Dorothy Smith is the Citizen of the Year for Harden Shire Council for 2015.
Dorothy has been involved in many aspects of the community. Her achievements include, Pony Club, Scouts and she was an inaugural member of both Whitchcraft and the View Club. Dorothy has been a licensed Lay Minister and Scripture teacher and was also on the Parish Pastoral Council for the last 30 years. She was also Secretary of the original Bunyip Preschool committee and has worked on Meals on Wheels for over 25 years. The Smith family has hosted several exchange students over the years.
Dorothy said “I was surprised and delighted to receive the award” and jokingly added “I’m not really a local I have only been here for 55 years.” However, her grandmother Susan came from the Kingsvale/Currawong area and her great grandparents John and Betty Coddington are interred in the local cemetery.
There were also a couple of residents present celebrating birthdays including Eve Shea, Lorraine Madden and Dr Sazeed Islam.
Australia Day Ambassador Jeff Sale was very impressed with the hospitality afforded to him by the people of Harden-Murrumburrah, with Jeff enjoying a dinner at the Terracotta Restaurant prior to attending the Australia Day festivities.
Jeff spoke to the crowd gathered at the Australia Day Breakfast at Newson Park, telling many an anecdote, and reciting a stirring ode called ‘Green & Gold Malaria’.
He said that his visit to the town reminded him of his first visit to the town 30 years ago, where he was taken from hotel to hotel and shouted drinks. Unfortunately, he was expected to speak at a dinner function later that night!
Jeff said, “I am very passionate, and proud of being an Aussie. Pride and passion mean so much to me.”
When he played for Australia, the coach said to the team, “the soldiers ran up the hill at Gallipoli, so we could be here today to do this.”
He also said that the real Australians live out in the country. Jeff also said, “People make this country great, we pull together to make a good future for our children. We should have Australia Day every day.”
Jeff also told a story about a trip to the United States. “When I was in America, a Yank asked me where I was from and I replied ‘Australia.’ ‘Austria?’ asked the Yank, ‘where’s that?’ Now I say: ‘G’day mate, where are you from?’ When the Yank says ‘America’, I ask, ‘where’s that?'”.
Jeff continued on to Wombat where he presented all of the Australia Day awards.
Mayor John Horton gave a rousing speech about the positive projects happening in the Shire and received applause from the crowd.
Event organiser Lorraine Brown said the numbers for this year’s celebration were on par with other years. Lorraine said that she would like to thank everyone for getting the day up and running again for 2015.
Dorothy Smith (middle holding award) is pictured with Matthew Mason-Cox (NSW Minister for Fair Trading), Clare Mason-Cox, Woodley Smith, Lachlan and Wendy Mason-Cox. Front: Rachel Mason-Cox and Samuel Mason-Cox.
