He was an ABC foreign correspondent with more than 50 years’ experience as a reporter, producer, director and host of a range of ground-breaking TV shows. Now a Tumbulgum resident, he’s been named the shire’s 2017 Australia Day ambassador.
Iain Finlay is an award-winning journalist, author, story-teller and humanitarian, who has travelled and worked on every continent with a particular interest in South East Asia.
More recently, Mr Finlay and his wife Trish Clark have been central to humanitarian and education initiatives in Asia including building a primary school in a rural village in Laos with funds partly raised in the Tweed.
‘Anyone who has travelled in Asia, Africa and South America and has seen poverty and the lack of opportunity there realises we have so much going for us in this country, and Australia Day is a chance to reflect on that,’ Mr Finlay said.
‘Donald Horne’s description of Australia as ‘the lucky country’ could not be more apt; for the most part we are truly amongst the most fortunate people in the world. However, for those Australians at the bottom of the barrel, in particular many in our own indigenous communities, the phrase still rings very hollow.
‘Those of us who have a roof over our heads, a job and a bit of affluence and security, have an obligation to at least think about and perhaps do something for those people in our own country, and elsewhere, who are not as lucky as we are.
Mr Finlay will deliver the Australia Day address on January 26 at the Tweed Shire event to be held at Twin Towns in Tweed Heads.
The Tweed will welcome 50 new citizens from 16 different countries, Tweed Shire Australia Day awards will also be presented including Citizen of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Australia Day events will also be held at Tyalgum, Crabbes Creek, Tumbulgum, Burringbar, Kingscliff, Cabarita, and Pottsville.
Official proceedings at Twin Towns start at 11:00am (AEDT/NSW time) for further information please visit http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/australiaday
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
