LIAM DURKIN
By LIAM DURKIN
TRAFALGAR Australia Day celebrations were held in the town’s public hall. A congregation of around 50 people came to join in festivities, presented by the Trafalgar Community Development Association. Well known Trafalgar resident and TCDA acting president David ‘Wombat’ Lyons led the ceremony, which heard an address from fellow Trafalgar resident and Baw Baw Shire councillor Darren Wallace. Showing that even councillors can be informal, Mr Wallace did away with the suit and tie for Australia Day, appropriately donning shorts and a pair of thongs. The guest speaker at Trafalgar this year was John Freyne – president of the committee of management behind local newspaper Traf News. Freyne spoke about the role Traf News played within the community, and its importance in being something that connects people of all generations. Traf News is a monthly publication put together by a band of dedicated volunteers, and is delivered to nearly 20 per cent of Baw Baw Shire residents branching from Trafalgar, Willow Grove, Thorpdale and Yarragon. With community newspapers facing continued pressure to stay afloat during the pandemic, the fact Traf News has maintained its presence in town could serve as a beacon of hope for other small players in the print game. The ceremony was highlighted by Marianne Tyler winning the annual Trafalgar Citizen of the Year award. Ms Tyler has been a member of the Trafalgar Lions Club for 18 years, and also volunteers her time with the local op-shop and Trafalgar Cemetery Trust. As if that wasn’t enough, she has also provided cooking classes for boys at Trafalgar High School, and helped out with fundraising for the Youth Resource Centre and Trafalgar Boxing Gym. On accepting the honour, it was clear Ms Tyler very much lived by the ‘do it because you can, not because you have to’ mantra. “I love volunteering, I love Lions and I absolutely adore working in the op-shop, we have so much fun, every Thursday morning I can’t wait to get there,” she said. “I think I like having fun and I like talking to people. We meet heaps of wonderful people and do good things for the community.” Ms Tyler encouraged others to get involved with their community as much as they could. “While you are still able to do things, why stop? You feel younger when you get out doing things, it gives you a purpose if you go and do something,” she said. Those in attendance concluded the ceremony with a two-verse rendition of Advance Australia Fair, before the Trafalgar Lions Club treated all to the staple Aussie breakfast of bacon and eggs.
