A local family was overwhelmed with emotion when couple Marj and the late Terry Manuel were named Inverell’s 2019 Citizens of the Year on Saturday.
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Known for their tireless efforts volunteering for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, the pair had raised thousands for the service over the years. Daughter Jo Williams spoke on behalf of her parents, and acknowledged that although it had been a difficult month for the family, the honour was deeply appreciated.
Cricketer Claire Lennon was named the Young Citizen of the Year for successes with the sport. After years representing her town and region in the sport she is now a net bowler for the NSW Breakers and part of the Sydney Sixers Academy. Her mother Libby collected the award on her behalf and thanked the community for their support of Claire in her sporting pursuits.
Bringing hundreds of people into town and promoting health and diversity, the Elders Olympics Games was a worthy recipient of the Event of the Year Award. Accepting the award on behalf of the committee, James Sheather thanked the town and council for supporting the event.
Victoria Park hosted a strong crowd for the event, with the Inverell Pipe Band providing a background of Australian classics. Mayor Paul Harmon spoke about the way the town embodies respect for its citizens, regardless of where they come from and what they believe, and said “we do things better than any other community surrounding us”.
Senator John ‘Wacka’ Williams enjoyed his last Australia Day in an official capacity, and talked about how the Australians of the Year Richard 'Harry' Harris and Craig Challen, who helped rescue a soccer team from a cave in Thailand, represented the Australian spirit of giving a helping hand.
Sydney-based author James Fry was Inverell’s Australia Day ambassador. Mr Fry is known for his debut memoir That Fry Boy, which details his raw personal story of suffering through bullying and alcohol abuse, as well as first hand experiences with violent extremism.
He said the strongest communities were those that tied together diversity and resilience, and felt that “city folk” like himself could learn from country people’s ability to judge a person by their whole character instead of individual actions.