Neighbour Day is Australia's annual celebration of community, bringing together the people next door, across the street or on the next farm for a beer, a barbie or just a cuppa.

 

Held on the last Sunday in March every year, it's the perfect day to say thanks for being a great neighbour and for being there when I needed you most.

 

Five Principal Aims

1. Strengthen communities and build better relationships with the people who live around us.

2. Create safer, healthier and more vibrant suburbs and towns.

3. Promote tolerance, respect and understanding.

4. Break down community barriers.

5. Protect the elderly, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged.

 

How to Celebrate Your Community

It's easy to participate in Neighbour Day because how you celebrate is entirely up to you. Australians have been getting to know their neighbours since 2003 in many different ways. Whether it's a simple cup of tea and a slice of cake with an older neighbour, hosting drinks and nibbles with the people next door or having a party for everyone in your street participation is easy.

 

In the WA goldfields town of Kalgoorlie neighbours are firing up the barbie on a front lawn so all the neighbours can celebrate together ... just like the residents of Woy Woy on the NSW Central Coast and in the Sydney suburbs of Turramurra, Narrabeen, Meadowbank and Sadleir.   

 

There are major council-sponsored festivals in Unley, SA and Mosman Park, WA; community events in Mackay, Qld and celebrations for public housing residents in NSW and Qld.  

 

On Queensland's Gold Coast a residents association has organised a major festival with opera singers, hip-hop, belly dancers and magicians with food and refreshments donated by local retailers and suppliers.

 

The City of Banyule in Victoria is launching a Neighbourhood Smile Zone and a Neighbourhood Street Party Kit. Leichhardt Municipal Council has launched the 'Good Ideas Coffee Cart' for residents to borrow and The City of Melbourne has provided free bbqs, street cricket sets and other items so neighbours can get together and meet.

 

Within Docklands a series of community 'open house' events has been organised by Lend Lease and the City so residents in the precinct's apartment towers can meet and discover the local facilities and attractions.

 

The Shire of Yarra Ranges, an area devastated by the February 2009 bushfires, has developed a Neighbour Day Resource Kit for residents containing flyers, invitations, posters and introduction cards. Frankston City Council and Peninsula Health have mailed all residents with a Neighbour Day information card with details of local services and community programs.  

 

Visit the Resources section to download the Neighbour Day poster and check sheet with tips for a successful event.  

 

Logo

The logo for Neighbour Day was created by Melbourne designer Dianne Treble. The circle represents the global aims of Neighbour Day while the lower-case ‘n’ represents both the day’s name and a home – the focus for developing harmonious communities.

 

The bold yet simple design and striking colour is intended to be instantly recognisable and easy to reproduce while promoting a direct link to the website.

 

It is a registered trademark.

 

Slogan

The positioning statement 'The community you want starts at your front door' was developed by Andrew Heslop, the Founder of Neighbour Day. It is an active, positive and engaging challenge for residents to be responsible for making their suburbs and towns great places to live.

 

It is a registered trademark. 

 

Founder

Andrew Heslop's commitment to community, and his acknowledgment of its collective ability to create and cause change, is fast gaining him a reputation as a leading commentator both in Australia and internationally.

 

Read more about Andrew here Profile 

328kb hi-res jpeg file image View or right-click to download

 

Image must be credited in all uses - Michael Silver/Photonet

 

Awards & Nominations

Andrew was listed by the[sydney]magazine as one of Sydney's TOP 100 Most Influential People in the January 2010 edition.

 

A portrait of Andrew by Sydney artist Bruce Remmer was entered in the 2010 Archibald Prize. View or right click to download

 

 

Andrew was nominated for the Australian of the Year Award in 2005-2010. In 2008 he was also nominated within the Commonwealth Bank Local Hero Awards as part of the judging process for the Australian of the Year Award. 

 

He was a semi-finalist for the 2006 Australia Post Events and Tourism Award at the Regional Achievement and Community Awards sponsored by The Weekly Times and Prime Television.

 

In 2007 Andrew was nominated for a Melbourne Award within the Individual Contribution to Community category for raising the international profile of The City of Melbourne through the development of Neighbour Day. 

 

Andrew was invited to participate as a Samsung Torch Relay Ambassador during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay through Canberra on Thursday 24th April 2008 in recognition of his community involvement. Media Release

 

In May 2008 Andrew spoke at the United Nations headquarters in New York about the global development of Neighbour Day, which has grown from a simple idea expressed in a letter to the editor to become a national community event. Presentation

 

Following Andrew's presentation to the United Nations, Neighbour Day was a finalist at the 2008 Melbourne Awards within the Individual Contribution to Community category for the global promotion of Melbourne.

 

On Sunday 15th February 2009 he delivered the keynote address at the launch of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras to an audience of 70,000 people at Fair Day in Victoria Park. Speech