Margaret River Australia Day Community Barbecue set to return for 2023 after a three-year hiatus

After a three-year hiatus the Margaret River Australia Day Community Barbeque is set to return bigger and better than ever in 2023. Organised by the Rotary Club of Margaret River, the beloved community event will take place on January 26 at the Margaret River HEART in front of the Sound Shell, commencing at 8am. The $5 breakfast barbeque, complete with fruit, tea and coffee, will precede the Shire of Augusta Margaret River’s annual citizenship ceremony, with up to 500 guests expected to attend. Previously coordinated by the Margaret River Lions Club, Margaret River Rotary Club representative Charles Johnson said Rotary is excited to be bringing the event back to the community. “It’s an exciting challenge,” he said. “This is the first time Rotary will be doing this . . . We’ve got something like 30 volunteers so there’ll be a lot of people there to get it going. “This has been in collaboration with council, so that the community gets its much-loved community barbecue back on Australia Day, in Margaret River, and we encourage all members of the community to come along and join in the morning’s festivities.” The early morning event will also give the community a chance to meet a variety of first response crews in the area including local Police, St Johns Ambulance, Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, Marine Rescue Margaret River, State Emergency Service and the Wallcliffe Bush Fire Brigade. Mr Johnson said he hopes it will provide new Australian citizens the chance to see what opportunities are available in their community. “We wanted to acknowledge and celebrate our first responders, who are very important within our community, particularly at this time of year,” he said. “It’s really good, particularly for the new Australians who will be getting their citizenship . . . to see what first responders can do. “It’s an opportunity for I think, people to see we have the opportunities in our community for volunteering, obviously, Rotary being one of those organisations as well.”