Hindmarsh Shire Council is pleased to receive notice that they will be hosting Alice Pung as Hindmarsh’s Australia Day Ambassador for 2019.

Nhill, Dimboola, Jeparit and Rainbow will each host events on Australia Day. A flag raising ceremony will take place in each town, along with addresses from the Mayor and Australia Day Ambassador. Awards for Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, and Community Event of the year will also be presented on the day.

Alice Pung is an internationally-acclaimed author and journalist who has published work in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Age, The Monthly and The Australian. Her award-winning books are studied in schools in Australia and overseas, and include Unpolished Gem, Her Father’s Daughter and Laurinda.

Alice was born in Melbourne, the daughter of Chinese-Cambodian refugees, and grew up in Footscray and Braybrook. She has given lectures in universities, including Vassar College, Brown University, Peking University, and the University of Milan. Alice is the current Artist-in-Residence at Janet Clarke Hall, the University of Melbourne. She is a qualified lawyer and works at the Fair Work Commission.

In addition to being an Australia Day Ambassador, Alice is the Ambassador to the Twentieth Man Fund, the 100 Story Building and Room to Read; organisations that support the most marginalised and disadvantaged youth around Australia and the world.

On Saturday 26 January 2019 the formal Australia Day program begins with a breakfast BBQ in Rainbow, from 7.30 am, followed by another breakfast BBQ in Jeparit from 9.00 am, a morning tea from 10.30 am in Dimboola, and finally a lunchtime BBQ from 12.00 in Nhill.

Hindmarsh Shire Council would like to extend its thanks to the Lions Club of Rainbow, Jeparit Town Committee, Dimboola CWA, Dimboola Town Committee and the Nhill Lions Club for hosting the Australia Day Event in their respective towns on 26 January 2019. Council appreciates the ongoing efforts of these community groups to celebrate our history, identity and future opportunities as Australians – and looks forward to celebrating with you all over the Australia Day weekend.