SENIORS from around the Myall Coast were entertained at the Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Progress Association (HNTGPA) Seniors Concert on Saturday, 21 March.
Fitting in around a tight early-Autumn schedule of local events, the volunteer-run Progress Association banded together with community groups from the local area, and several door prize sponsors, to deliver a concert for the fifth consecutive year to commemorate the annual NSW Seniors Festival.
Up to 100 locals filled the Hawks Nest Community Hall once more for an afternoon of music and prizes.
The first act was a stage-filling turnout from the Myall U3A Choir who, after a year of preparation and rehearsals, delivered several sing-along songs, including several folk favourites.
Choir conductor Richard involved the audience directly, orchestrating rounds like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and several sea shanties.
Newcastle-based comedian John Stericker came to town to try out some new material, in between the main acts, and right before the announcement of the door prize winners and Red Cross raffle draw.
In an energetic return after his Seniors Concert debut last year, local guitarist Ewald Jordaan took the stage with a mix of heavy bass, strong beats and some singalong favourites, including John Denver.
The nation’s unofficial anthem, “We Are Australian”, was repeated with gusto by the audience on two occasions.
Tea Gardens Red Cross members prepared a home-made array of cakes, slices and sandwiches for the afternoon tea interlude.
Inside, the Tea Gardens Lions Club raised awareness for its primary community building venture this year, the Fenced Off-Leash Area (FOLA) for dogs, planned to be situated between Hawks Nest caravan park and Bennetts Beach.
Progress Association President Sandra Bourke said the sold-out event continues to be a highlight on the community calendar.
“It’s so wonderful to see so many of our seniors enjoying our community and our concert and simply catching up with each other,” she said.
“We love running this event and try something new every year.
“Thank you to everyone who came along – our seniors, volunteers, performers, the Red Cross and Lions, and the local businesses who support us.”
Ms Bourke did however note that the concert’s venue, the Hawks Nest Community Hall, was overdue for improvements.
“Our hall is critical for our community and in urgent need of renovation,” she said.
“This is one of our major initiatives and we look forward to seeing our seniors again next year, hopefully in better facilities.”
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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