By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A FORMER Doveton local and Australia Day Ambassador returned to her old suburb on Sunday with a message of patriotism, inclusion and understanding.
Sarah Williams, co-founder of not-for-profit organisation Footprints Enterprises, returned to the area she used to live in to help Doveton celebrate Australia Day and share her experience of working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Hosted by the Doveton Eumemmerring Township Association and held at Olive Recreation Reserve, the Doveton Australia Day event included circus activities for children, a range of stalls and a stage area for musical performances and official speeches.
In her presentation Ms Williams told the crowd how some of her happiest memories had been witnessing when new Australians receive their citizenship certificate and being able to share in this moment.
“I have often been invited to share this experience with many friends and colleagues at their citizenship ceremony and I’ve observed how proud and thankful they are to be welcomed as Australian citizens, many of them have come from war-torn backgrounds,” she said.
“Often people don’t necessarily choose to have to leave their own nation but express gratitude when they have the opportunity to make Australia their second home.
Ms Williams also commended Victoria for working with Reconciliation Australia to heighten the awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
“In Australia we’ve come from many backgrounds, many cultures, many faiths. Our identity as Australians is not just a physical or ethnic identity, but we have many different natures and we’re inextricably bound together by the place we find ourselves in,” she said.
“A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to visit South Sudan on two occasions and on this day I’m particularly thinking of the conflict that’s happening over there and how lucky we are right now to experience a country that has a democracy, and where we have the ability to attend days like this in freedom.”
Casey councillors Damien Rosario and Wayne Smith, from the River Gum Ward and who both attended the Doveton event, praised Casey residents for their community spirit.
“It’s such a proud day for us, to be Australian,” Cr Roasario said.
“Everyone is coming together, of all different races, and celebrating what it means to be Australian.”
