General News
22 March, 2024
Australia Day 2024 in Gilgandra’s Hunter Park
This year’s Australia Day was a bright one, as our ambassador James Pittar brought with him a story to tell.
This year’s Australia Day was a bright one, as our ambassador James Pittar brought with him a story to tell, a message to hear, and a comedic streak. Mr. Pittar had much to say in his address during last week’s Australia Day Ceremony, expressing his view on what it meant to be Australian and to show Aussie spirit. A decorated open-water blind swimmer, Mr. Pittar explained to the crowd how his journey as an athlete shaped his perspective. “What does it mean to be Australian? Family and friends, freedom, and opportunity… my country has given me many opportunities to go around the world and do open water swims.”
He shared his experience of swimming the English Channel, one of his most famous open water swims and a challenging undertaking for a blind swimmer. It was a long swim and a long day; Mr. Pittar completed the swim after thirteen hours and 50 minutes of continuous swimming. He says he couldn’t have done it without the support of his family. “I’m fortunate to have my wife Jenny here today, and I have my 16-year-old daughter Annica. Without their love and support, I would not be able to do things such as work, family life, [and] swimming events.
“And similarly, here in the Gilgandra shire, without the love and support of family and community, industries such as beef, cattle, sheep, wheat, winter crops, and the grain silos would not be able to thrive.” Mr. Pittar commented that he was lucky to experience the community spirit of Gilgandra at the previous night’s Australia Day Prelude Concert. “[And] we’ve seen community and Australian spirit in the past three months in Cyclone Jasper, the floods in Victoria, the storms here in western NSW, and the fires in Western Australia.”
To Mr. Pittar, community and belonging are essential to the Australian sense of mateship and spirit that he believes all Aussies share. He concluded his address with a special thank you, “[To] those who are becoming new citizens of Australia, thank you for your commitment, and thank you for becoming a citizen of this great country.”
