Gunnedah Australia Day 2022: Gunnedah comes together as one under the gums for Australia Day

Brian Goldrick, Orla Lyons-McKenna and Alan, Cynthia and Shania Hobbs all made their citizenship pledges beside the town's iconic Dorothea Mackellar statue at Anzac Park.

Gunnedah deputy mayor Rob Hooke said it was a privilege to welcome the new community members into Australian citizenship.

"Our ceremony this morning brings citizens together from all walks of life," he said.

Minister for Education, Gunnedah's Sarah Mitchell, said she always gets "a bit emotional" presenting the certificates at the local citizenship ceremony.

"You get quite teary. Hearing all of your stories and not just the fact that you've chosen to call Australia home but to call Gunnedah home, we are so proud to have you as our newest citizens," she said.

"I think we have one of the best Australia Days in the country. The wonderful celebrations that take place today is really something that as Gunnedah residents we should all be very proud of."

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With Gunnedah Rotary Club firing up the barbecue and a number of vintage cars on display, locals soaked up the atmosphere and also took advantage of free access to the local pool.

Still high on community spirit after Tuesday night's local Australia Day awards dinner, Gunnedah's newly crowned Citizen of the Year Tracey Reid told the Leader she was so shocked she almost didn't accept the award.

"To me it's the recognition of not just my work but everyone in Gunnedah," she said.

"At first I didn't want to accept the award. I thought no, there's so many other people here doing such good work.

"But then I thought, I'm really acknowledging everyone else's work."

Next week, the town's Allawah Cottage domestic violence refuge will open, and through her role at Jobs Australia, Ms Reid has been the driving force.

But according to her, it's the Gunnedah community who deserve the praise, for all their hard work fundraising to get it off the ground.

Asked what it means to be an Australian, she said it's about having the freedom to live in a beautiful country and having the freedom to choose our future, the future of our children and our fellow citizens.

"We have freedom of education, which a lot of women and girls in other countries do not have," she said.

"I take that responsibility very seriously."

Fun and games including tug of war, water slides and best dressed Aussie competitions were held in Curlewis, Tambar Spring and Carroll.

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