Yamba Museum » Australia Day

Australia Day Flag raising ceremony

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 00:58:58 +0000

Every year, Australia Day is celebrated in Yamba with a flag raising ceremony using the heritage listed Signal Staff. The Signal Staff was originally located on top of Pilot Hill in the 1860s and was critical in warning vessels of navigation conditions for entering or leaving the Clarence River estuary. After the signal station became obsolete the signal staff was dismantled and relocated to Story Park opposite the Yamba Museum in 1976. The signals themselves are on display in the Yamba Museum.

All are invited to the flag-raising ceremony which starts at 9am. It will begin with a welcome to country by a Yaegl elder and will be followed by a free barbecue for all. The museum will also be open, showcasing several revamped displays, a refurbished model train exhibit, new Kids Deck area and the current special Surf Cult exhibition in the Old Kirk

Australia Day flag-raising ceremony in Yamba

admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:16:56 +0000

Yamba’s official flag-raising ceremony for Australia Day 2013 was hosted by PYHS with that delightful blend of formality and friendliness which has become a hallmark. Despite an ominous brief downpour at 8.45 am there was fine weather for the occasion and the morning tea which followed.

President Marea Buist began by inviting elder Rev. Lenore Parker to welcome us to Yaegl country. This was followed by greetings from Clarence Valley Council’s Deputy Mayor Craig Howe and an enthusiastic rendition of the National Anthem, led by local identity Bill Venn, as the Australian, NSW and Aboriginal flags were raised on the flagstaff.

Noel Charles, bush poet, once again delighted us with two of his poems (which will be shared in a later post), setting the mood for the Australia Day address. The speakers this year were two young local lads, Chris Zaffis and Jeames Young, who won the Mark Richards Shield at the Australian Junior Surfing Titles in Tasmania in December. They both used the theme of “What Australia Day means to me” and spoke of family and friends and the sense of belonging they had to the area and to the community.

When audience participation was invited, Geoff Small from Brisbane spoke up. As a direct descendant of Thomas Small who sailed the schooner ‘Susan’ through the dangerous entrance to the Clarence River in search of cedar in May 1838, Geoff spoke of his pride in his family, his love for Yamba and the importance of our history. Lenore Parker also elaborated on her earlier “Welcome to Country”. She said she had welcomed us to “her” country, but that her country was now “our” country, and how important it was that we all walked together beside the mighty Clarence as one people. Bill Venn reinforced this idea with his rendition of “I am, you are, we are Australian” with everybody enthusiastically singing the final chorus.

With that we all adjourned to the Museum grounds for traditional Aussie fare – tea and damper (with “cocky’s joy”) and snags on the barbie……it was the archetypal Australia Day!

Yamba – a bush poet’s inspiration

admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:35:16 +0000

The following poems are reproduced here with the kind permission of bush poet, Noel Charles, who won much applause when he recited them at the Australia Day flag-raising ceremony at Norfolk Park on 26 January, 2013.

Yamba

I stood against the break wall where the mighty Clarence met the sea

The pristine waters of paradise had been waiting here for me,

When I saw before me this beauty, a captured picture to behold

A magnificent panorama forever, was cast in an arch of gold.

The ocean waited for the sun to start, its journey through the sky

A pathway of gold expanding, across each wave that passed by.

Creamy coloured sand churned, into a froth of bubbling white,

As each wave breaking and spreading, a pleasure to my sight.

I smell in the breeze its salty air, the aroma reaches out to me

To plunge and savour the freshness, that sets my spirit free.

Whenever I leave Yamba, there is a yearning there within me

As if its calling me back home, to a place where I need to be

To see the soft clouds changing as the sunset spreads around

And covets all the magic in this special kind of town.

We treasure you Yamba, for the boundless beauty that you give,

A piece of heaven actually broke away, and this is where we live.

We love you Yamba for those things that all of us hold dear

It is the nature of your people that creates our village atmosphere.

Noel B. Charles

Australia Day

Australia Day, Australia Day, how proud that we should be

To celebrate our single continent surrounded by the sea,

With states and territories united we stand as proud as one

A young and vibrant land beneath the southern sun.

The flag that flies above us fills our hearts with pride

We say a prayer for those who served for all those who died,

Who protected a land to cherish a place for you and me

And people from other nations who wanted to be free.

Australia, Australia, our home. God make her strong

To protect against aggressors and all who do her wrong,

For our country is young in spirit, her beauty brings us joy

To men and women who seek it, to every girl and boy.

For here is our place, our time, for all that we hold dear

To meet and make a commitment for every other year,

Beneath our flag we pledge to always make a stand

Our loyalty to our nation our very precious land.

Australia, Australia, this is your special day

As your anthem sings your praises in many other ways,

This pride of hope and freedom you stir within us all

And on this your anniversary day we rallied to your call.

So let us cheer our country when we gather around

Standing firmly united on her valued, treasured ground,

All over this great country you have raised our spirits high

To love and protect you until the day we die.