Australia Day is just around the corner and Orange City Council is inviting all residents to join the local celebrations in Cook Park on Monday, January 26, where there will be live music, dance, food, markets, and the presentation of community awards.

The Australia Day program gets underway at 8am with the Community Breakfast Barbecue, which is free for the first 600 people! There will be musical entertainment provided throughout the morning by the City of Orange Brass Band, the Orange Male Voice Choir, and the Canobolas Highland Pipe Band.

The official proceedings will get underway at 9.30am and will be followed by a Citizenship Ceremony.

The presentation of our local Australia Day Awards, including our 2026 Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year, will take place at 11.20am, following an address by Orange’s 2026 Australia Day Ambassador, Bob Turner, one of Australia’s most respected sports executives and a pioneer in basketball marketing and administration.

Mr Turner is best known for his transformative impact on the National Basketball League (NBL), but his career spans over four decades as a player, coach, marketer, and entrepreneur.

Arriving from the USA in 1976, Bob began as a player-coach for Shoalhaven before joining the Newcastle Falcons in the inaugural NBL season.

At just 29, he became the youngest coach to win an NBL Championship guiding the Canberra Cannons to back-to-back titles in 1983 and 1984. His innovative marketing strategies – corporate boxes, sell-out crowds, and sponsorship programs – set new benchmarks for the league.

In 1989, Bob took the helm of the Sydney Kings, transforming them into one of the most profitable and popular sporting clubs in Australia.

Inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame in 1999, and recently the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame, Bob has also championed other sports, serving as Chairman of the Sydney Blue Sox – promoting baseball through the Australian Baseball League, Chairman of Blacktown City FC, Commercial Director of the Australian Ice Hockey League, and former Director of his sports marketing company – Sportsline.

His company, BBall 4 All, is a not-for-profit initiative to develop healthy, work-ready youth, with a focus on disadvantaged communities. Through BBall 4 All, Bob uses his basketball coaching experience as a vehicle to teach teamwork, resilience and life skills, helping young Australians build confidence and pathways to employment.

A sought-after speaker on leadership, motivation and marketing, Bob continues to inspire through sport and community engagement.

As an Australia Day Ambassador, Bob celebrates fairness, opportunity and the power of teamwork in uniting communities.