Gallery | Nowhere celebrates Australia Day like Rushy

By Jemma Jones

Jan 30, 2025

Rushworth Machinery Preservation Club Inc is Rushworth’s Community Group of the Year. Pictured are Maurice Dent, David Morrison, Meryl Allan, James Bell, Jim Wills and Mick Lindsay with Cr Adrian Weston, right. Photo by Jemma Jones

While many Rushworth residents flocked to the basin to cool off, others gathered beneath the cool shade of the trees on High St for Rushworth’s Australia Day ceremony.

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It was a lazy Sunday, January 26 for around 50 locals who let the tempting scent of snags lead them to the grassy knoll at about 10am to celebrate being Australian.

Blue skies back-dropped the ceremony hosted by Australia Day Committee member Peter Read, who thanked everyone for attending the ceremony.

Campaspe Shire Cr Adrian Weston was present at the ceremony, his third event of the day following stints in Girgarre and Stanhope earlier.

He helped to present Heather Wellington with her Citizen of the Year award, along with her friend Lyn Rumble, who said a few words about Mrs Wellington.

Mrs Wellington is a member of multiple committees in town, a regular on High St and always a friendly face around town.

“For those of you that know her, you would understand what we mean — (Heather) is an absolute treasure, she is for our town, and I think we would all agree there is no-one more worthy of the Citizen of the Year award,” Mrs Rumble said.

Cr Weston then awarded the Community Group of the Year to the Rushworth Machinery Preservation Club Inc.

The Machinery and Preservation Club has been going strong for over 20 years, restoring mechanical artefacts key to Rushworth’s history.

Cr Weston, who lives in Rushworth, spoke about the importance of the 70-member club in keeping the town’s history alive.

“The group has restored several significant pieces of machinery that are really special for us to work,” he said.

Both Mrs Wellington and the Rushworth Machinery Preservation Club received nominations for the shire-wide awards held in Echuca on Wednesday, January 22.

Journalist Jemma Jones was at the Rushworth Australia Day ceremony capturing all the important moments.