General News
29 January, 2026
Ceremony of appreciation
DIMBOOLA’S Australia Day celebration was already underway at 10.30am behind the library with about 100 attendees taking advantage of the pleasant garden area and the welcome shade to gather together.
With an excellent morning tea provided by Dimboola CWA, and guests enjoying music from the Nhill-Dimboola Band, CWA president, Mandy Myers, opened the ceremony just after 11am.
“Thank you to the Hindmarsh Shire for convening the event, and I welcome mayor Ron Ismay and Shire councillors, students from St Peter's Lutheran School, Dimboola Primary and Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, along with Dimboola Girl Guides, who will be our flag raisers,” she said.
Cr Ismay gave a short speech underlining the importance of the occasion and paying respect to the nation's history, and asked everyone to participate in the Australian Citizenship Affirmation, which was followed by the raising of the flags and the singing of the National Anthem.
The guest speaker was Law Institute of Victoria head of professional standards and quality assurance, Peter Docherty, who grew up in Dimboola, left to work for over three decades with professional associations, standard setters, and regulators across multiple professions, and recently returned to live in Dimboola.
Peter spoke of how the small town had shaped his appreciation of community and fraternity in his career, which had included collaboration on international ethical standards, and he appreciated the freedoms we continue to enjoy.
Appreciation continued to be a common theme with Dimboola Memorial Secondary College school captains, Lucy Baker and Matilda McKinnon, giving short speeches, the former affirming the ability to share the experience with family, and the latter thankful she lived without “fear of anyone judging me”.
Cr Ismay spoke again, listing the Hindmarsh Shire Australia Day award winners, none sadly from Dimboola for 2026, but thanked the CWA and the band for being part of the celebration.
Mandy closed the event, thanking various community members, including the Girl Guides and her fellow CWA members, and wishing everyone a happy Australia Day.