It was standing room only at Noreuil Park foreshore on Thursday, where hundreds gathered to welcome new citizens and recognise the work and impact of community legends.
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The Albury Council Australia Day program began with a breakfast served to the tunes of the Albury City Band which could be heard in the further reaches of the park.
Liz Heta, a descendent of Aunty Nancy Rooke, OAM, spoke first to welcome the audience and new citizens to Wiradjuri land. A late addition, Ms Heta invited Wiradjuri language educator Aunty Ruth Davys on stage who addressed the audience in Albury's first tongue.
Applause was near-constant throughout the citizenship ceremony where individuals and families stood to receive paperwork certifying their new status. Pausing to pose for photographs with Albury mayor Kyle King, Aunty Liz and a photograph of King Charles III, new citizens were received from countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Anu Singh, who moved to Albury from India 13 years ago, said the citizenship process had been manageable for her family of four.
"I am so excited about being an Australian citizen," Ms Singh said. "Work is good here, the community is also good."
The applause did not stop for the segment that followed, as guest announcers presented the winners of the four categories of the Albury awards.
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Young Citizen of the Year was taken out by volunteer wunderkind Tylar Shepheard, who since moving to Albury in 2019 now volunteers with St John Ambulance, NSW Rural Fire Service and the Australian Navy Cadets.
Not to be outdone by Mr Shepheard, Volunteer of the Year was won by Christine Thomas from the cancer services charity Brave Hearts. Ms Thomas thanked the crowd for its support, saying she felt the Albury community had become her "family" since moving to the area in 1999.
Not-for-profit organisation Albury Wodonga Multicultural Community Events Inc [AWMCEI] took out the most contested category of Community Group of the Year for its work on mental health and wellbeing for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Though perhaps best known for vibrant and entertaining events to showcase multiculturalism in the region, AWMCEI pivoted during the COVID pandemic to provide social support on issues such as food insecurity and period poverty.
Finally, Albury Citizen of the Year was presented to Al Taylor, the director of Wodonga indoor park Al's Skate Co, for his role in youth, skate and suicide prevention advocacy. Visibly surprised, Mr Taylor said he did not know he was nominated for the day's central award.
"I am immensely proud. I'm really passionate about sharing what we do through skateboarding, which is about building confidence, resilience and mental health," Mr Taylor said.
At the wrap of proceedings, the crowd quickly dispersed along the foreshore to have photographs taken with the unbeatable Murray River backdrop. New citizens, Wiradjuri Elders, politicians and community legends soon mixed into the crowd of regular river users who had gathered throughout the morning.
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