Keep an eye on what's happening around Griffith on Australia Day.
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7.30am
8am: Check out what’s happening around the nation on Australia Day morning.
8.20am: Heading out of town today? Here’s what’s happening around the MIA and Riverina.
8.45am: What a cracking way to kick off our national holiday!
9am: Griffith's Australia Day Ambassador Anupam Sharma speaks at this morning’s Australia Day breakfast.
9.30am: Pioneer Park remains the popular home of Griffith’s Australia Day breakfast.
9.45am: Griffith’s 2017 Australia Day Official ceremony has begun with a performance from Griffith City Band.
9.50am: Aunty Gloria Goolagong has given a moving Welcome to Country.
10.00am: Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi and Member for Farrer Sussan Ley have spoken at the official Australia Day ceremony.
Ms Ley made a poignant tribute to the Indigenous community, on what for many Aboriginal communities is a troubling day.
“The burden of disconnection and disadvantage falls first and unfairly on First Australians,” she said.
Ms Ley acknowledged the 72 flags decorating the Griffith Regional Theatre, representing the 72 nations that make up the city.
The Farrer MP said the things making Griffith unique were both the sacrifices of early pioneers for the region and the nation as well as the modern multicultural community.
She recounted her own experiences moving to Australia as a migrant herself saying when she arrived a man had told her she was in the best country in the world.
Ms Ley said he had been absolutely right.
Cr Dal Broi recognised the dedication and impressive achievements of all nominated.
“Even being nominated is an honour, so please be very proud of that,” he said.
10.15: Griffith Australia Day Ambassador Anupam Sharma has spoken at the official ceremony.
Cr Dal Broi thanked Mr Sharma for his address, paying tribute to the significance of his visit for Griffith’s growing and vital Indian community.
10.20am: Megan Beecher has been named Griffith Young Citizen of the year.
“The Australia Day awards are an excellent forum in which the community minded people of Griffith can be awarded for the fabulous work they do,” she said.
A passionate advocate for mental health, Miss Beecher is an active member of the youth reference group for headspace Griffith.
She was a state finalist in the 2016 Lions Youth of the Year competition, the Young Musical of the Year Awards, the Rostrum Voice of Youth Competition and winner of several categories in the Leeton Eisteddfod.
Miss Beecher was the 2016 School Vice-Captain at Marian Catholic College and is a member of various school committees and winner of the Principals Award.
Miss Beecher is an active participant in several awareness-raising and skill development activities in school such as Stress Down Day, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, Anzac Day Dawn Service, Youth Mental Health Forum, Rotary Young Driver Awareness Training Program as well as performing as a tutor in public speaking.
She also participated in several community based theatre products including Beauty and The Beast and Grease, and plays piano at church services.
10.30am: Community Event of the Year has gone to Stars of Griffith Dance for Cancer
The two night dance extravaganza raised more than $73,000.
Melissa Brown spoke on behalf of the event urging the community to take part in fundraising and community events.
“You never know when you are going to need to rely on someone else and being in a great community like Griffith you get back what you put in,” she said.
“Everyone in this room, including myself has been touched by cancer.
“I thank all of you, it was the community of Griffith who raised this $73,000.”
10.45am: John Casella named Griffith’s Citizen of the Year.
10.50am: Nathan Rowley has been named Junior Sportsperson of the year.
11.00am: Peter Budd has been named Griffith’s 2017 Sportsperson of the year.
11.05am: The crowd has erupted into applause as Hanwood’s under 12 football team was named Sports team of the year.
Matt Curran and Mark Feltracco have both been named club person of the year.
11.10am: Nathan Richards named overall sportsperson of the year.
11.15: Alan Smith and Noel Hicks have been named Local heroes of the year by Cr Dal Broi.
“It’s an award I look at not in the last couple of weeks but over a 12 month period, Cr Dal Broi said.
“I look for participation, I look for an individual who has left a mark on our community.
“When Noel Hicks first introduced the idea of sculptures I said are you on coffee?
“What we have now is something that is internationally renowned.”
“Noel and Alan, two volunteers, put their heart and soul into that project.”
Cr Dal Broi paid tribute to Mr Hicks for continuing his work through recent sickness and, even after his retirement, continuing his good work on behalf of the community.
“To Noel and Alan...thank you and on behalf of the council and everyone in Griffith thank you,” Cr Dal Broi said.
Mr Hicks said the award was a bit of a surprise, saying he had always wanted to be a hero.
He paid tribute to Mr Smith, who was previously responsible for the monument for Donald McKay and the water wheel.
“He’s a dynamo there’s no doubt about that.”
Mr Hicks thanked everyone who helped make the centenary sculptures a reality, despite people thinking he had two heads when he proposed it.
“it really was a gift from the people of Griffith to the people of Griffith,” he said.
As he described to one man in the park one day who asked what rubbish the sculptures were, “the people of Griffith have put this here, it will be here forever.”
1pm: Celebrations and somber reflections. Hannah Higgins reflects on Aunty Gloria Goolagong’s inspiring Welcome to Country.
1.15pm: Take a look at the other award winners throughout the region.
2pm: Here are the Carathool Council Australia Day award winners.
2.30pm: Griffith's 2017 Australia Day ceremony's winners and new citizens | PHOTOS