For the first time in 12 years the 2023 Bogan Shire Australia Day ceremony will be held in Davidson Park, in Nyngan’s main street, following a significant upgrade of the area. 

The Australia Day ceremony has not been held in Davidson Park since 2011. It was moved to the Nyngan Town Hall in 2012 to avoid inclement weather and remained there until COVID-19 restrictions saw it moved to Larkin Oval in 2021. 

Bogan Shire Councillors voted unanimously at the November Council to move the ceremony back to Davidson Park and have a less formal "picnic" type celebration. 

The Bogan Shire Australia Day ceremony typically includes a welcome by the Bogan Shire general manager, Welcome to Country, prayer, citizenship ceremony, the Australia Day Ambassador’s address, awards presentation, announcement of colouring competition winners and playing of the National Anthem.  

Initially winter Olympian Hannah Campbell-Pegg was announced at the Bogan Shire Australia Day ambassador, but she was forced to withdraw for medical reasons. 

ABOVE: Bogan Shire Australia Day ambassador HY William Chan 

Dynamic young Sydney architect HY William Chan, who has won acclaim for his work on sustainability, social inclusion, public speaking, surf lifesaving and as a Sydney City councillor, will now be the ambassador. 

Mr Chan, who was born in Hong Kong in 1989 - the same year as the Tiananmen Square massacre in neighbouring China - migrated to Australia as an infant and in 2020 was named the "19th most inspiring Australian" by Qantas when celebrating its centenary.  

An all-round achiever, Mr Chan has been widely recognised for his work designing sustainable and inclusive cities. 

He is also a Sydney City Councillor, an executive of Climate Emergency Australia, (which represents over 100 local governments accelerating a zero-carbon economy across the countr), and an award-winning surf lifesaver who champions Australia’s beaches to a new generation of Australians, preventing drowning by teaching surf safety to refugees and migrants. 

Mr Chan William will be presenting his Australia Day address at 9am following a free community breakfast.