Guyra born guest speaker Greg Strong spoke about his large family, which extended to Armidale, Glen Innes, Moree, Tingha and Inverell.

“I believe if Aboriginals bring a gift to this great nation, it’s the gift of families,” he said. 

“We don’t have much in terms of materialistic possessions, but we have family. We don’t always do it right - we stuff it up quite often - but it’s always a talking point. It gives me value. It determines my place in community. It signals my place in a vast network of families.”

Mr Strong has worked in health for 23 years, and is passionate about the role families play in keeping one another healthy, and the value of personal choices.

He encouraged locals to reach out to loved ones despite the distractions of modern day life. 

“I’ve learned that your attitude is either your best friend or your worst enemy,” he said.

“I know families that haven’t spoken to other family members in years. We allow hurt and unforgiveness to get in the way. Your egos become more important than relationships.”

“I would rather become better, not bitter.”

Mr Strong said family mealtimes were where he taught his children to love and respect others and they discussed tough topics like racism, name calling and personal prejudices.

He encouraged the audience to use their familial roles to reach out to loved ones in times of struggle.

“I want to be a model to my sons on how to treat a woman by the way I treat my wife, I want to portray qualities to my daughters that they might find in their partners,” he said. 

RUOK Day activities continue at the Inverell Saleyards at 12pm on Tuesday, September 19, as local charity More Than Awareness hosts Farm Fitness – a karate demonstration and interactive session on staying healthy on the farm. 

RUOK Day is a campaign tackling mental illness, which encourages community members to ask after friends and family, and direct them to helpful services if they are struggling. 

To see a full gallery of Inverell’s RUOK Day activities, click here.