Community events

Australia Day at Carss Bush Park 2020

Our flagship events (Magic of Christmas, Australia Day Festival and Lunar New Year Festival) attracted more than 57,000 attendees from both within and outside the LGA.

George River Council Walk 2019 – No Domestic Violence

(Friday 22 November 2019) We hosted our first walk to raise awareness of domestic violence. White Ribbon Australia at the time had fallen into liquidation. This was a first-time event where all elements needed to be created, including branding, campaigning, and a location change to Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

Magic of Christmas 2019

(Sunday 1 December 2019) Magic of Christmas kicked off the festive season at Carss Bush Park. Colin Buchanan returned with his Aussie summer-themed festive tunes, as did Santa Claus, and the characters from Paw Patrol and Sesame Street. The event attracted 8,000 attendees and included food stalls, children’s activities, and a spectacular firework display to conclude the night.

Lunar New Year 2020

(Saturday 18 January 2020) Lunar New Year 2020, the Year of the Rat, saw 37,000 attendees on Forest Road, Hurstville for a parade and stage show featuring inflatable zodiacs, Hello Kitty, and many local performers. This year featured a wishing tree, stilt walkers, jugglers, food stalls and a children’s circus workshop.

Australia Day Festival and Awards 2020

(Sunday 26 January 2020) Our annual Australia Day Festival and Awards were held on Sunday 26 January 2020 at Carss Bush Park and attracted 10,000 attendees. The event’s headline act was the legendary Australian musician and 2016

Lunar New Year 2020

ARIA Award winner, Russell Morris. The Bananas in Pyjamas, The Weeklies, made up of both customers and staff from Disability Services Australia, also took to the stage. The event included a giant inflatable obstacle course, food stalls and a firework display finale.

Starlight Cinema 2020

Starlight Cinema 2020 included three outdoor cinema events at HV Evatt Park, Gifford Park and Carss Bush Park over February and March and a drive-in cinema at Kogarah Park. The four movies screened were Shazam, Toy Story 4, Detective Pikachu, and Jurassic Park.

Harmony Day Celebrations 2020

(scheduled for Saturday 21 March 2020) We had planned to expand our annual Harmony Day festivities to an outdoor event in Hogben Park. However, this event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Eat / Art Night Markets 2020

Our Eat/Art Night Markets were cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Two nights were planned at Hurstville Plaza and Kogarah Town Square.

Citizenship ceremonies

We hosted four citizenship ceremonies including one on Australia Day. Two citizenship ceremonies were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Other events we hosted or partnered with others to host included Georges River Art Prize, Sydney Fringe Festival, Youth Week, NAIDOC Week and International Women’s Day.

We also continued to work with community groups such as the Lugarno Lions Club and the Oatley Lions Club. In 2019 both the Lugarno Spring Fair and Oatley Spring Festival attracted more than 50,000 attendees. We were a major sponsor of both events.

Gannons Park