Australia Day 2020 is set to be a cracker in the Northern Grampians with family activities, a citizenship ceremony and awards aplenty.
Northern Grampians Shire Council is pleased to announce Sally Tucker as our Australia Day ambassador this year.
Australia Day Ambassadors promote the meaning of Australia Day and increase community spirit and the involvement of all Australians in Australia Day activities, regardless of origin and background.
Ms Tucker embodies the spirit and essence of Australiana was an integral part of Cricket Australia for five years and is now working in hospitality.
She is a senior sports business professional experienced in sales and business development, sponsorship and commercial partnerships, marketing and event management.
She said she is incredibly honoured to be the Australia Day Ambassador to the Northern Grampians.
"I am really excited to be an ambassador and am really looking forward to it," she said.
"I have a family connection in the region, Mum is a librarian at the Stawell Library and my brother is the head groundsman at the Stawell racecourse.
"They found their way here about four years ago, and as we've always been inner-city Melbourne folk, Mum was looking for a property to retire to and she fell in love with the white house on the hill about eight kilometres outside of Stawell."
Ms Tucker and her family regularly travel from Melbourne to visit her mum and they have also fallen in love with the region.
"She loves the community spirit within the towns," Ms Tucker said of her mother.
"The welcoming spirit is astounding to me; it's not easy to break into an established community but everyone has welcomed her with open arms.
"Also, the area has practically no traffic and I love that. We love the land and the way people live with the land and the kids love it because they haven't got the same restrictions they have in the city.
"Being an ambassador makes me feel incredibly honoured and lucky to be able to have that connection with rural communities around the state.
"I love connecting with people and love Australians of all walks of life so to talk about the reasons I love being an Australian is an amazing opportunity."
Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor, Murray Emerson, welcomed Ms Tucker and encourages all residents to come along to the Australia Day events in St Arnaud and Stawell.
"Ms Tucker is a wonderful community leader and we cannot wait to hear from her about her experiences from the sporting world," he said.
"Australia Day is a chance for everyone in our community to come together and celebrate what makes this country great. I hope to see everyone out in support of Ms Tucker and celebrating our national day as one."
Northern Grampians Shire Australia Day celebrations will kick off in St Arnaud with a free community breakfast hosted by St Arnaud Lions and Rotary Clubs at Market Square at 8am on 26 January 2020.
Then at 9am, the Australia Day Awards Presentation commences with Ms Tucker followed by morning tea in the St Arnaud Town Hall hosted by the Queen Mary Gardens Committee.
Later in the day at Cato Park in Stawell, the Australia Day Awards Presentations commence at 6pm with Ms Tucker, followed by a Citizenship Ceremony.
Once the formalities are over, a free community barbecue and family activities, including a petting zoo, face painting, and jumping castle will be available for all to attend.
