Weddin Shire has stopped to celebrate the achievements of locals at ceremonies across the shire on Australia Day.
Australia Day ceremonies were hosted across the shire, with Weddin's Citizen of the Year and Senior Citizen of the Year awarded at a ceremony in Grenfell.
Weddin Shire's Senior Citizen of the year is Mary Stokes.
The 2025 Weddin Shire Citizen of the Year was jointly awarded to Lynne Peterson and Peter MItton.
Weddin Shire Mayor Paul Best said throughout the year the Shire has plenty of highs and a lows, but the community's resilience and the way people support each other is what makes Weddin Shire special.
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Mayor Best said Australia Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what makes the community special, respect the diversity of our stories, our experiences and celebrate the many achievements that define Weddin as a community.
"Today is an opportunity for the people of Weddin Shire to express gratitude for the commitment of those who volunteer and those who have worked hard in our community," he said.
Weddin Shire's Australia Day Ambassador Karen Stuttle said Australia Day is a day that reminds us of a common bond we share as Australians, connected by a desire for unity, the promise of safety, stability and prosperity.
"As Australians there is much of which we can be proud, our democracy, our shared values, the strength, diversity and generosity of our people and our beautiful natural environment," she said.
This Australia Day, Ms Stuttle said, the Grenfell and broader Weddin Shire community is encouraged to reflect, respect and celebrate our nation and our people, especially our strong sense of community.
Weddin Shire's Australia Day Ambassador, Karen Stuttle spoke about having moved to Grenfell two years ago, and spending much of her time in her childhood in Grenfell in a multi-generation farm near the Silos and at her grandparent's farm halfway between Grenfell and Young.
"This is where I felt like where real life was," she said.
Ms Stuttle said her mother grew up and was raised in Grenfell, and said eveything she knows and what she does as a 'Grenfellian', was largely due to her encouragement.
Ms Stuttle's father was born in northern China, and fled to Australia as a six year old as the Japanese occupation settled into his fishing village.
Speaking on her father's experiences, Ms Stuttle said he wanted to blend in with his new home, as his mother never spoke English and his father chose to speak Mandarin in the home.
Ms Stuttle shared with the Weddin community at Taylor Park her experiences growing up and both the challenges and successes she has faced.
She said asked her father why he never wanted to go back to China, to which he always answered 'why would he want to go back,' and listed some of the positive things he found in Australia, including his family, ice cream and Anzac biscuits.
"Dad, the migrant Chinese salesman, who would have been an astrophysicist liked nothing better to see his kids achieve, but giving back to our great nation was what dad really wanted for us, and he put his money where his mouth was," she said.
"When he retired he started mowing everyone's lawns and then out came the whipper snipper, the hedge trimmer, the tomato stakes, the weed poison."
Ms Stuttle said there is a town full of great Australians in Grenfell, those who foster unity, and the people who were nominated on Australia Day foster stability, prosperity and generosity.
