Robert Morris-Nunn is moved by the gathering at St Helens on the East Coast
Just before Christmas I received an invitation unlike any I had previously received - to be an Australia Day Ambassador at one of the many local government ceremonies around the state. 
I said yes, was appointed to assist the Break O'Day Council's festivities, and was the Tasmanian Government's Australia Day Ambassador at St Helens this week. It was truly memorable.
I was asked to give a speech on behalf of the Government which I rewrote from the standard offering supplied, but what really made the greatest impression on me was the wonderful spirit of the local community, especially the way they honoured their own.
It was my unique insight into what makes a small community such as St Helens/Break O'Day actually work as a vibrant community, and it was truly uplifting.
Break O'Day's community services manager Chris Hughes said it all: "It's the volunteers who continually give their all, who we're honouring." Indeed it was.
Several hundred people turned out on the St Helens foreshore to celebrate, and you could feel the camaraderie, it was infectious. The organisers went out of their way to get people to be honoured to attend without their knowing what was afoot. Mostly it succeeded. People chosen were genuinely touched that they had been singled out, and as I heard later their achievements were indeed impressive.
Heather Knight had taken it upon herself to raise a very considerable sum for the survivors after the earthquake in Nepal. Local teenager Georgia Richardson championed youth issues, despite being seriously visually impaired.
Local stalwart Graham Cameron, for the first time in years, had unknowingly decided to stay away because his wife was suddenly ill, which just happened to be the very day the community decided he was to be honoured with the Citizen of the Year Award. It was telling the way the festivities paused and everyone waited till he duly arrived. The collective generosity of spirit shown in this act alone was deeply meaningful to me.
Graham was one of their own who had served his community with his heart and soul, and if things had to wait, then so be it. Everyone assembled simply went about engaging socially with each other and then reconvened to complete the formalities when it was appropriate to do so. It was an important lesson for me.
The other significant highlight was the citizenship ceremony where Philippino born Jocelyn Jumao-As Lawry became an Australian. Apparently in smaller communities having new citizens actually inducted at Australia Day ceremonies is rare, as there are often practical needs such as getting an Australian passport in great haste which precludes waiting for the day.
I have had friends born overseas who had said that the ceremony itself was one of the most important in their lives, and was moved to be part of a ceremony where I was perchance the Ambassador.
I felt honoured in a way I cannot put words to, and in this instance I felt it was very much the community gathering to welcome one of their own - honest, generous and sincere.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity presented to be part of Australia Day, 2016 at St Helens.
Professor Robert Morris-Nunn is an award-winning Tasmanian architect.