Sporting commentator reminds us that we are 'gold' – Peter (Wilko) Wilkins prepares to head to Brewarrina as 2021 Australia Day Ambassador.

In 2020, official Australia Day Ambassador, Emma Rossi warmed the Brewarrina community with her sensitive talk of healing and in 2021, Peter Gibbs moved us deeply with his acknowledgement of the past.

This year, veteran sports commentator Peter Wilkins will spend his twentieth year as an ambassador, and his twentieth wedding anniversary with wife Susie, in the town as 2022 Australia Day Ambassador for Brewarrina.

He will talk of his own love of country and of the things that connect us all.

Mr Wilkins is quite a regular to the NSW Outback and to regional travel in general, which he says inspired his move from Sydney to the Southern Highlands seven years ago.

As well as many other places, he has performed Ambassador duties at Lightning Ridge, Moree and more recently in Bourke in 2020; an experience he describes as incredible.

“We met some fantastic people,” he said. “That’s the thing with the Outback and everywhere we go regionally; it’s the people, the stories, the smiles. The Soul of the nation is here, so ready and willing to reveal its light, and there’s just so much of it”

Country towns are definitely in his blood, and Mr Wilkins has familial connections with Hill End, Sofala, Wellington, and O’Connell.

“Once you experience the country vibe, it never leaves you," he says. “These country towns are the glue that hold the nation together. We see it in the community, the family, the ‘arm on everyone’s shoulder’… it’s a celebration of kinship out here and every place we visit has its own pot of gold."

"Then there’s the landscape,” he laughs, “I haven’t even touched on that....”

Mr Wilkins with Gold medallist Kim Brennan at the 2016 Olympic games. 

Peter is most fondly known for his passion for sport and in his 37 years as a sports commentator, he has come to believe that sport is a microcosm of society.

“Sport connects us all," he says. "Like music, it crosses all boundaries… all that matters is the thrill of the game or the sound of the song, and at the end of the day, those are the things that connect us.”

Three awards will be presented by Mr Wilkins at Brewarrina Pool next Wednesday: Sports Person of the Year, the Citizen of the Year, and the Australia Day Award.

This year's nominees for each category are:

Australia Day Award: Brewarrina Aboriginal Lands Council, Brewarrina Fire and Rescue, Brewarrina Hospital, Ochre Health, Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, Brewarrina Police, Brewarrina AMS, Alice Gordon and Dan Kelly – Brewarrina Hospital, Heather Finlayson;

Citizen of the Year Award: Retta Ferguson, Jos Loughman, Alice Gordon, Kellie Turnbull, Michael Ferguson, Phillip O’Connor, Helen Ferguson and Judith Caswell;

Sports Person of the Year Award: Mark Redmond and Rory Finlayson.

“Susie and myself are proud to be at Brewarrina this year,” says Peter. “We’re definitely the right Ambassadors for Bre and we’re looking forward to another pot of gold.”