Australia Day Ambassadors have been announced and the Southern Downs can look forward to not one, but two, inspirational Australians attending celebrations in the region.
The communities of Warwick and Stanthorpe will each receive a visit from a high-achieving Australian, with both ambassadors being OAM recipients for service in their respective fields.
Highly honoured academic, Professor Joseph (Joe) Baker AO OBE FTSE MSc PhD DSc (Hon) FRACIC. Chem will attend Warwick celebrations as guest speaker of the Woolworths Ambassador Program. Prof Baker was born in Warwick and attended Warwick East State School and the Warwick State High School and played many a game of rugby league on local fields. He was in fact chosen as Lock Forward in the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League “Dream Team of the Century”.
Southern Downs Regional Mayor Ron Bellingham said that it was a particularly great honour to welcome back a local who had excelled in his chosen field and is recognised as a leader on national and international science stages.
“Joe is an absolute inspiration who has a passion to make a difference to marine science, the environment, and sustainable resource use,” Cr Bellingham said.
“His achievements, roles, contributions and accolades during his 40+ year career in science, are extensive and demonstrate the importance and lasting value of Joe’s work and influence.”
Gardening enthusiasts will no doubt plant themselves at Stanthorpe Weeroona Park celebrations where gardening media personality Colin Campbell will deliver a keynote address capturing the true spirit of being Australian. Colin has been awarded the Order of Australia
Medal for services to horticulture and horticultural media, and the Gold Wattle Award by the Australian Institute of Horticulture (only the second time this award has been made in the 51 year history of AIH).
Cr Bellingham noted that Colin’s qualifications in horticulture, marketing and journalism have been the springboard for a highly successful career with appearances on ABC television and columns for Gardening Australia magazine and the Courier Mail.
The Woolworths Ambassador Program sponsors high achieving Queenslanders like Prof Baker and Colin Campbell around the state to help communities throughout Queensland celebrate Australia Day.
Cr Bellingham praised the upcoming visits of Woolworths Australia Day Ambassadors.
“The Ambassador Program gives regional and remote areas as well as metropolitan areas the opportunity to meet and interact with outstanding Australians as they share their inspirational stories about what being an Australian means to them,” he said.
“Smaller communities like ours can have official ceremonies that are equally as important as the larger cities,” Cr Bellingham said.
Australia Day Ambassadors come from a wide range of fields and include sports heroes, celebrities, writers, artists, business people, environmentalists, scientists, and community workers.
There will be plenty of fun and free activities planned in the Southern Downs to help residents participate in one of the biggest celebrations in the nation.
For more information on Australia Day celebrations, contact Warwick Tourism & Events CEO
Tracy Vellacott on (07) 4661 9073 or visit www.southerndowns.qld.gov.au
