Each year we celebrate Australia Day across the region to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate contemporary Australia and acknowledge our history. And from car shows to thong-throwing competitions, each of our towns adds their individual flavour to their celebrations. In Emerald, we continue the tradition of the more formal Australia Day citizenship ceremony. Across all of our towns, we celebrate our people by awarding the annual Australia Day Awards.
Note: These events are subject to relevant COVIDSafe requirements and public health direction at the time.
Join our Australia Day celebrations at the Emerald Town Hall.
Click here to register for this event!
The Emerald Lions will be cooking up a barbecue breakfast with a damper added by the Emerald Scouts.
The Australia Day citizenship ceremony kicks off at 8.00 am and will be followed by the Australia Day Awards ceremony.
Emerald State High School will perform Australian songs.
Council has been informed that due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and public health management it is unlikely that an Australia Day ambassador will attend.
When: 7.00 am to 11.00 am
Where: Emerald Town Hall
Join our Australia Day celebrations at the Springsure Memorial Hall.
Registration and sign up on the day.
The Springsure Lions Club will be cooking up a bacon and egg muffin breakfast.
Award presentation to follow from 9.00 am.
When: 8.00 am to 10.00 am
Where: Memorial Hall
Join our Australia Day celebration at Tieri’s Lions Park.
Registration and sign up on the day.
Starting at 8.00 am, the Tieri Primary School P&C will be cooking a barbecue breakfast followed by the Australia Day Award presentation and thong throwing competition.
When: 8.00 am to 10.00 am
Where: Lions Park
Join us for Blackwater’s annual Australia Day celebrations.
Click here to register for this event!
Starting at 8.00 am with a barbecue breakfast, followed by the Australia Day Awards ceremony.
A jumping castle and face painting will keep the little ones entertained.
This event is supported by the Blackwater Rotary Club, Lions and Lionesses, the Blackwater CWA Branch and Blackwater Scouts.
Please note this event will take place at the Civic Centre rather than the Aquatic Centre.
When: 8.00 am to 10.00 am
Where: Civic Centre UPDATED
The Central Highlands Australia Day Awards celebrate the achievement and contributions of individuals and organisations in our region. Nominating someone is an opportunity to publicly acknowledge those who have made an extraordinary contribution or are an outstanding achiever.
Each year, people in the Central Highlands recognise the achievements and contributions of individuals and organisations in six categories and the four community areas of:
You will find all you need to know to complete a great Australia Day Award nomination here.
The Citizen of the Year Award recognises those aged 26 years and above who have made a significant contribution to their community.
The Young Citizen of the Year Award recognises those aged 25 years and under who have made a significant contribution to their community.
The Cultural Award recognises individuals or groups that have made a significant contribution to the arts and culture in their community.
The Senior Sportsperson/ Administrator of the Year Award recognises individuals aged 18 and over who have an outstanding record of achievement in their sport or have made a significant contribution as a coach, official or administrator.
The Junior Sportsperson of the Year Award recognises individuals aged 17 and under who have an outstanding record of achievement in their sport or have made a significant contribution as a coach, official or administrator.
The Community Event of the Year Award recognises a community event held in the Central Highlands Regional Council area that has made a significant contribution to the community profile economically, culturally and socially.
Start with a clear and specific statement that outlines why your nominee is worthy of the award. Ask yourself:
What activities or actions has the nominee undertaken to stand out? What has the nominee accomplished that goes above and beyond their job description? What special skills or talents have they employed? How has the nominee changed their community? Why are you motivated to nominate this person?
The people on the judging panel come from all walks of life. Imagine you are talking to an intelligent, engaged audience without specific expertise in your field. Spell out acronyms the first time you use them and avoid using jargon, overly scientific language or terms that may not be familiar to people outside your industry.
Strengthen your nomination by painting a picture of the person. What motivates them to make a difference? What personal challenges have they overcome in their life? Why do they inspire others? How does this person make you feel?
Use real-world examples that demonstrate what you’re saying is true. Whether your nominee was the first one to lend a hand at the local football club or the person staying back late each night at the lab, we want the stories of their life and the impact they have made.
Support your nomination with hard facts and reliable statistics. Can you provide specific measures of this person’s success?
A long nomination isn’t always a better nomination. Try to keep your sentences short and concise and avoid repetition. Steer clear of detailed job descriptions and work histories or providing multiple referee statements that don’t offer new information.
The panel is looking for people who make a significant contribution to the community, who are a role model for people in their community and demonstrate excellence in their field, so ensure your nomination addresses these criteria.
For the Community Event of the Year award, the panel is looking for an event that makes a significant contribution to develop the regional economy and social and cultural life.
When completing the nomination form, it is important to address selection criteria.
The judging panel will also give consideration to the following in assessing and comparing nominations against the above criteria:
An individual can be nominated in more than one category, but a separate form must be completed.
The Australia Day Awards judging panel assesses the nominations based on the selection criteria. The panel consists of councillors, council representatives and community members reflecting each of the award areas. Read more in the Australia Day Awards Judging Panel Terms of Reference.
All nominations are confidential, and the information will be used only to assist council to consider the merit of the nominations.
Previous award recipients may be approached by council to share their experience for the purpose of promoting future Australia Day Award campaigns.
Nominations for the Australia Day Awards are open between 1 August and 31 October in the year before the awards. All award nominees will be notified via contact details provided on the nomination form and receive an invitation to attend the award presentation on 26 January. A list of nominees may be published before the 26 January.
A link to the nomination form will become available here.
Entries for the Youth Photo Contest are now closed.
Australia Day, 26 January, is the day to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate contemporary Australia and to acknowledge our history!
So simply upload a picture of what it means to you to be Australian and tell us why!
Entry:
Entry is open to all young people aged between 10 and 25 who live in the Central Highlands region.
Photos are to be themed around what it means to be Australian.
How to participate:
Snap your photo
Click on this link
Upload your photo and fill in the form
How to win:
The photo with the most votes wins. Winners will be emailed upon completion of the contest on the 28 January 2020 @ 5.00pm.
Prizes: (voucher of your choice to either Big W, EB Games, Target or BCF)
1st – $100
2nd – $50
3rd – $20
COPYRIGHT: You must have rights and authorities of photo you submit.
USAGE RIGHTS: Photos could be used by future promotion by Central Highlands Regional Council.
Good Luck
If you want to ask a question, call the youth development team on 1300 242 686 or youth@chrc.qld.gov.au.
Up-to-date weather, road closure and disaster information.