The low category tornado thankfully dissipated just before hitting the Bombala Showground on Saturday afternoon, and even more fortunate was the fact that our Australia Day event was just about to wrap up anyway.

Nonetheless the crowd was forced out of the main shearing tent and into the hall for the final presentations of the day, not before witnessing some pretty extreme weather.

The end of the afternoon could not have been more in contrast with the rest of the Australia Day event, which was relaxed and cheerful as participants enjoyed a summery day of competition and activities.

The backbone of the event was once again the excellent shearing and woodchop competitions, with fantastic local and visiting talent being showcased.

While numbers were not at their highest for either contest, competition was fierce and there was gripping entertainment for spectators as our local competitors were cheered on. 

There was plenty of laughter to be heard from the kids as they made the most of the jumping castles, crafts activities and novelty games, such as the gumboot toss and egg and spoon races.

The younger contingent of the crowd also braved the heat and hit the oval for a round robin of Oz Tag, while those with any energy left were also keen to shoot their way around the laser tag course.

For everyone else there were stalls to peruse, a historic engine display and a great variety of food and refreshments from the Delegate Pony Club, the Lions, and the Bombala Rugby League Football Club.

A peek at the photography competition was a must, with the Essence of Rural Australia theme providing some great images; the judges deciding that Carol Badewitz captured the feel best in her winning shot.

As a very welcome addition to the photography, the Bristle Brush Arts Group also ran a painting competition, providing a wonderful display of artworks, the winner being Nola White. 

It was the Mini Triathlon that actually kicked the day off, however, with the event being particularly popular with young people this year as the competitors hit the pool, the river track and the recreation ground.

At lunchtime there was a pause for the presentation of awards, with Mayor Bob Stewart taking the stage to present the Citizen of the Year Award to Colin Green, and the Young Citizen of the Year to Keiren Rodwell.

The applause rolled on as the Sportsperson of the Year was revealed to be Adam Rodwell, and the Event of the Year the Anglican Garden Day.

Australia Day Ambassador, Reverend Graham Long gave the Australia Day Address, with the CEO of the Wayside Chapel laughing as he noted the contrast between Bombala and Kings Cross.

“I’ve never seen a sheep shorn in my life before today,” he said. “I love that Australia Day has brought us together.”

Rev Long based his address on the many inspirational turn-arounds that he has witnessed through the Wayside Chapel, with countless troubled or addicted people having taken matters in their own hands to improve their lives.

“Once people realise that there are people with them and for them, that’s what happens; they move on themselves, no one has to tell them to do it,” he said.

He then related this to the attitude in our own small community.

“You stop thinking “what can I get” and start thinking “what can I do”, and what’s true for a person is true for a community. Here you have a clear case of many people thinking “what can I do”, and that’s why you have the longest running Australia Day celebration in the country.”

Reverend Long was clearly delighted to spend the day in Bombala meeting the locals, and was presented with a token of appreciation from the Council in the form of local products and memorabilia. 

The official proceedings also saw the winners of the triathlon congratulated, while Mayor Stewart commended the Australia Day Celebration Committee on an excellent event.

The singing of the National Anthem and the flag raising concluded the formalities, with a happy afternoon of Australia Day celebrations then being shared amongst the enthusiastic gathering before the weather declined.

The Australia Day Celebration Committee would like to offer its sincere appreciation to all of those who helped make the event a success, encouraging more members to jump on board and help with the day next year.