The community of Wangaratta needed a reason to laugh on Australia Day, and Greg Evans was the real perfect match for the occasion.

The former dating show host and gold logie nominee had a crowd of about 200 chuckling at his stories.

“We used to take nice, young kids and send them away for interesting weekends to Wangaratta and Albury-Wodonga and then we’d bring them back on television and ask them how much fun thy had,” he said.

Mr Evans hosted Perfect Match for about five years in the 1980s, but now excitedly takes on a role of Australia Day ambassador each year.

His family hailed from Bonnie Doon and the King Valley so he had an affection for the North East.

“At Mansfield we had a small district hospital, but when anyone gets really sick, they send them to Wangaratta,” Mr Evans said.

Chair of administrators Ailsa Fox said celebrations were important after “a pretty turbulent couple of weeks” following council employee Karen Chetcuti’s death.