Berrima Village community to turn-on character-filled fun for Australia Day 2023 Celebrations In partnership with Wingecarribee Shire Council
Locals can look forward to character-filled fun as Wingecarribee Shire’s time-honoured tradition of Australia Day in Berrima Village continues in 2023 with a fresh approach to family-friendly celebrations.
Proudly put together by the Berrima Village community and the local businesses, the Shire’s Australia Day 2023 celebrations will be a uniquely Southern Highlands experience, made possible thanks to a new collaboration with Wingecarribee Shire Council.
“Berrima residents are grateful to the previous event organiser, Colin Gelling, for all that he’s done to make Australia Day in Berrima village an occasion the whole Shire looks forward to and we understand his decision to now step back after the uncertainty and challenges of recent years.” said Berrima Residents Association President, Eric Savage. “When Council quickly stepped in to help the village community see to it that our long-standing tradition of Australia in Berrima would continue, they demonstrated a shared enthusiasm for making it happen.”
“General Manager, Lisa Miscamble, and her team came to the table with us and the vision took shape for celebrations with a real sense of local character that promise to bring great enjoyment for the whole family.” Eric said.
Celebrations will of course include a Citizenship Ceremony (weather permitting), and feature a vibrant village market showcasing the very best of the village of Berrima, lots of family-friendly fun and children’s activities, tastings by local wine and whiskey producers, classic cars and more. Locals can expect to see details of all that’s happening on Council’s website from the first week in December, and follow socials for regular updates.
“Out of respect for the many First Responders, Frontline Workers, Service Organisations and Volunteers who have come to the aid of Wingecarribee Shire residents when we’ve needed them the most, the decision was made to keep the community’s focus on the Angels In Our Town parade planned for Bowral in the weeks leading up to Australia Day, and not put on another street parade in Berrima Village during the Australia Day celebrations.” said Lisa Miscamble, General Manager Wingecarribee Shire Council.
“The village does however, have many new attractions in store that locals of all ages are certain to love.”
A local with a real heart for Berrima has been enlisted to bring the vision to life. Amanda Fry of Experience Nature Co is widely known for her community-centred and nature-focused experiential events. “I have a real soft spot for Australia Day in Berrima,” Amanda said. “It was my introduction to what it means to be part of a close-knit community when I first moved to the village 26 years ago and Council stepping in has given locals the opportunity to turn it into something really special.” Future running of Australia Day at Berrima will be put out to tender following the 2023 event.
Council’s new Place Liaison Officer Corinne Buxton worked closely with Berrima business and residents groups throughout this year to keep the conversation going with Council as we work toward revitalising our communities together, including through community-owned and driven place activations like this.
The new event partnership with Council is intended to build the capacity of locals for taking ownership of and running their own events, in a way that locals will embrace.
“Moving forward, Council’s whole approach is community-centred and focused on rebuilding relationships in the way that we’re doing here with Berrima Village, so that we can refocus on rebuilding and revitalising our Shire together in ways that truly enhance the unique character of each place.” Lisa Miscamble said. “Recent developments compelled us to move quickly to keep Australia Day in Berrima Village going and we’re pleased to have been able to do that in collaboration with the village community.”
Locals are encouraged to plan ahead and make the most of picnic grounds, the picturesque riverside, heritage walks and the many other highlights in Berrima Village on the day.
From December 1, event details can be found at exploreberrima.com.au and on Wingecarribee Shire Council’s website wsc.nsw.gov.au. Follow us on socials for updates.