NYAH West Park was filled with people on Friday morning as an estimated 250 people gathered at the park for Nyah’s annual Australia Day Breakfast.
Event organiser Ian Brauer, from the Nyah District Lions Club, said it was the biggest turnout in 15 years.
“We’ve had 200 knives forks, and spoons, and we’ve run out,” Mr Brauer said after rushing back from the local IGA.
Members of the Lions Club served breakfast to the big crowd.
Among them was local citizen Doris Bradbury who has been attending the event ever since its inception in 1988, and was happy to see the “exceptional turnout” of people this year, especially after COVID-19 lockdowns halted celebrations.
“It’s really a lovely crowd today,” she said.
With Swan Hill Council’s decision to not host official Australia Day events on Friday, some residents headed to surrounding towns for celebrations, including the Swan Hill Vintage & Classic Vehicles Club.
Swan Hill Councillor Nicole McKay thinks that Swan Hill’s absence of an event helped smaller towns in the area thrive on the day.
“Swan Hill hopes that if they didn’t have a big event in their park, it would mean that the smaller towns had more attendances, and it seems to have happened,” Cr McKay said.
“There’s people that have come from out of town, which is lovely.”
Cr McKay grew up in Nyah West and has been attending the event since she was a child.
Since then the town has undergone changes which the locals are grateful for.
“Everything in Nyah has become more vibrant,” Cr McKay said.
“They’ve had some beautiful street upgrades, there’s some nice street trees, and a skate park.”
After the breakfast, it was time for the awards ceremony, which began with Nyah West Girl Guides raising the Australian flag and a speech from guest speaker Greg Chislett, from Chislett Farms in Kenley.
“We’re so grateful as a family farming business that we can develop this sort of business in this country and you wouldn’t be able to do that just anywhere,” Mr Chislett said.
Audrey Ibbs, of Nyah District Primary School, received the award for Young Citizen of the Year.
As she moves into high school this year, Audrey looks back at her time at Nyah District Primary School fondly.
“It was good because you got to know all the teachers and all the other students personally,” she said.
Audrey was School Captain at her primary school and has also been involved in community organisations such as Nyah West United Football and Netball Club, Nyah District Cricket Club and Nyah West Girl Guides.
Sandra Andrews, from the Country Women’s Association, won the Citizen of the Year Award for her long-time commitment to the community at Nyah.
“This is ridiculous!” a surprised Ms Andrews said after the annoucement.
“Sandra’s at everything,” said Cr McKay.
“She’s always supporting everything and with a positive attitude.”
“I do it for the community because I love it. That’s about it,” said Ms Andrews.
