The day will start with a free barbecue breakfast from 7.30am.

There will be free entertainment throughout the day (from 8am) including performances from local duet Getaway Car, Desiree’s Dance Academy and some very talented young students from the Goulburn Regional Conservatorium.

The formal Australia Day ceremony will begin at 11am when music writer Bruce Elder will be announced as Goulburn’s Australia Day Ambassador for 2014.

Mr Elder has been writing about popular culture since 1971. From 1974-1981, he lived in England and worked as the London correspondent for Triple J and Australian Rolling Stone.

He started writing popular music concert reviews for the Sydney Morning Herald in 1987 and became a full time employee in 1996 specialising in music, television, book reviews and travel.

In 1996, he became the first popular music writer to win the prestigious Geraldine Pascall Award for Critical Writing.

The official ceremony starts at 11am and will include the National Anthem sung by Ellie Beckman, prayer by Canon Mark Cooper of St Saviour’s Anglican Cathedral, speeches from Mayor Geoff Kettle, Woolworths manager Goulburn Danny Jackson (sponsors of the Australia Day Ambassador Program), and Mr Elder, the presentation of Goulburn’s Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony.

It will conclude with a performance of “I am Australian” by Corby-Lea Hunt. The Goulburn Pipes and Drums will then perform throughout the park.

The day will also have lots of other fun things to see and do including a jumping castle, slide, clowns, face painting, games, reptile show, vintage car displays, a Council information stall including activities and giveaways, the PCYC Police Truck, market stalls, food and drinks and ice cream, sausage sandwiches, meat pies, lamingtons.

There will also be free entry into the Goulburn Aquatic Centre, which will have an inflatable slip and slide and jumping castle. 

Mayor Kettle said he is looking forward to this year’s Australia Day celebrations.

“Australia Day is a day when we all get together to celebrate what’s great about being Australian.  Friends, family, mateship is what Australia is all about and that is what can be celebrated on the day,” Cr Kettle said.  

“I will be at the Marulan Australia Day celebrations in the morning, followed by the celebrations in Goulburn and I encourage all residents of the Local Government Area to get out and enjoy the celebrations.”

Marulan’s day

Marulan’s Australia Day celebrations start with a free breakfast from 8:30am, and the procession starting from the railway bridge from 9:30am, which will proceed down George St and on to Tony Onions Park. Prizes will be awarded for best procession entries.

The official ceremony starts from 10am, with 2014 Australia Day Ambassador Peter Herbert carrying out the keynote address.

There will then be the traditional kids parade from 11am, and the ‘Dunny Derby’ from 11:15am with prizemoney on offer for ‘best dunny’. There will also be a dog parade starting at 11:30am. 

Kids and adult games, shearing demonstrations, food and drink stalls, live music and market stalls will be available throughout the day, with celebrations to finish between 2 and 3pm.

Marulan’s Ambassador is screenwriter and producer Peter Herbert. He is a writer, producer, script editor and academic, with an extensive range of credits in television, stage, event work and film.

Mr Herbert has been both Head of Drama and Head of Producing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). He now teaches at Sydney University. 

Nominations for Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Event of the Year closed on December 6 2013, and Council’s Events Officer Brooke McPherson told the Post that a number of people have been