Australia Day – Survival Day

Mount Alexander Shire Council is proud that we host a joint Australia Day–Survival Day event on 26 January each year, where we welcome new Australian citizens and announce winners of the Mount Alexander Shire Australia Day Awards.

Australia Day Awards 2026 nominations

Australia Day Award Nominations are now open in the following categories:

  • Citizen of the Year
  • Young Citizen of the Year (under 26 years of age on 26 January 2025)
  • Senior Citizen of the Year (over 65 years of age on 26 January 2025)
  • Community Event of the Year (including online events)
How to submit the completed forms

Download and complete the Australia Day Award Nomination Form(PDF, 465KB).

Forms can be submitted by post, email or in-person.

By post: 
REPLY PAID 18 Australia Day Awards 2026
Mount Alexander Shire Council
PO Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450

By email: info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

In person: Civic Centre, Cnr Lyttleton and Lloyd Streets, Castlemaine VIC 3450

Please note nominations must be submitted by 5.00pm on Monday 2 December 2024.

Watch Australia Day – Survival Day 2025

The event was livestreamed to YouTube on the day. Watch the recording on our YouTube channel.

Australia Day – Survival Day event 2025

Council would like to say a big thank you to everyone who performed at the Survival Day concert:

  • Uncle Kutcha Edwards and Friends
  • Linc Yow Yeh and Nick Larkins
  • Tehya Makani and Jay Jarome
  • Culture Evolves
  • Mambanegra Drumming
  • Castlemaine Peace Choir
  • Nalderun Women’s Cleansing Ceremony. 
Congratulations to our 2025 Australia Day Award winners

Citizen of the Year – Rachel Stewart
Young Citizen of the Year – Thea Sydes
Senior Citizen of the Year – Trish Bowles
Event of the Year – Castlemaine Idyll 2024

You can watch past Australia Day - Survival Day events on Council's YouTube channel.