This Australia Day, Griffith residents are encouraged to Reflect, Respect and Celebrate our nation, our people and our strong sense of community.
Each year we want to unite our community and pay tribute to the Australian spirit. We're extremely grateful our Australia Day Ambassador, Susanne Gervay OAM will join our community and offer inspiration by sharing her optimistic messages and stories. Known for her work as an award-winning children's author, Ms Gervay is proud to be an Australia Day Ambassador and visit Griffith to join in the celebrations.
Awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award by the International Literacy Association, Order of Australia, nominee for Australia for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, Susanne is recognised for her writing on social justice. Her award-winning stories are published in literary journals and anthologies including the Sub-Continent- Australian anthologies alongside the works of Sir Salman Rushdie and Thomas Keneally. She represented Australia in 'Peace Story' an IBBY, UNICEF anthology where 22 authors, 22 illustrators from 22 countries wrote for peace.
You'll find Susanne in Istanbul speaking on NO bullying at a literature festival and in schools; planting mangroves in Kiribati to protect the islands from rising seas, and speaking to hundreds of kids in Tarawa on story. She advocates on issues from early childhood eye testing with The Boy in the Big Blue Glasses endorsed by Vision Australia, supporting the United Nations Vision campaign; disability through her young adult novel Butterflies endorsed by The Children's Hospital; feminism and gender equality in Shadows of Olive Trees; Harmony Day through her picture book Elephants Have Wings which can reach all children on the national curricula; to her acclaimed novel Heroes of the Secret Underground which reaches into her past as the child of refugees and war, The Edge of Limits on Consent for young adults, to bring hope to our young people, now and in the future.
Her award winning, I Am Jack children's books which have become rite-of-passage on school bullying adapted into an acclaimed play by Monkey Baa Theatre, have toured theatres across Australia and USA.
Griffith Mayor, Councillor Doug Curran, is excited that Susanne will be in Griffith on Australia Day to join in the celebrations.
"Australia Day is an opportunity for everyone living in the Griffith Local Government Area to think about what it means to be Australian and is an opportunity to reconnect with each other. Our national day is a time to reflect on and celebrate strong signs of hope and solidarity. It is this spirit of togetherness that gives us strength to continue to see the value of the positive," he said.
"In Griffith, we recognise and acknowledge our Aboriginal people and we respect the contributions of all Australians. On Australia Day we recognise that everyone plays a role in shaping our nation's future while also taking the time to reflect on our past."
Griffith's Australia Day Award and Citizenship Ceremony will be held on Friday, 26 January 2024 at Griffith Regional Theatre from 10am. You can get your tickets online at https://bit.ly/3RQ8ICh
