Community & Business
31 January, 2025
Celebrating our best
Oakey district recognised our best citizens on Australia Day at Arthur Shooter Park including Citizen of the Year Debbie Goudie.
The wheelie bin races, the dunny races, the mullet competition... 2025 proved again there’s nothing like an Australia Day in Oakey.
Hundreds of locals came down to the Park to celebrate our national day at the apex of the long weekend.
Bush poet Gary Fogarty got the morning rolling with some ballads, while the local coffee van and Lions Club were providing the early risers with breakfast.
MC Neville Cherry then began formal proceedings.
“Listening to the cockatoos down by the creek - nothing is more Australian than that,” he said.
“What I love about Oakey is the passion of the people,” Mr Cherry said.
“When you’re down in the dumps, no one pulls you up like an Oakey person.”
Award winner and Indigenous youth leader William Thira-mayinj Haupt led the Welcome to Country, reminding attendees that we are all visitors on the land on which we live.
Oakey State High School principal Danny Keenan, was invited to give his reflections on what Australia Day meant to him.
Mr Keenan said that it was hard to find a ‘one size fits all’ common definition for what made someone Australian, but that the day was a chance to celebrate our democracy and diversity.
Mr Keenan’s staff member and Citizen of the Year Debbie Goudie said Aussie values were reflected at Oakey State High School.
“To quote our principal Mr Keenan, our job is to produce decent human beings,” Mrs Goudie said.
“And providing our youth with skills and talents they need to succeed.”
Following the ceremony, morning tea was catered by volunteers from the Jondaryan Woolshed.
The second events of the morning at Arthur Shooter Park were the nationally-renowned activities.
Groom MP Garth Hamilton was at formalities elsewhere, but was quick to jump in the car to join in the fun.
He took part in the tug-of-war and interviewed locals who had dressed up as ‘Dame Edna Everage’ and a man celebrating the character 'Norm' from the iconic advertising campaign 'Life. Be in it."
All in all the event was testament to the hard work and dedication of the Oakey Australia Day Committee.
Celebrations at Arthur Shooter Park wrapped up shortly after midday, but quickly moved on to the Grand Hotel and the Bernborough Tavern, which were decked out in Australian flags for the day.
The Grand ran a beach party theme with prizes for the best dressed Aussie babe and bloke, while the Tavern hosted sack races, face painting and food vans.
At the Jondaryan Woolshed Queensland’s locally-raised Treasurer David Janetzki attended festivities with his family, while at Haden, the Rosalie Australia Day Awards were hosted in the town for the first time this century at the Haden Hall.
