Colleen Mitchell: My wedding day this year on 25th November will be very special as we are celebrating our 50th anniversary after getting married in 1972.

Sylvia Glendenning: The 11th of January has turned out to be an important date in my life as all sorts of things have happened on this date. I got my driver’s licence, and I went overseas to name but two events.

Adrianne Brown: I like the number 33 as it is the new address of the CanAssist shop in Court Street, and we’ve been very lucky to find this venue. It has been such a good move and the shop is doing fantastic.

Abby Blair with Elsie Pritchard (11 months): I like the supportive community, and would love to see a waterpark and indoor play area.

Hannah Hawker with Joseph (6 months) and Alfie (2): I like all the parks with play areas, and the kids’ area at the pool is great. The CUC is a fantastic addition to Parkes. I’d love a big, indoor play area in town.

Simran Villella: I like the sense of community, the accessibility to so many amazing things and the lack of traffic. I would like to see some more resources going into early education for young children and more structured activities for kids aged 0 – 5.

John and Jenny Short:

John (volunteered 20 times): It is a healthy and happy way of helping the community, and you get to meet lots of new people.

Jenny (volunteered 22 times): It is good fun and you get out in the fresh air that makes you feel so much better. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone. It’s the best time you can have on a Saturday morning and there is always coffee too!

Sarah Hartin with Rhylee (3) and Tony Melhuish:

Sarah (ran 26 events): I love running and the Parkes community. Parkrun is great for promoting good health in our town.

Tony (walked 32 events): I started doing it to help me loose some weight. I’ve not only managed to shed 20kg, but it is a great opportunity to do something with the family too.

Mel ten Cate: It brings so much. People from other countries bring their perspectives, experiences, culture, food, music, fashion, dances and more. There is so much we can learn and grow from. All of them enrich our lives and understanding.

Dominic Rolfe: Multi-culturalism broadens our horizons and it benefits country NSW as it brings new skills to name but one example.

Roel ten Cate: It brings an opportunity for all different cultures to come together in a melting pot. Food, culture, dances, way of living – all these different customs improve all of our lives.

Jacob Cass: It should be a message of reconnecting with the past and reconciliation to build a more unified future.

Margot Jolly: It should be about inclusiveness. I think having Australia Day on the 26th of Janu-ary is not inclusive, so let’s reflect it in Australia Day. Every day is a great day to be Australian, so why not draw a date from a hat. The day does not necessarily need a special meaning, as long as it has nothing to do with the British monarchy or any wars.

Jenny Kinghorn: I believe all people are equal and we should all treat each other that way. Australia Day is where we can meet each other in the middle.