By MATT NICHOLLS
FORMER Wallabies player Jim Williams says he will urge Armidale residents to look to the future instead of the past in his Australia Day address on Sunday.
Williams is the Australia Day ambassador for Armidale Dumaresq Council’s celebrations at the racecourse and said he was looking forward to returning to the city.
“I’ve been to Armidale a few times on rugby-related business and I’ve always enjoyed it there,” he said.
“I’ve been an Australia Day ambassador a couple of times before, but those times have been in Sydney and not in the country, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Williams is a country boy, having grown up in Young, and said he was proud that Australia Day had become a community celebration.
“When I was growing up we didn’t really celebrate Australia Day at all,” he said.
Williams said he would address that on Sunday.
“Being Aboriginal I can understand why Australia Day has divided people, but I think its important to look past the history of the date and celebrate our great country,” he said.
Williams debuted for the Wallabies in 1999 against Ireland in Brisbane. He played a further 13 tests for Australia in and was a member of the winning 1999 World Cup squad.
Since 2012 he has been working with NSW Rugby Union on a Federal Government funded program called Learn Earn Legend, which is aimed at indigenous students in Year 11 and Year 12, encouraging and supporting them students to stay at school.
