IT would not be Australia Day ay New Norfolk without the Lions Club of New Norfolk staging one of its famous sausage sizzles. The Derwent Valley Council has decided to go it alone and run Australia Day without the support of its long-serving volunteer committee, but some things won’t change.
From 10am until 2pm on Australia Day next Tuesday, the Lions Club will once again be running a free barbecue, funded by the council. The offering will include beef, pork and vegetarian sausages, caramelised fried onions, and a choice of regular or gluten-free bread.
Whisky distiller Bill Lark has been named this year’s Australia Day Ambassador for the Derwent Valley. A veteran of the distilling business, Mr Lark will be the guest speaker at the Australia Day celebrations on the New Norfolk Esplanade on January 26.
The official program will start at 10am, with various entertainments, activities and food vans. Australia Day Awards will be presented at noon and the event will conclude with a colour walk. Tasmanian Road Runners has advised that the traditional New Norfolk Australia Day fun run has been postponed.
Free entry will be available at the Bushy Park and New Norfolk swimming pools on January 26 and the Maydena Community Association will hold its traditional activities including a walk to Junee Cave at 10am, followed by a barbecue.
The Derwent Valley Council last month held an afternoon tea to farewell the committee that had organised local Australia Day events over several decades. The council decided that the event had “outgrown the scope” of the independent committee and voted to invite the group to disband itself.
