What an incredible Australia Day celebration at the Yerong Creek Hall!

It was a privilege to witness such a magical moment as our Australia Day Ambassador, Viktor Kovalenko—originally from Ukraine and a highly successful coach of Australia’s Olympic yachting team—presented the Citizen of the Year Award to Fernando Flores, a proud former Chilean. The ceremony was a beautiful reminder of the diverse and rich stories that make up our Australian community.

Congratulations to Fernando Flores, pictured here with his lovely wife Idalina, for this well-deserved recognition!

A huge shoutout to the other incredible nominees for Citizen of the Year: Jamey Anderson, Traci Driscoll, Trevor Haines, Ellis Jelbart, Carol McGrath, and Carol Smith. Your contributions to our community are truly inspiring.

The hall was packed—it was one of the biggest Australia Day crowds I’ve ever seen, with an electric atmosphere to match. A massive thank you to the Yerong Creek Hall Committee, led by the amazing Narelle McCrorie, for putting together such a fantastic event.

Proud to be part of such an incredible community. Proud to be Australian