Fly the flag, slap on the zinc cream and belt out the national 
anthem at any number of Australia Day activities across the region.
Customer Services portfolio leader and Australia Day Committee chair Cr Anne Glasheen says Toowoomba Regional Council and local Australia Day committees are inviting residents to celebrate our national day on Saturday, January 26th. “There will be fun and entertainment throughout the region and we’d love mum and dad and the family to come along and share a special day together,” Cr Glasheen said.
“We truly are a lucky country and it is the perfect time to get together with friends from the community and join in the festivities to mark our proud history.” Cr Glasheen said Australia Day activities would be held at Clifton, Highfields, Goombungee, Cecil Plains, Yarraman, Crows Nest, Pittsworth, Hodgson Vale, Oakey and Toowoomba.
What’s On:
Toowoomba – Picnic Point
· 7.45am: Caledonian Pipe Band
· 8am: Flag raising. Free billy tea, damper, flag handwavers (limited supply).
Also, 8am-3pm: PCYC All Abilities and Disability specific sports display
· 8.10am: Toowoomba Municipal Band
· 8.50am: Bush Poet
· 9am: Cactoblastis
· 9.30am: High Altitude Harmony.
· Free children’s activities (limited snow cones, fairy floss, temporary tattoos)
· 10am: Bush Poet
· 10.10am: Mosaic Judy
· 11.05am: Bush Poet
· 11.15am: Australia Day Awards presentation
· 11.30am: Free sausage sizzle (limited supply), The Webb Family band
· 12.15pm: Bollywood Dancers
· 12.30pm: Scout Revue
· 1pm: Dance Central
· 1.30pm: Penny Davies and Roger Ilott
· Organised activities until 3pm
Please note: Picnic Point’s top car park will be closed on Saturday, January 26 for the duration of Australia Day celebrations. The car park will be closed to all traffic from 4am to 3pm.
Cecil Plains – Memorial Hall Park
· 7-9am: Free breakfast
· Includes games and activities – egg and spoon race, tug-o-war, thong throwing
· 9am: Official ceremony and presentation of Australia Day Awards followed by mini triathlon with categories for children and adults. Barbecue lunch available
Clifton – F E Logan Hall, Meara Place, Clifton
· 7am: Flag raising, National Anthem
· 7.05am: Australia Day Prayer
· 7.15-8.15am: Free barbecue breakfast
· 7.15-8.30am: Nobby Barefoot Folk Orchestra; Tony Fenner (poetry)
· 8.30am: Lucky breakfast draw
· 8.35am: Addresses, including Australia Day Ambassador Christopher Raine, Awards presentation
· 9.15am: Cake cutting, damper for A 26ers
Crows Nest – Community and RSL Centre
· 6.30am: Cooked breakfast with tea/coffee for $2 donation. Cooked by Lions Club, served by Boys’ Brigade members – sausage and bread for children
· 7.30am: Flag wavers distributed
· 8-9am: Flag raising, national anthem, Australia Day Prayer, affirmation address by 2013 Crows Nest State School captains
· Guest speaker: 2012 Young Citizen and Regional award winner Samantha Gluer
· Presentation of Australia Day Awards
· Announcement of Regional Australia Day awards and Groom Scholarship recipient
· Naming of best damper cook
· 9am: Morning tea with competition dampers
Goombungee – Goombungee Public Hall
· 8-9.30am: Community breakfast
· 9am-noon: family activities: face painting, races, jumping castle, big
· slide, backyard cricket
· 10am: Australia Day Awards. Includes guest speakers and official ceremony (Acknowledgment of traditional owners, national anthem, community reflection, affirmation followed by Australia address)
· Closing address
Highfields – Highfields Pioneer Village, Wirraglen Road
· 9am-1.30pm: Activities including Aboriginal art display, milking and butter making, draft horse, sheep shearing and bee keeping displays, damper making demo and competition, whip cracking school, wheel tyring at the blacksmith’s shop.
· 2pm: Official Australia Day program starts. Didgeridoo performance – Don Nikkelson; Flag raising, national anthem; Welcome new citizens, guest speakers including Australia Day Ambassador Daphne Pirie, awards presentation; Trevor Dodds – I Still Call Australia Home
· 2.30-3.30pm: Free billy tea, damper. Musical entertainment continues
Hodgson Vale – Hodgson Vale Community Sports Club (Maydean Place)
· 8.30-10am: Free breakfast, children’s games (face painting, jumping castle, egg throwing comp and more), entertainment by James Anderssen
· 10.30am to noon: Official award ceremony, flag raising. Guest speaker and Australia Day Ambassador Professor John Pearn AM
Oakey – Oakey Cultural Centre
· 7.30am: Community breakfast
· 8.45am: Awards presentation, Australia Day Ambassador Uncle Albert Holt
· 9.45am: Morning tea
Oakey – Arthur Shooter Park
· 10.30am-noon: Oakey Creek Cup raft race and other creek-based activities (canoe races, billy boiling competition, Oakey Freshwater Fish Restockers display, Condamine Alliance river rescue displays and demonstrations, carp busting competition, remote control boats, magnetic fishing, water pistol war, waterslide and entertainment.)
· Stay on for a picnic after the formal program
Pittsworth – Pioneer Village, Pioneer Way
· 4pm: Face painting, balloon tricks, treasure hunt for Under 5s
· 4.30-6pm: Frisbee throwing (12 and under). Other events include men’s thong throwing, women’s shopping bag throwing, egg throwing in junior categories, Mums’ pram race (BYO pram), Under 5 egg and spoon race
· 5pm: Billy cart race (John Stephens Memorial – check in 4.30pm)
· 5.15pm: Children’s tug-o-war
· 5.30pm: Crosscut saw competition (men’s, women’s, jack and jill events)
· 6pm: Postle Gift – 75 yard sprint (Under 10 boys/girls; Under 14 boys/girls; Under 16 boys; Under 16 girls/women; open sprint)
· 7pm: Official ceremony – National Anthem/flag raising (Pittsworth Army cadets). Official address, Australia Day Ambassador Charlie Earp. Presentation of Australia Day Awards, event prizes and Gift trophies
· 7.45pm: Tug-o-war
· Ridgy Didge Bush Band plays throughout the program
· Organised activities until 9pm
Yarraman – Yarraman Memorial Hall, Browne Street
· 8.30am for 9am start: sit-down breakfast
· 10am: Presentation of Australia Day Awards
· 10.30am: Coffee and socialising
Information Provided By:
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
Toowoomba Service Centre
Toowoomba Regional Council
