Jack Skippen,8, Mitchell Dickey 8, Harrison Dickey 10 and Noah Skippen 6 of Mt Warrigal enjoying celebrations at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Vince Oldershaw of Barrack Heights at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Karen Oldershaw and Laura Winchester of Barrack Heights at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Twins Georgia and Jacob Smith of Barrack Point at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Phebie Taylor-Bush, 10, of Barrack Heights at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Leeann and Tony Crawford of Windang at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Tammy Kennedy of Oak Flats and Melissa Cleary of Warilla celebrate at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Tony Purdon with his grandson Archie Hobden, 1, of Mt Warrigal celebrate at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Shellharbour residents celebrate Australia Day. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Shellharbour residents celebrate Australia Day. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Shellharbour residents celebrate Australia Day. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Shellharbour residents celebrate Australia Day. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Issac Hinds and Jakob Lawrence, both 10, from Campbeltown celebrate at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
The sand modelling competition on the Lake Illawarra foreshore. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Olivia Sowerby, 9, of Warilla celebrating at Lake Illawarra. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Keeley Southam of Cordeaux Heights with her dog Humphrey at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Joyce Cadwallander of Warilla celebrating Australia Day at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Georgia Mulligan, 6 months, of Mt Warrigal enjoying her first Australia Day at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Anthony Sowerby, 7, of Warilla with his turtle sand sculpture at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
Narelle Harrington and Christine Harrington celebrating Australia Day at Reddall Reserve. Pictures: SYLVIA LIBER
More than 3000 people woke early to get to Reddall Reserve on the edge of Lake Illawarra to enjoy Shellharbour City Council’s Australia Day breakfast by the lake.
The $4 charity breakfast has raised more than $106,000 for Shellharbour organisations over the last ten years.
Held in overcast but warm conditions, the morning began with the official ceremony which saw St Vincent de Paul volunteer, Peter Lindwall from Mount Warrigal, named Shellharbour City Citizen of the Year 2013 for his outstanding volunteer work.
Rowan Parkinson, 18, from Warilla was announced the Shellharbour City Young Citizen of the Year 2013 for his outstanding community involvement, including being the youngest member on the board of the Watershed - Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Centre.
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After a welcome to country from elder Reuben Brown and speeches from Throsby MP Stephen Jones and Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba, new St George Illawarra captain Ben Creagh gave the Australia Day address as Shellharbour’s Australia Day ambassador.
Twenty-one Shellharbour residents then took part in Shellharbour’s Australia Day citizenship ceremony.
By 8.30am the crowd was continuing to build, many taking part in the sand modelling competition, others enjoying the live music that will continue until 11am, with other stalls, entertainment and rides remaining at Reddall Reserve for the day.