AUSTRALIA Day is a time to crack a stubby of Victoria Bitter and not be afraid to spill a bit of sauce down your shirt.
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That was what television and radio personality Shawn Cosgrove believed anyway.
But as Cosgrove joked about growing up in a small town to a crowd of about 70 at Kiewa-Tangambalanga’s Australia Day celebrations, he had a deeper intention.
“I grew up Cooranga North in a bush in Queensland and that place makes Kiewa-Tangambalanga look like New York,” he said.
Cosgrove, best known for his “come on down” voice-over on the Price is Right, has been an Australia Day ambassador for 15 years and made an effort to visit small areas.
“I never envisioned I would work in the city and I like to get the message across that growing up in the country is an advantage,” he said.
“You have to be intuitive and inventive and sometimes those with less are more prepared to have a crack.
“There’s a saying ‘adapt or perish’ and I think country folk adapt better.
“There are really nice people here and no bull dust.”
Cosgrove also opened up about being a “chronically shy” teenager when he took an opportunity to call horse races in Toowoomba.
As he addressed the crowd he was inspired by the amount of young people living around Kiewa-Tangambalanga.
“People think growing up in the bush is a disadvantage and that’s just rubbish,” Cosgrove said.
“You have the best times in places like this.”
Australia Day may be associated with barbecues and cold beverages but Cosgrove reminded the crowd about mateship and accepting all people.
“Just have a good time and don’t worry about too many things,” he said.
“We can have a barbecue during the day but at night we can walk down the street and have a souvlaki or a pizza or something else our mates from other countries have brought us.”
The official celebrations ended in an Aussie fashion, with the crowd joining together to sing John Williamson’s hit True Blue.
Indigo Shire mayor Bernard Gaffney also attended the ceremony in Kiewa-Tangambalanga yesterday ahead of the evening formality in Beechworth, which Cosgrove also addressed.
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