Over the years, the Australia Day Ambassador Program has allowed a number of high-achieving and fiercely proud Aussies to attend local Australia Day celebrations in towns and cities across the nation to share what Australia means to them.
It is with great pleasure Toowoomba Regional Council welcomes this year’s special guests on January 26th:
Designer and Inventor – Jean Madden
Speaking at Greenmount Australia Day Awards (From 10.30am)
After realising the negative effects of ‘sleeping rough’, Jean Madden designed the Street Swag made from lightweight waterproofed canvas with a high-density foam mattress that also has room for extra belongings. With schoolchildren, prisoners, and Aboriginal communities, Jean and her supporters have now bedded and given a basic shelter to over 20,000 of Australia’s homeless.
Speech Pathologist – Dr Dimity Dornan AM
Speaking at Oakey Australia Day Awards (From 8.45am)
Dimity Dornan AM is a speech pathologist, and the founder and managing director of Hear and Say. This not-for-profit program, opened in July 1992, and enables children with hearing loss to listen and speak through the use of modern hearing technology combined with the simultaneous education of parents and children (Auditory-Verbal Therapy).
Chef, author and television presenter – Ben O’Donoghue
Speaking at Clifton (From 7am) and Pittsworth (From 7pm) Australia Day Awards
For chef, author and television presenter Ben O’Donoghue, cooking is a passion and almost a reflex. It’s something he’s done since childhood and it never ceases to give him pleasure or stimulate his imagination. He unequivocally believes that food should be simple and distinctive, and technically and culturally correct. Ben’s passion for the Australian countryside and love of local produce is very much evident .
Masterchef contestant – Ellie Paxton-Hall
Speaking at Highfields Australia Day Awards (From 2pm)
Before Masterchef Ellie was at university studying nursing and public health but always had dreams of becoming a chef and owning her own deli one day. She says she was very privileged to have the experiences of series three of Masterchef Australia. “I am very passionate about living a healthy life through food, indulging when necessary and not feeling guilty”.
You can read more about the local Australia Day Ambassadors by clicking here.
Jenny Foxton
Senior Communication Officer
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
Toowoomba Regional Council
