2020 Australia Day Ambassadors announced
Published on 03 January 2020
A Victorian Football League premiership player, the former CEO of Ambulance Victoria, the former executive director of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal and the president of Carers Australia headline Gannawarra Shire Council’s Australia Day Ambassadors for 2020.
As in previous years, Council has been fortunate to successfully apply for Australia Day Ambassadors for the majority of celebrations planned for the Gannawarra on Sunday, 26 January 2020.
“Thanks to the Australia Day Ambassador program, residents have been able to meet many prominent Australians, ranging from business leaders, sporting greats and unsung Victorians,” Mayor Lorraine Learmonth.
“This year is no exception, with another high-calibre group of men and women coming to the Gannawarra later this month.”
Former VFL player and Australian Football League coach and commentator, Stan Alves OAM will be the special guest at Kerang’s morning celebrations and Lalbert’s lunchtime festivities.
A member of North Melbourne’s 1977 premiership-winning side, Mr Alves played 266 games – 226 of which were with Melbourne, where he won two club Best and Fairest awards and is a member of the Demons’ Hall of Fame.
Mr Alves coached St Kilda between 1994 and 1998, guiding the Saints to the 1997 Grand Final, and also became a renowned football commentator following the completion of his playing career.
Carers Australia president, Dr Peter Langkamp will be the guest speaker at Quambatook’s morning celebrations and Leitchville’s traditional evening gathering.
Currently the eCommerce lead at Bendigo Bank, Dr Langkamp also conceived and launched the popular FlyBuys customer rewards program.
Dr Langkamp has a successful career in corporate life, as well as being a father of a child with disability, which guides his work with Carers Australia.
Murrabit’s morning celebrations will feature a speech from Former Ambulance Victoria Chief Executive Officer, Professor Greg Sassella.
A former paramedic, Professor Sassella progressed through the Metropolitan Ambulance Service to become its Chief Executive Officer, then lead the service through its amalgamation into Ambulance Victoria – a position he held until his retirement in 2014.
Professor Sassella was appointed in 2016 as an Honorary Professorial Fellow by Monash University and today lectures the online master’s degree in management and leadership in health.
The former executive director of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, Christine Unsworth AM rounds out the Gannawarra’s Australia Day Ambassadors, speaking at Cohuna’s morning festivities.
During her 16-year tenure as the Appeal’s executive director, Ms Unsworth presided over an unprecedented growth in fundraising, with more than $160 million raised for the Royal Children’s Hospital between 1996 and 2012.
Ms Unsworth’s career-long support of charity and community saw her recognised in 2014 when she was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
Meanwhile, former Gannawarra Shire Council Mayor, Max Fehring OAM will be the guest speaker at Koondrook and Barham’s combined Australia Day morning celebrations, occurring this year at Barham’s Riverside Park.
A Victorian Farmers Federation Life Member, Mr Fehring was president of United Dairyfarmers of Victoria from 1997 to 2001 - a period which coincided with the deregulation of the dairy industry in Australia.
A Cohuna resident, Mr Fehring served on Council for three terms, and was Mayor during the record 2011 floods.
“I encourage all residents to head to their local Australia Day festivities and celebrate what it means to be an Australian,” Mayor Learmonth said.