Harvey Shire welcomes new citizens and recognises residents’ community service at Australia Day breakfasts

It was a day of reflection, respect and celebration across the Harvey Shire on January 26 as residents commemorated Australia Day. Locals came together on Thursday to celebrate community spirit, recognise Aboriginal heritage and welcome some of Australia’s newest citizens with commemorations in four towns within the council. The centre of the action in the Shire was the long-standing Australia Day Breakfast at the Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre. Master of ceremonies David Marshall drew on the day’s theme for his welcoming speech. “On Australia Day, we reflect on our history — its highs and its lows, we respect our stories and we celebrate our nation, its achievements and most if all its people — we are all part of the story,” he said. John Harrison-Brown led the flag party for his 32nd year, and included representatives from the Harvey BPW, Lions and Rotary clubs, the Harvey Masonic Lodge, VFRS, SES and Harvey Aboriginal Corporation. Local Aboriginal Elder Greg Little conducted the Welcome to Country and used his speech to call for Australia Day to be less divisive. “I am happy to celebrate Australia Day, it doesn’t matter who with because it’s our country and we should feel very proud of it, even today,” he said. Mr Little also expressed his views on those who were protesting the day being on January 26, which marks the start of European colonisation in Australia. “I actually feel sorry for them because they’re not going any good, they’re making it worse,” he said. “They’re on the wrong trail and if everybody wants to celebrate Australia, everybody is an Australian, this is the great country of ours and today we should celebrate together, regardless of the past. “There is no doubt in my mind that I would love to see this day continue on. Whether we change the date, we celebrate together on that particular day.” A smoking ceremony and cultural dance performance followed, before more than 15 local residents became some of Australia’s newest citizens. Harvey Shire president Paul Gillett conducted the ceremony and extended his congratulations. “You have chosen probably arguably the greatest place in Australia to call home. It is a magnificent Shire and a magnificent community,” he said. Three awards were given out at the Harvey breakfast, with Bill Russell, Colin Beauchamp and Pauline Burgess all receiving accolades. Mr Russell received the Harvey Community Citizen of the Year Award for his commitment to service organisations including the Harvey Masonic Lodge, Apex Club, Rotary Club and Probus Club. He is also involved in the Preston Beach Bush Fire Brigade and has helped out with the Harvey Australia Day breakfast for more than two decades. “Since arriving in Harvey in around 1976, Bill has immersed himself in community organisations and taken on major leadership roles,” Harvey Australia Day committee chairperson Paul Beech said. “It can be confidently said that if Bill did not take on these positions, some the clubs could not function and would be in danger of folding. “He is the fabric that holds them together.” Mr Russell got emotional while accepting the award, telling himself to “stop babbling” towards the end. “This is obviously a total surprise,” he said. “I would have thought not actually being a resident in Harvey for a long time, it certainly wouldn’t cross your mind anyway but not being a resident, it is even less likely.” Mr Russell noted the many volunteers at the event and the “many shirts” they wear within the community, and thanked the Harvey community for the nomination. Cookernup resident Colin Beauchamp, 88, received the Senior Community Citizen of the Year Award for volunteering in multiple areas. A member of the Order of Australia since 2007, Mr Beauchamp was the driving force behind the Lions Cancer Institute’s free skin cancer screening project, which has expanded nationally and internationally since it was created in 1990. He is currently chairman of the Leschenault Wellington District Health Advisory Council, an active Justice of the Peace and volunteers his time for the Harvey Museum Group. Mr Beauchamp described receiving the accolade as “unexpected”. “I am one of these people that will get involved if I think I need to, I do what I can in the community, but we don’t get anywhere unless we’ve got the support of all the people around us,” he said. A lifelong local, Ms Burgess has held many jobs since finishing school in Year 10, including working at an electrical store, being a medical receptionist and an education assistant at St Anne’s Primary School. Harvey Rotary president Jim Turner said Ms Burgess and her husband Brian purchased Harvey Fish and Chips about two years ago. “Pauline started wanting to give something back to the Harvey community and they have done that in spades,” he said. “The award recognises that Pauline has gone on to make the Fish and Chip shop a welcoming place to eat and a training ground for our young people to learn vital customer skills.” Ms Burgess said she was “very proud” to have lived in the town all her life. “Harvey is such a fantastic town and my husband and I thought we could try and give back to the community and just showcase how wonderful Harvey actually is,” she said. Australind also held significant Australia Day celebrations, with local residents enjoying a breakfast before official proceedings later in the morning. Attendees were left in awe by Indigenous dancers during the ceremony’s Welcome to Country, which was presented by Order of Australia medal inductee Dennis Jetta. Local residents Greg Campbell and Karen McCarthy received the Community Citizen of the Year Award for Australind and Leschenault respectively at the ceremony, while Australind’s Gillian Dober was recognised as Senior Community Citizen of the Year. In other parts of the Shire, the Brunswick Junction Men’s Shed was the only organisation to take out the Active Citizenship Award for Groups or Events, while Brunswick local Lyndon Edwards was awarded Community Citizen of the Year.