The Bunya District Scout Group hosted this year’s Kingaroy Australia Day event
January 27, 2024
Bunya District Scouts hosted Kingaroy’s main Australia Day event on Friday as part of the group’s big centenary year.
The scouts’ recently refurbished den in James Street was thrown open for the day.
A highlight of the morning was the Citizenship Ceremony conducted by Acting South Burnett Mayor Gavin Jones who swore in a group of 22 new Australians.
The new citizens were each presented with a copy of Dr Tony Matthew’s two-volume history of the South Burnett, “Landscapes of Change”.
Compere for the Australia Day event was Cr Danita Potter who introduced the various Kingaroy-based winners from this year’s SBRC Australia Day awards.
Food – including damper, scones and a barbecue breakfast – was on offer, prepared by scouts, Kingaroy QCWA members and Kingaroy Lions.
The scouts’ new museum was also open, showing memorabilia collected over the past 100 years.
There were also fire engines on display, whipcracking and a four-way tug-o-war.
Local singer Amber Goldsmith sang the National Anthem.
Kingaroy Scouts may have hosted the biggest Australia Day event in Kingaroy but that didn’t stop residents from also gathering at local pubs to toast the day.
There were Australia Day events at the town’s three hotels, with the Kingaroy Hotel-Motel hosting the South Burnett Thrashers’ annual yabby races, a fundraiser for the rugby union club.
Willow Bartlett, 4, was part of the whip-cracking display (see inset)Peter McLennan and Martin Creek, from Kingaroy, brought along their motorbikes as part of a small display by the Ulysses ClubUlysses club president “Bear”, from Kumbia, with club member Peter Gemmell, KingaroyActing Mayor Gavin Jones takes Hoang Yen Buithi, from Nanango, through the Citizenship ceremonyHani Shaaban and Mona Ibrahim, from Kingaroy, and their four children all became Australian citizens on FridayThe 22 new Australians are congratulated by Acting Mayor Gavin JonesAustralia Day compere Cr Danita Potter with Australia Day Senior Cultural Award winners Sue Dowideit-Reiger and Craig Reiger; the couple also won the Kingaroy Local Achiever AwardCr Sctot Henschen, Cr Danita Potter, Cr Jane Erkens and Acting Mayor Gavin Jones with South Burnett Junior Citizen of the Year, Mia De Guzman, centre, who is a Year 12 student at St Mary’s Catholic CollegeThe QFES and Rural Fire Brigade had vehicles on display in the scouts’ groundsScouts, firefighters and children took part in four-way tug-o-warsSing Australia members performed some folk tunesAmber Goldsmith sang and played the National AnthemA large display of memorabilia was laid out on tables in the museum area …… including trophies won by various local scout groups over the decadesNot all the action was at the Scouts Den … South Burnett Thrashers winger Ryan Cook and fullback Adam Rarere were getting the yabbies ready for racing at the Kingaroy Hotel-Motel; there was also yabby racing at pubs in Nanango, Yarraman and Cooyar
