The Australian spirit and the opportunities provided to those who come from across the seas were the themes of the addresses at Boorowa's Australia Day ceremony.
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Speaking to those gathered Member for Goulburn and Hilltops Councillor, Wendy Tuckerman, spoke of the effort Australians put into their communities.
"What I love about Australia Day are the ceremonies held right across the country that acknowledge extraordinary efforts by everyday Australians," she said.
"People that go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities, whether it be our amazing volunteers, those going above and beyond in their duties of employment or above and beyond in the service they provide. All contributing to our communities and making them better places to live and work.
"There are many that give so much more than is required and that is what encaptures the spirit of what it means to be Australian," she said.
Holding back her emotions Mrs Tuckerman praised and thanked the efforts of all the volunteers that had given their time to the bushfire crisis.
"Our local brigades, SES and emergency services have all been heavily deployed in many fires around our region and our volunteers have been working day in and day out," she said.
"Our police, ambulance, health services, all the NSW state agencies, the defence force, reserves and substantives, have worked tirelessly to support this crisis.
"The eastern and northern parts of my electorate have been greatly affected, people have lost their homes and properties. It's very difficult to find the words to tell you how proud I am and how much admiration I have for the work that has been done and the selfless courage displayed and the generosity of spirit during these difficult times.
"To those firefighters and their families that have paid the ultimate sacrifice, their selfless service will never be forgotten," she said.
This sentiment was also echoed by Boorowa's Junior Ambassador, Caroline Smith, quoting the second verse from Dorothy Ann Mckellar's My Country, "I love a sun burnt country a land of sleeping plains".
"I'm sure everyone here would agree with me Australia is very sun burnt right now," she said.
"We have a bushfire crisis down the east coast and national parks, drought has taken over much of the country and it is one of our hottest summers on record.
"Luckily the bushfires haven't been right at our doorstep in Boorowa but they are close enough that we have been shrouded in smoke and most people here have family and friend that have been impacted by them and we are all thinking of them.
"In these times I think it is great how Australians come together as a community to help each other out here in Boorowa we have had many fire crews go down to help battle the blazes and others have donated money and other things.
"Everyone is reaching out to be there for each other, these are the sorts of things that make Australia and Australians great," she said.
Caroline said she was grateful to be growing up in Australia where she had the freedom to "grow up as a kid and do kid things".
"After watching the news and social media of things happening around the world I feel so grateful not only to grow up in this amazing country but our very special part of Australia, the Boorowa district," she said.
"I feel very lucky to run around our beautiful property playing with all the animals but also being able to come to Boorowa and enjoy everything this wonderful community has to offer.
"It is the small things that mean the most I believe, the opportunity to play lots of different sports, walk to the IGA to get an ice cream and getting stuck there for half an hour while mum and dad are talking to someone.
"But the most important thing is feeling safe walking around this town and having fun," she said.
In terms of Australia Day Ambassadors, Boorowa was treated to a visit from 'Madge the manicurist', Robina Beard OAM.
As well as dishing out her famous catchphrase 'you're soaking in it' Mrs Beard has appeared in many TV series including Number 96, GP, Gotcha, Home and Away and All Saints.
In 2011 Mrs Beard was awarded the medal of Order of Australia for her service to the arts particularly through dance and was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Australian Dance Awards Committee.
She told the crowd gathered about her family's history and their arrival in Australia.
"You may or may not know that I wasn't born in Australia, I was born in England and I was there all through the Second World War," she said.
"We came to Australia in 1949 as 10 quid migrants and just before I left England I auditioned for the Royal Ballet School.
"There were five of us dancing and the people were glaring down at us, the lady conducting the audition was very non helpful just very stern and I didn't dance very well. So I went out and saw my mother and I said 'I'm sorry I don't think I'm going to get in because I didn't dance very well'.
"My mother said 'don't worry about it darling you're not going to school in that building and we looked at it the building on the right side of Sadler's Wells had been bombed, the one on the other side had been bombed and Sadler's Wells was only just standing.
"So we went home and four days later we received our papers to come to Australia, so I don't know if I got into the Royal Ballet School, but whether I did or not my father did the right thing bringing us here because I've had the most amazing life, which Australia has given to me.
"Every opportunity, every chance I could not have done in England. But I have done it here and it's fantastic," she said.
Mrs Beard said she particularly enjoyed her work with the Indigenous communities around Sydney and hoped more people would learn from Aboriginal land management.
"I also have had a great connection with the Aboriginal people in Sydney because I worked at the National Aboriginal and Island Dance Association collage for six years," she said.
"So many of the young men and women that are out there dancing and telling us their wonderful stories, I gave them their first dancing lesson and it's a great pride of mine.
"I want to thank the First Nation people for looking after Australia for so long and making it so beautiful for us to live in and thank all of the people who are now listening to First Nation's people about how to look after the country the way they always did.
"We are finally doing it and maybe that will make a difference," she said.
She also praised the collective Australian spirit and the community spirit shared with her during her visit.
"The Australian spirit has never been stronger or more visible than in the firies and the way the rest of Australia wants to say thank you and want to be able to help them," she said.
"That's the Australian spirit that has always been there but has suddenly become so vibrant and alive. That we all feel are able to help and do something and not just think 'oh goodness what can I do. I can't go fight the fire'.
"The last six months has been a wake up to the country and I think, I pray, that we finally we know that we have to do something about it and we will.
"We are all going together, we are all working towards a better Australia and we're all 'soaking in it'," she said.
