 Australia Day 2002
Celebrate Together
More than 220 communities and two million people across NSW will come together to celebrate Australia Day this Saturday, January 26.
As Australia Day falls on a Saturday this year the traditional Australia Day public holiday has been moved to Monday, January 28.
In the Northern Rivers local councils have organised a variety of activities for their communities, and people are being urged to participate wherever possible.
'It is fundamental that everyone feels welcome to celebrate together, so we have planned events that cater for all ages and interests,' Casino's mayor, Col Sullivan, said.
'Australia Day 2002 will showcase a rich program of events and activities that promote our diverse culture, acknowledging the contributions made by all Australians including the ethnic communities and Indigenous people. It is also fitting that on this Australia Day we pay particular tribute to the many volunteers of the Rural Fire Services that have been battling the Christmas and new year fires. Australia Day 2002 will give us that time to reflect as Australians on those qualities that makes us a truly unique nation.'
Following are details of the different Australia Day celebrations happening around the region.
Consider the Future in Ballina
On Australia Day people should think about our nation and reflect on our achievements, while also acknowledging our failings said Ballina Mayor, Cr Peter Moore.
'It's a time to think about what makes our little piece of paradise unique and where we as a community see our nation heading over the next 100 years,' Cr Moore said.
This year's Australia Day celebrations will be hosted at the Ballina RSL Club, commencing with an Aussie buffet breakfast from 8am. The flag raising ceremony by the naval cadets will follow the Ballina Pipe Band performance and march at 8.45am into the RSL Memorial Park.
The citizenship ceremony and announcement of the Australia Day awards will take place in the Ballina RSL Club auditorium. The Ballina Scope ladies will once again provide their complimentary billy tea and damper, while the Ballina Shire Band will provide entertainment. Richmond Rotary Club will hold its annual dinner dance from 7pm at the Ballina RSL Club.
The Australia Day ambassador for Ballina Shire is legendary unionist Jack Mundey, who led the green bans in the 1970s that saved parts of Sydney's bushland foreshore along with historic buildings, from developers.
For more information phone the Ballina Visitor Information Centre on 6686 3484.
Byron Celebrations Visit Four Towns
Celebrations for the Byron Shire will take place in different areas around the day. Program is as follows:
7.30am-9am: Breakfast in the Park, presented by combined service clubs, will be held at Banner Park, Brunswick Heads. Breakfast is $2 and there's free Australian flags, live music and sing-a-longs. Free bus travel is available from Mullumbimby Newsagent at 7am, courtesy of Brunswick Valley Coach and Travel.
7am-11am: Breakfast in the Park, presented by Byron Bay Rotary Club, will be held at the Byron Bay Surf Club. Features performance by soloist Ray Armstrong, belly dancing, a show by Atmo the Miming Clown and free balloons, Aussie flags and chupa chups for kids.
11.30am-12.30pm: Official ceremony at the Brunswick Valley Historical Society Museum in Stuart Street, Mullumbimby (wet weather venue is the Mullumbimby Council Chambers).
Flag raising by the Mullumbimby Scouts, welcome by mayor Tom Wilson and Australia Day address by ambassador, Susie Elelman, a regular on Stan Zemanek's Beauty and the Beast.
Followed by Citizenship Ceremony and presentation of Australia Day Awards.
From 3pm: Family Fun Day at the Bangalow Historical Society and Bangalow pool area. Sausage sizzle, lollies, fun and games.
From 9am: Fun Day at Gaggin Park, Suffolk Park. Sausage sizzle, lollies, free Aussie flags and face painting. Rap contest, with local DJs competing for prizes, runs from 1.30-3pm.
Ambassador Profile
Susie Elelman is a regular guest on daytime television show Beauty and the Beast, hosted by Stan Zemanek. She was a presenter for Good Morning Australia for eight years and she has also written for the Sunday Telegraph. She was part of the talkback radio team on Sydney's 2GB and she co-hosted breakfast on 2WS.
Paralympic Champion Visits Kyogle
Kyogle Shire Australia Day program is as follows:
8.30am: Traditional billy tea and damper breakfast, provided by the Kyogle Lions Club, on the grassed area outside the Kyogle library.
9.15am: The Kyogle Citizens Band performance at the Kyogle Memorial Institute.
9.30am: Welcome address by Kyogle mayor, Ernie Bennett and flag raising ceremony.
10am: Address by Kyogle's Australia Day ambassador, Brendan Burkett, a Paralympic champion and Commonwealth Games medallist who has won medals for swimming in four successive paralympic games. One of his highlights was at the 1996 Atlanta Games, where he won gold in the 50m freestyle. Two years later at the World Championships in New Zealand he won gold again, this time in the 4x100 men's freestyle relay, and the team simultaneously broke the world record.
Brendan has also completed a degree and masters in engineering, followed by a PhD in biomechanics. In 2000 he was awarded the Professional Engineer of the Year Award from the Institution of Engineers Australia.
10.15am: Presentation of Australia Day Awards.
11am: Refreshments in the Banquet Room.
Lismore's Australia Day Program
 Olympic swimmer and Mullumbimby resident, Petria Thomas, is Lismore's Australia Day ambassador.
