australia Day Breakfast: From 7.30am Live Music: From 7.30am Awards Ceremony: From 8.30am Breakfast and Live Music Australia Day Ambassador Jerry Coleby-Williams Jerry Coleby-Williams is an internationally experienced horticultural botanist, a conservationist, a writer and Director of the Seed Savers’ Network Inc. His career has varied from managing the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, to creating ‘Bellis’, a unique, affordable, sustainable house and garden in subtropical Brisbane, by retrofitting a century-old Queenslander house. CHINCHILLA Chinchilla Museum & Botanic Parkland Australia Day Breakfast: From 7am Awards Ceremony: From 8am Picnic in the Park: From 9am Army Obstacle | Brigalow Bush Carnival Novelty Games | Sack Races | Three Legged Races | Egg and Spoon Races | Balloon Twister | Face Painting | Museum Train | Local Entertainers; Nathan Pfeffer, The Elrons, Lewis Cooper Chinchilla Botanic Parklands Water Park Australia Day Ambassador Lakeisha Patterson OAM Lakeisha Patterson OAM, otherwise known as Lucky, has become Queensland’s very own golden girl. Lakeisha started swimming at the age of five as a form of hydrotherapy to help ease her muscle stiffness from Cerebral Palsy left Hemiplegia. After falling in love with the water and discovering para-swimming, she started competing nationally at 13. Lakeisha has since gone on to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, taking away gold medals at both events. An Ambassador for Aspirations for Kids in Sport, Epilepsy Queensland and an Order of Australia Medal recipient, when she isn’t swimming, Lakeisha studies at university, volunteers within the community, speaks at numerous events, and raises education and awareness about inclusion, diversity and resilience. DALBY Thomas Jack Park Australia Day Breakfast: From 8am Family Fun & Markets: From 9am Citizenship Ceremony: From 9.30am Awards Ceremony: From 10.30am Face Painting | Laser Skirmish | Rock Climbing Wall | Ghostly Games Game Trailer | Inflatable Obstacle Course | Jumping Castle | The Mighty Bean Coffee Van Australia Day Ambassador Jerry Coleby-Williams Jerry Coleby-Williams is an internationally experienced horticultural botanist, a conservationist, a writer and Director of the Seed Savers’ Network Inc. His career has varied from managing the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, to creating ‘Bellis’, a unique, affordable, sustainable house and garden in subtropical Brisbane, by retrofitting a century-old Queenslander house. MILES Miles Golf Club Australia Day Breakfast: From 7.30am Awards Ceremony: From 8.30am Family Fun Activities: From 8.30am Community Stalls | QCWA Cake Stall | Putt Putt Golf and Longest Drive Competition | Giant Games | Ludwig & Will Specialty Coffee Van | Archery Attack | Visit from the Giant Kookaburra | The Chinchilla Concert Band Australia Day Ambassador Emeritus Professor Ken Donald AO Emeritus Professor Ken Donald AO has had a long career in medicine and medical education. As an academic he has published extensively in peer reviewed journals and textbooks. He has held numerous senior positions including Head of the School of Medicine at The University of Queensland, Director of Pathology Royal Brisbane Hospital, Deputy Director-General of Queensland Health, General Manager John Hunter Hospital, and Director of Medical Services Royal Darwin Hospital. Ken’s loyalty and commitment to the health of Queenslanders is unrivalled. He was honoured as a Queensland Great in 2012 and awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia for contributions to medicine, education and veterans’ health. THE GUMS The Gums Sports Club Awards Ceremony: From 11.30am BBQ Lunch: From 12pm Family Fun Activities: From 1pm Family Fun Cricket | Long Drive and Nearest to the Pin Competition | Face Painter and Balloons | Animal Farm and Pony Rides | Large Inflatables | Vertical Rush Obstacle Course | Backyard Surfer Waterslide | Jumping Castle | Cash Bar Australia Day Ambassadors Dr Dimity Dornan AO Dr Dimity Dornan AO is an entrepreneur, bionics advocate, speech pathologist, researcher, Founder and Chair of Bionics Queensland, member of The University of Queensland Senate, a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and Fellow of the Queensland College of Arts and Sciences. In 1992 she established Hear and Say as a leading not-for-profit for deaf children learning to listen and speak, particularly with surgically implantable hearing technology like the bionic ear. Dimity is aiming to bring outcomes similar to those legendary ones possible for many people who use the bionic ear to other new spin-off devices (e.g. bionic eye, deep brain stimulation, bionic organs and limbs etc.). Dr Peter Dornan AM Peter Dornan AM has for more than 50 years been a physiotherapist in the fields of sporting injuries and manipulative therapy, working with many international sporting teams, including the Queensland rugby union team, the Wallabies and the Kangaroos. He has also been an Olympic Games Advisor and Commonwealth Games physiotherapist. He is Co-Founder of the Queensland Branch of Sports Medicine Australia, and as a Fellow of Sports Medicine he has written two successful books on sporting injuries, as well as designing and marketing a video exercise program. For his achievements in sport, he was awarded the Commemorative 2000 Australian Sports Medal. In 2002 Peter was appointed as a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM), and was honoured as the 2020 Queensland Senior Australian of the Year. WANDOAN Juandah Heritage Site Australia Day Breakfast: From 7am Awards Ceremony: From 8am Country Music: From 8.30am Free Breakfast and Cake | Local Country Music entertainer Merv Bischoff Australia Day Ambassador Emeritus Professor Roland (Roly) Sussex Emeritus Professor Roland (Roly) Sussex OAM is a specialist in language, communication and culture, and health communication. His current research is focused on language, culture and society, technology and, more recently, pain and health. His talkback radio program, A Word in Your Ear has been broadcast every week on ABC Radio Queensland since 1997, and for the last 17 years to South Australia. AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS 2021 The Western Downs Regional Council Australia Day Awards are presented annually and recognise those outstanding persons or groups who make a real contribution and difference to the communities of the Western Downs. These prestigious awards are one of the highest honours a Council can bestow to publicly acknowledge those in the community who are making an outstanding contribution. Find out more about this year’s Australia Day Awards.