The Greater Hume Council 2022 Australia Day ambassador says he doesn't believe the date of the celebratory event should change, after Aboriginal communities around the country have criticised it as 'Invasion Day'.
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Aboriginal Australians have lobbied to change the date of the national holiday for years, because it marks the anniversary of Britain's First Fleet arriving in Sydney, which for many First Nations people represents the destruction of their culture.
Olympic shooter James Willett said he was honoured to be Greater Hume's Australia Day ambassador.
"I don't think we need to change the day of Australia Day," he said.
"If they chose to have a different day for another cause or something like that, I wouldn't be against it.
"I don't want to get too political, but I just think we should all be able to come together on the day to celebrate Australia Day."
Mr Willett, who grew up in Mulwala, has won seven international gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals across events like trap shooting and double trap shooting at World Championships, World Cups, World Cup Finals and Oceania Championships.
He has also represented Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the Rio and Tokyo Olympics and will head to Paris in 2024.
Greater Hume's Australia Day celebrations will be held at the Ten Mile Gardens on the corner of Albury and Young streets in Holbrook from 8am.
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Victoria Ellis
Victoria Ellis grew up on the Border and loves reporting for her home community. She is a University of Wollongong Journalism graduate. In 2018 Victoria was awarded the Bruce Gordon Scholarship for Journalism and completed a 10 week internship with WIN News Illawarra. In 2019 she was awarded The Border Mail's Cameron Thompson Scholarship, where she completed a three week internship, before taking up ongoing employment in 2021.
Victoria Ellis grew up on the Border and loves reporting for her home community. She is a University of Wollongong Journalism graduate. In 2018 Victoria was awarded the Bruce Gordon Scholarship for Journalism and completed a 10 week internship with WIN News Illawarra. In 2019 she was awarded The Border Mail's Cameron Thompson Scholarship, where she completed a three week internship, before taking up ongoing employment in 2021.
