January 28, 2014
With everything from racing cane toads and yabbies to thong tossing and billy can painting … it could be only one thing, Australia Day!
In a pleasant change from last year’s torrential rain, the weather didn’t interfere on Sunday.
At Yarraman, the town’s Australia Day awards were handed out in a ceremony at the Community Hall.
In Nanango, the showgrounds hosted a big day of fun events, including the traditional test of canine skill, dog high jumps.
Kingaroy’s “official” Australia Day events were held at the Town Hall and the Forecourt area, including whip-cracking, bush poetry and a sausage sizzle. Moving inside the hall, there was a pie eating competition and the now-traditional cane toad races.
At Wondai, billy cans got a makeover courtesy of the town’s young artists as part of a morning of activities which also included a free breakfast.
Murgon’s celebrations featured the distribution of local awards plus bush poetry, Aussie tucker and live music.
Australia Day celebrations were also held at Boondooma Homestead, Blackbutt RSL, Proston Scout Den and at the Hivesville Country Markets.
Related articles
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- John Is Our 2014 Citizen Of The Year
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[Photos by Clive Lowe Photography, Keren Mcsweeney, Ros Heit and southburnett.com.au]
Australia Day – Nanango
James Webb sang the National Anthem and Nanango’s string of Australa Day award winners and nominees were presented to the crowd but the most popular part of Nanango’s annual Australia Day celebrations at the Showgrounds was, as always, the dog high jumps.
Working dogs showed off their prowess at leaping onto the ever-higher back of a farm ute.
Also popular were the community tug-o-wars where the town’s two-legged residents also enjoyed an opportunity to demonstrate their sporting prowess.
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Australia Day – Kingaroy
Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell and Cr Damien Tessmann were the moving forces behind Kingaroy’s Australia Day celebrations, which featured a free breakfast, entertainment and Aussie-themed fun for residents to enjoy at the Kingaroy Town Hall.
Kingaroy Lions Club members were kept busy cooking breakfast while members of the Kingaroy Quota Club provided scones with jam and cream.
The men’s choir Vocal Mayhem sung the National Anthem and Waltzing Matilda to get the audience into a patriotic mood before pie eating and lamington eating contests.
Premier Campbell Newman may take heart from the results of the cane toad races …
The toads – named after politicians – included “Fireworks Frecklington”, “Croakin’ Kratzie”, “Shorten Odds”, “Sir Budgiesmuggler”, “Canedoo” and “Raging Rackemann”.
“Canedoo” proved too strong, taking out the 2014 Cup (although ALP voters may demand a swab).
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Pink Stumps Day – Kingaroy
South Burnett cricketers and would-be cricketers gathered at T.J. O’Neill Oval in Kingaroy for a fun Pink Stumps Day to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.
The foundation helps to fund Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia (including the South Burnett) and increases breast awareness in young Australian women.
Teams battled it out on the pitch with plastic bats and balls …
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Yabby Races – Kingaroy
The Thrashers Rugby Union Club’s Yabby Races are becoming an Australia Day tradition in Kingaroy.
This year the races were held at the Broadway Hotel and attracted a crowd of “punters” to the hotel’s beer garden.
Maybe as an incentive to get the crustaceans to crawl faster, redclaw was also featured on the pub’s menu for the day.
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Palace Hotel – Nanango
Nanango’s Palace Hotel put on a day of home-grown entertainment for Australia Day.
From noon, and acoustic showcase featured musical sets by Luke Green, Craig Menere, Tori Somers and Rowan Edwards.
This was followed by Aussie-style Karaoke led by Billy Tea and Honey Bee then a night of rock music featuring Mr Q.
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Australia Day At Wondai
After hosting the South Burnett Regional Council’s Australia Day awards the night before, Wondai Town Hall took on a local flavour for Australia Day.
The free community breakfast, sponsored by the South Burnett Regional Council and cooked by Wondai Lions, kicked off at 7:00am and was followed by a flag-raising ceremony and children’s activities.
Entertainment for the more than 100 people in attendance was provided by the Wondai & District Band.
Wondai residents had a choice of Australia Day entertainment with Dimities Restaurant, the Wondai Hotel and the Wondai Pool also putting on special activities.
