But there was also more to it than that with speeches that focused on universal issues such as drugs and depression and a sobering description of heroic deeds by Australian Ambassador Paul Featherstone. 

There was also camaraderie between old and new Councillors who patted each other on the back and shared a yarn or two, but this was not a time of political debate but all about unity.

RELATED STORY: 

Inverell Mayor Paul Harmon spoke of the attendance of  Indigenous Elder Kelvin Brown and local poet Esther Gardner during the morning’s activities in Inverell but stopped short of getting into a debate about the #changethedate campaign. Instead, he focused on connections we share. 

Dr John Irvine was the MC and took the opportunity to lament changes. “Now, we expect schoolteachers to teach things parents should teach. We are governed by rules and regulations that stop us from having street parades. We are a nation of people who are supposed to be politically correct. But that is just not Australian,” he said. 

Parked outside were vintage cars whose drivers showed up regardless of the cancellation of the parade for the first time due to restrictions that wouldn’t allow the highway to be closed. “It’s not our fault you didn’t have a parade,” said Ian Martin, a member of the Inverell Antique Motor Club who came for the drive and bought his vintage car with him anyway. 

No parade, but there were definitely plenty of winners, though the Citizen of the Year could not be presented with an award because of a personal emergency that called her away from Delungra. She will be announced at a later time.

Other awards went to: 

Sports Award: Delungra Primary School touch footballl team who did the area proud with a surprise win in the small schools of NSW competition, despite most of the players suffering from stomach flu.

Community Event of the Year: Delungra Campdraft Championships, with the award accepted by Alan Worgan

Young Citizen of the Year: Kimberly Wilson for her impact on young people at her school