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Celebrate Baw Baw Shire Australia Day with free, family-friendly community events across Baw Baw Shire on 26 January 2025

Join Baw Baw Shire's free, family-friendly Australia Day celebrations across multiple locations on January 26, including a citizenship ceremony, awards, and live entertainment. Full event details available on council's website.

By news@gippsland - 16th January 2025 - Back to News

Everyone is invited to join in the many free and family-friendly celebrations taking place across Baw Baw Shire this Australia Day. Mayor Cr Danny Goss said Australia Day was a day to reflect and celebrate. "From Aberfeldy to Tetoora Road, there are so many community events being held where our community can gather to celebrate," he said.

Join Mayor Cr Danny Goss for the citizenship ceremony and Australia Day celebrations in Warragul, featuring music, games, BBQ, and entertainment on 26 January 2025

Local community celebrations

Mayor Cr Danny Goss also said, "We celebrate the day and embrace it. It is a time to reflect on what a great Country we live in and our community supports the day in big numbers. We thank the many local community groups and volunteers who put in tireless amounts of work to deliver these events for the community to enjoy."

Free and family-friendly community celebrations will be held on Sunday 26 January at the following locations:

• Aberfeldy: 12.00pm - 4.00pm at Clarke's Flat Cabins Campground
• Cloverlea/Darnum: 12.00pm onwards at the Darnum Stump Tea Rooms
• Drouin: 1.00pm - 3.00pm at Drouin Civic Park
• Erica: 12.00pm onwards at the Erica Pavilion, opposite the Erica Hotel
• Hill End: 6.00pm onwards at the Hill End Community Centre
• Jindivick: 6.00pm onwards at the Jindivick Hall
• Labertouche: 8.00am - 10.00am for breakfast and 4.30pm onwards at the Labertouche Community Centre
• Longwarry: 11.00am onwards at Bennett Street Park
• Narracan: 7.00pm onwards at the Narracan Hall
• Neerim South: 4.30pm onwards at the Craig Watts Skate Park
• Shady Creek: 12.00pm onwards at the Shady Creek Hall
• Tanjil South: 12.00pm onwards at the Tanjil South Hall
• Tetoora Road: 4.00pm - 7.00pm at the Tetoora Road Community Centre
• Trafalgar: 8.30am onwards at the Trafalgar Public Hall
• Warragul: 11.30am - 2.00pm at the West Gippsland Arts Centre Forecourt (with a 12.15pm flag raising ceremony)
• Yarragon: 8.30am onwards at Market Street Park

For full details on each community celebration, go to the Australia Day Community Events page on council's website.

Citizenship ceremony

Hosted by Mayor Cr Danny Goss, join in a ceremony to formally welcome our newest local Australians as they take the citizenship pledge and receive their official Certificate of Australian Citizenship.

• When: 11:00am - 12:15pm on Sunday 26 January
• Where: Fountain Room, West Gippsland Arts Centre

An Australia Day celebration in Warragul will then commence from 11.30am, at the West Gippsland Arts Centre forecourt. Enjoy live music, face painting, lawn games, and a free community BBQ hosted by the Warragul Lions Club. The flag-raising ceremony will take place at 12:15pm, followed by free family-friendly entertainment and activities.

Australia Day awards

• When: 6.00pm on Wednesday 22 January
• Where: Fountain Room, West Gippsland Arts Centre

The annual awards honour and acknowledge the local legends who have made outstanding contributions to Baw Baw's community life in areas such as arts and culture, sport and recreation, business, the environment or any other area that contributes to the wellbeing of our community.
Winners will be announced in the following categories:

• Citizen of the year
• Young citizen of the year
• Community organisation of the year
• Community event of the year

Several Australia Day Medallions will also be awarded. The event will be hosted by Mayor Cr Danny Goss and feature guest speaker Bianca Bassett, a Gippsland-local who will share her journey as an accessibility and inclusion advocate and her work with Get Skilled Access, a disability inclusion consultancy founded by Dylan Alcott. This event is being held on Wednesday 22 January, prior to Australia Day.

About Bianca Bassett

Bianca, a lifelong Gippsland local, has called Lakes Entrance home for most of her 45 years. Born with a rare blood disorder, Bianca faced a significant turning point in 2016 when she lost her leg due to illness. Drawing on her personal journey, she recognised an opportunity to advocate for the importance of inclusion for people with both visible and invisible disability.

In 2021, Bianca self-published her memoir Walking My Path, an honest account of her experiences navigating loss, grief, and trauma, and emerging stronger, more resilient, and optimistic about the future. Her dedication to advancing opportunities for people with disability and promoting the benefits of access and inclusion has led her to work with Get Skilled Access, a disability inclusion consultancy founded by Dylan Alcott.

A passionate advocate for Gippsland and her community, Bianca has been an active volunteer with numerous local organisations and groups for over 25 years, including the CFA, East Gippsland Shire Council, business associations, and various local events.

Pictures from Baw Baw Shire Council website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com