Australia Day Ambassador - Judith Robbins
Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls.
I wish to pay my respects to the indigenous custodians of this land the Bangerand People and to any elders who may be present today.Welcome to all of you who have come together to celebrate , as part of your community, this special day.
Thank you for inviting me to come to Violet Town to spend Australia Day with you all. This is my first visit to your lovely town and I have travelled quite a distance to be here.
Peter and Judith Robbins of East Gippsland attend Australia Day celebrations. Click image
For those who don't know, my name is Judith Robbins, I have been married to Peter for 50 years next month. We have four daughters, nine grandchildren and six step grandchildren.
We live in East Gippsland near Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance in an area called Meerlieu. I have to say it is an area, unlike Violet Town, with only a school and a hall so if you blink while passing you can miss it. Meerlieu consists of surrounding farms and has a great community spirit so much so that they field three different levels of cricket teams know as the Tussocks. Peter and I have a sheep farm and also operate a wedding decorating business and I am a proud Australian.
I am one of 135 ambassadors in Victoria adding our voice to today's celebrations of Australia.
Australia Day Ambassador Judith Robbins addresses the gathering. Click image
I am proud to be part of this terrific national program. Australia day Ambassadors are today participating in celebrations right across Australia in every state and territory and I am particularly pleased to be here with you all in Violet Town.
I would like to acknowledge the important sponsorship of Woolworths Safeway that make Australia Day Ambassador Program possible. The support of Australian companies in promoting Australia Day is their way of giving something back to the community.
I am proud to be an Australia Day Ambassador not only to give praise to my country but also to acknowledge the resilience, fortitude and community spirit that is deep in the Australian character and deep in our history.
This year I have had personal experience of that Aussie community spirit.
For 18 years my husband and I have had the privilege of providing a respite house on our farm to give families who have a child with a life threatening illness, a free holiday and a chance to refresh themselves and to gain strength to continue their heart breaking journey. The House was called Annies Cottage.
Sadly on 25 November 2008, due to an electrical fire, Annies Cottage burnt to the ground.
To say that we where devastated is a gross understatement. After we came to terms with the loss and after numerous encouraging phone calls we made the decision to rebuild.
For the 18 years that Annies Cottage was operating the support both in time energy and financial assistance we received from the East Gippsland community can only be described as truly Australian.
For the last 12 months since the fire we have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of the local and not so local community in rebuilding Annies Cottage. As I speak to you today the new Cottage is nearing completion and we hope to be able to welcome families back before Easter.
It has been the most humbling experience and it has also consolidated my faith in the caring generosity of the every day Australian.
We live in the greatest country in the world. As Australians we have so much to celebrate and be proud of in terms of this nations achievements. Australia Day is not only about celebrating our heritage but is also about a nation which believes its best days lie ahead.
One of the advertisements for Australia Day on the TV suggest that we should give thanks for our beaches lamingtons and Kylie. Of course there are many things to be grateful for - our freedom, our life style, the land it self. We sing in our national anthem the words “Our land abounds in nature gifts of beauty rich and rare” I am sure Violet Town on Honeysuckle Creek fits into that category.
Australia Day celebrates diversity and tolerance in Australian society, embraces a multicultural Australia including our indigenous Australians, all ethnic back grounds, racial difference and political viewpoints.
I welcome and congratulate the new Australians who have today formally become part of our nation as Australian citizens.
Respect and democracy are critical parts of Australian citizenship. Respect allow us to treat one another as we would like to be treated no matter what our background colour or creed and to practice Australian love of a fair go.
Love of a fair go and mate ship are two of Australia's unique qualities.
On a recent trip we met a couple from America they where very interested in Australia. Over dinner they asked me what word would I choose to describe the best quality of an Australian. I said Mateship. They had never heard of this expression and were fascinated and impressed when I explained what the word meant. They couldn't wait to go home and tell their friends and to give it a try.
Mateship is the essential element of our many volunteers such as CFA, Red Cross workers, SES and CWA just to name a few. They help to enrich our communities and help make Australia the great country it is today.
I believe what will ultimately define us as a community is our willingness to put something back into it.
Everyone can make a difference. On this Australia Day if you aren't one of the countless Australians that devote their time energy or funds to others, think about what you could do to make a difference to be a dinki-di Australian and to promote the mate ship that we Australians are so famous for and to hand that tradition onto future generations, and give them something to be proud of.
This year we celebrate the 175 anniversary of Victoria. It is a good year to get out and see a bit more of our state, visit some new places and say hello to some fellow Victorians.
I have really enjoyed visiting you here in Violet Town and I am issuing a personal invitation to you all to visit my home area, East Gippsland. We would love to have you.
Happy Australia Day and best wishes for the coming year. Thank you.