110 souls. 21 countries. One table. On the 13th of March, the Rotary Club of Parkes transformed a regional services club into a microcosm of global unity — and the Central West witnessed a blueprint for belonging.
📸 The Latina Fiesta Squad & friends — a living canvas of Parkes' cultural renaissance
It began not with a grand budget, but with radical generosity. The Parkes Shire Council and Parkes Services Club underwrote the evening, allowing the Rotary Club to set the price of entry at a symbolic minimum. The goal? Not profit, but presence. "We wanted to welcome every migrant, every newcomer, as if they had always been here," said the evening's architect. The result was a room vibrating with the accents of Fiji, the Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Japan, Nepal, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, China, Latvia, Czechoslovakia, The Netherlands, Ireland — and the quiet strength of Australia itself.
"The most repeated phrase on the way out was not 'goodbye' — it was 'We will be back next year.'"— Organising Chair, Rotary Club of Parkes
Behind each passport lies a story of reinvention. Migrants in Parkes are not just neighbours — they are nurses, engineers, miners, educators, and artists.
| Country Represented | Local Roles (Snapshot) |
|---|---|
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | Healthcare, education, performers |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Aged care, engineering, hospitality |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina / 🇧🇷 Brazil / 🇵🇪 Peru | Dance instructors, agricultural specialists |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe / 🇳🇬 Nigeria / 🇰🇪 Kenya | Mining, logistics, community advocacy |
| 🇯🇵 Japan / 🇳🇵 Nepal / 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | Retail, IT, small business |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine / 🇱🇻 Latvia / 🇨🇿 Czechia | Skilled trades, manufacturing |
| 🇮🇳 India / 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | Medical professionals, transport |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand / 🇨🇳 China / 🇮🇪 Ireland / 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Construction, farming, creative arts |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Community leaders, Rotary members, educators |
Past Rotary President Graeme Hunter opened the evening, followed by Annie Gallagher speaking on facilitation. President David Hughes outlined Rotary's $35,000+ in local donations. "Come to our meetings," Hughes invited. "This is how you know your neighbours."
Authenticity was plated: fragrant goat curry, sweet and sour pork, pasta with meatballs. Dessert arrived as rice pudding and traditional sweet bread. Then, a spontaneous "Happy Birthday" chorus for the curator — 21 accents, one melody.
Charlie Pecenka announced the curator's birthday. In that instant, 110 voices — carrying 21 accents — rose in a rendition that defied choreography. Raw, joyful, unrepeatable.
The Parkes Latino Fiesta Squad, created by Peruvian-born Nancy Veronica Cayo Colca, took the floor. Led by Brazilian Bene, the squad erupted in feathers and sequins. "You don't see costumes like that in Parkes very often." Then the Fijian singers delivered harmonies that transported the audience to a Pacific paradise.
"They don't just pull an audience — they endear them instantly. That's the alchemy of Parkes."— Cultural observer, The E Foundry
The curator moved through the room with six questions: Where were you born? How did you get to school? When did you come to Australia? Answers became a living archive. A woman from Nepal walked two hours to her village school. An engineer from Zimbabwe arrived with one suitcase. "I came to Parkes for work. I stayed because of the welcome."
This blueprint is replicable. Share the resonance.