As he gazed over the 25 proud and passionate new Australians being naturalised, Mr Whitham, a former-furniture-salesman-come-philanthropist, was reminded of the prize that mattered most – smiles.

Nothing comes more naturally to the human heart than compassion and it is that most human of emotions that has always fuelled the man they call “Uncle Eddie”.

A champion for the underdog and a tireless advocate for newcomers to Australia, Mr Whitham was the driving force behind the establishment of Multicultural Tamworth.

Over the years, he has been an advisor, confidant and trusted friend to hundreds of new residents to Tamworth, on call around the clock to help them adjust to their new life.

He organises interpreters, finds jobs for migrants, acts as a middle man with police and doctors, and extends his warm hand of help to any who stumble.

If not for Mr Whitham and his band of helpers, Tamworth would be a vastly different place. Once considered the last bastion of Anglo-Saxonism in an increasingly diverse Australia, the multicultural face of Tamworth has changed dramatically since the Sudanese race debate in 2007.

Much of that is due to Mr Whitham’s efforts in making Tamworth a more welcoming place to those of different backgrounds.

His “world vision” philosophy is grounded in his extensive travels and his own experience as a new Australian.

For many of us, the tragic harvest of heartbreak and death that brought many of these people to our shores is hard to imagine.

But for Mr Whitham, whose family had borne witness to bloody conflicts in their home country of Israel, it was only too easy to imagine.

If more of us reached out like Mr Whitham, rather than sought refuge in our prejudices, we would be an even stronger city and stronger nation.

And on Australia Day, a day when we claim to celebrate egalitarianism and the “fair go”, that’s a principle worth remembering.