“MY main message for Australia Day will be about assisting and developing young people and the importance of their contribution to Australia’s future,” Grant District Council Australia Day Ambassador John Shepherd AM said on the upcoming ceremony.
“I have been an Australia Day Ambassador for eight years now and both my wife Jan and I love the opportunity to attend Australia Day celebrations throughout the state.”
Committed to helping young people reach their personal best, Mr Shepherd is well known throughout the state for his contribution to the Operation Flinders Foundation in the role of executive director.
Developing a program to assist young offenders and young people at risk, he oversaw the purchase of Yankaninna Station in the far northern Flinders Ranges as a home for the foundation and was successful in negotiating with the Northern Territory to work with the troubled young people from that region.
Over his many years in the role, a total of 5000 young South Australians completed the program.
In addition Mr Shepherd has been involved with a number of organisations focused on developing young people or assisting the community to develop.
“My roles with Recreation SA and the University of South Australia were to encourage young people to participate in recreation and sport,” he said.
“The air force cadet’s role supported young people in that organisation and my role with Siblings Australia was to provide support to all people, but young people in particular, who had a sibling who had a disability, as they are often forgotten in a family and by the community.
“With the Country Fire Service Foundation I supported the work of CFS volunteers with funds for training and research and my roles in the Australia Day Council and Advance Australia Foundation were to encourage people to celebrate our country and recognise Australians who have achieved and assisted the community.”
Travelling across the state speaking at Australia Day celebrations Mr Shepherd said he and his wife are looking forward to visiting the South East this week.
“We have been fortunate and selected to travel to many country areas including Renmark, Willalooka, Port Lincoln, Cowell, Berri, Tanunda, Naracoorte, Blyth and last year Normanville,” he said.
“We both prefer to visit country towns rather than city areas.
“I have spent a good deal of my time in the South East, firstly as a young man working on an uncle’s farm at Coonawarra and for many years as executive director of the SA Great Campaign where we sponsored the Generations in Jazz festival and also attended the event and supported the then executive director of the event, Karen Roberts.”
