Brendan Simpkins

THE tables have turned for Gawler’s Australia Day awards breakfast having this year been named as a joint-winner for Community Event of the Year.

Hosted by Gawler Apex Club, the free event is made possible through the collaborative effort with other community groups in town, encapsulating the Australian spirit of mateship.

Groups such as Lions Club of Gawler, Rotary Club of Gawler and Gawler Light, Zonta Club of Gawler, Gawler Kiwanis and the Country Women’s Association all pitch in to make the event possible.

For close to a decade the breakfast, usually held at Apex Park, has been a fixture of Australia Day celebrations in Gawler.

Apex’s Bronte Rhodes said the event would not be what it is without the help of other community groups on the day.

“All the other groups come together and help us do the physical cooking, because normally there is a huge amount of people here and we fill the park,” he said.

“Last year that is exactly what happened, we filled the park.

“We try to keep it all within the Gawler area.”

The event attracts around 2000 people from the Gawler community every year.

This is the second Australia Day award in a row Apex has received after being named Community Event of the Year for their annual Christmas Carols event.

Mr Rhodes said he was proud and elated that Apex had received the accolade.