8am: Free sausage sizzle, tea, coffee and cold drinks in Heritage Park. Wear your best hat and bring a parasol. Prizes for most functional and most comical.
8.30am-9.30am: Games for kids, jumping castle, giveaways, performance by Lismore Pipe Band, fire and police service displays, hat competition and hat decorating competition.
9.30am-10am: Performance by the Multicultural Dancers.
10am: Official ceremony: Includes flag raising by the Naval Cadets and Girl Guides, welcome by Bundjalung Elder, Mavis Davies, and performance by the Reconciliation Choir. Speeches by mayor Bob Gates, local National Party MP Thomas George, Local MLC Dr Brian Pezzutti, Echo editor Simon Thomsen and performance by Lismore City Pipe Band. Followed by Citizenship Ceremony, Australia Day address by ambassador Petria Thomas and presentation of Australia Day Awards. Awards are in order of presentation – young citizen, junior sportsperson, senior sportsperson, environment, art/cultural, community service, citizen, reconciliation and Lismore Living Legend. Chairperson of the local Australia Day committee, Helen Gates, will give an address and present certificates of recognition to Australia Day Award nominees.
Presentation of ambassador pin by Woolworth's Lismore manager, Clarrie Smith before the drawing of the return flight for two to Sydney, complements of Hazelton Airline.
Presentation of prizes to winners of the hat, colouring, writing and photograph competitions by Prime Possum.
11am: Performance by Lismore City Pipe Band and unveiling of the Strategic Plan for the Riverbank Project by Thomas George MP.
11.30am: Complimentary morning tea for new citizens, award winners and their families at the Lismore RSL Club.
4-7pm: Young people are certainly not forgotten in the Australia Day celebrations, and one of the great activities is an Australia Day Breakdance Competition.
Presented by Northern Rivers Dance Action together with Lismore City Council, the competition will be held at the Lismore Skate Park and is open to dancers of all ages and abilities.
However entries for the competition close tomorrow, January 25, so if you're interested in having a go, phone Emma on 6622 0300 or email emma@norpa.org.au
Entrants must arrive at the skate park by 3.30pm on Saturday, and all dancers are expected to have safe practices and warm ups (to facilitate this, the Lismore City Hall Fountain Room will open from 2.30pm onwards for dancers).
The individual section heats will be between 90 and 120 seconds. Three finalists will be selected to break on stage together and battle each other for five minutes. Categories are under 14 and over 14.
The crew or team section heats will be five minutes. Teams (of between two and six people) can perform a rehearsed routine or improvised mat session. Categories are b-boys and fly girls. There will also be short competition for the best individual breakdance moves including caterpillar, back spin, head spin and windmill.
Judging will be done by local dance teachers Jason Campbell and Daniella Finkenauer, with prizes including vouchers from local businesses. Judging criteria is style (mix of dance moves with break moves), power, combos and flow.
Throughout the competition DJs from Tribe 187 will be playing suitable tracks for breakdancing and there will be other skate demonstrations and dance performances.
In the event of wet weather, the competition will be held in the Lismore City Hall Fountain Room.
 Breakdancers from NORPA's alieNation cast (l-r) Ryan Dillon, Nick Handcock-Kelly, Takani, Dylan Beresford and Amy Moll, who performed at the YWCA's opening in November in Lismore.
Young breakdancers are being urged to enter the Australia Day Breakdance Competition this Saturday.
Aussie Traditions at Evans Head
 Former Olympian swimmer and sports commentator, Duncan Armstrong OAM, is the Australia Day ambassador for Richmond Valley Council's celebrations at Evans Head.
The traditional Aussie culture of a ‘day at the beach' will be Richmond Valley Council's theme for the Australia Day celebrations at the Evans Head Surf Club.
'The Richmond Valley community will share the day of celebration with many visitors, as the seaside village of Evans Head is still beaming with tourists that come to enjoy the beach every year for the summer holidays,' Council's event coordinator, Rod Caldicott, said.
'This strong local holidaying tradition has been evident since the early 1900s and the activities planned for Australia Day reflect these traditions and the development of the village and community over the last century.'
The Australia Day activities will include surfboat demonstrations, rock 'n' roll music throughout the day, a Blessing of the Fleet and helicopter rescue simulations. There will also be plenty of activities for families, like the regular Saturday markets on Stan Payne oval, rides and games for the children, a nippers comp, thong throwing, casting competitions and more.
The official ceremony will kick off around 10.30am, with a talk by Australia Day ambassador Duncan Armstrong and the Citizen Awards presentations.
Duncan Armstrong OAM is best known for his medal winning swims at the Seoul Olympics, where he won gold in the 200m men's freestyle and silver in the 400m men's free.
Duncan retired from the pool in 1993 to pursue a career in media. He has since been a regular presenter on Channel seven's Fox Sports Central and was an integral part of bringing the Sydney Olympic Games coverage to people's living rooms via radio 2UE.
Duncan will give the Australia Day address as well as support the Mayor, Col Sullivan, in the presentation of Citizen and Sporting Awards. This year awards include Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year as well as several categories for achievement in sport.
Duncan will also visit New Italy at around 2pm to present another Australia Day address. New Italy will have entertainment by Jim and Judy, a pasta buffet and raffles from 10.30am.
For more information phone Rod on 0414 194 752.
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