Community activities in Dalby
The Dalby Welcoming Community Inc (DWC) undertakes a range of activities to support our local community.
There’s no limit to what we can achieve when we empower our community through social connection, belonging, and fun. By thinking boldly and engaging people from all walks of life, we can continue to build a stronger, brighter Dalby – together.
All these projects have enabled DWC to connect and engage with a meaningful purpose, so there is giving back to community by the community.
Key activities include the below.
Community Art Projects
Each year, local organisations, groups, and businesses are encouraged to take part in our Community Art Project.
In 2018 DWC organised the first of its Art Projects, “Many cultures – One Community”. This project involved identifying the different cultures represented in the community and photographing them and having a journalist tell their story This was put together in an art exhibition, featuring 35 different cultures.
Since then, art projects have included the following:
- Billycan Art Project for seniors who felt invisible
- Indigenous Art Project where metal lanterns were decorated by various groups using the skills of a local Indigenous artist to highlight the stage area for the Dalby’s Delicious & DeLIGHTful Festival
- Corflute People Project where we encouraged 100 groups to decorate one of the corflutes as someone they knew in the community
- Gumboots Art Project – to support R U OK? Day
Over the past three years, the art projects have been proudly linked to our R U OK? Day activities.
Dalby’s Delicious & DeLIGHTful Festival
Dalby’s Delicious & DeLIGHTful Festival commenced in 2010 to celebrate our diversity and to develop a greater understanding of the community in which we live – this has evolved to be the signature event for Dalby.
At the Festival in 2018, DWC organised a ‘Connecting Neighbours Project’ – Dalby Style. This involved forming teams with the following criteria:
- A senior
- A teenager
- A child
- Someone born overseas
- Someone who speaks another language
- Someone who has lived in Dalby less than a year
- A male
- A female
Each team participated in part of the festival program e.g. the colour run, build a big lantern, paint a ‘welcome to Dalby sign’ in a language other than English. The winning team of each section received $1000 for their chosen local charity.
See more about Dalby’s Delicious & DeLIGHTful Festival here.
Myall Creek Master Plan
Dalby Welcoming Community Inc (DWC) obtained funding for and developed the Myall Creek Master Plan. DWC used its Myall Creek Master Plan to apply for a Healthy Community Award. From 200+ entrants it received $800,000 to develop the city section of Myall Creek. DWC and the community successfully completed the development along the city section of Myall Creek.
Say G’Day Day
In 2011, the “Say G’Day Day” activity was introduced on 25 January by DWC. People in the main street were encouraged to say G’Day to someone they didn’t know (this was in response to people saying, “I used to know everyone, now I hardly know anyone”.
This was a simple but fun activity where badges and balloons were handed out, and it engaged people to get to know each other.
Welcoming Activities
Partners of contractors from around the world are often very isolated. DWC instituted a coffee time each week where locals and recently arrived contractors could simply meet and chat. This was an extension of the Dalby Women’s Network.
DWC linked with the library to support people with Conversations in English. There was much discussion about Culture Shock and how people could be supported in the change from cities of millions one day to Dalby the next.
DWC published a booklet in conjunction with the Western Downs Regional Council, that welcomed people to Dalby. This was especially for people born overseas. It included information on a range of topics and has been highly valued by people moving into the area.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work
In 2016 DWC applied for funding to run a Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) project because it was noticed that there were people from a range of backgrounds seeking employment but lacked any formal training and qualifications.
A significant number of these were people from non-English speaking backgrounds including family members of skilled workers brought to Australia on Visa 457s and later Visa 482s; and people on partner visas.
The study of Certificate 2 in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways was linked to Dalby’s Delicious & DeLIGHTful Festival for their work experience. DWC was very successful with this, gaining 100% employment over several years winning the Queensland Training Awards in 2022 for the best Community Work Skills program in the State.
Dalby R U OK? Day
The DWC organises a special event each September for R U OK? Day – with a 1000 Voice Challenge to sing a song with a celebrity singer.
In the last three years the DWC’s Community Art projects have been linked to R U OK? Day. This has included the ‘Blue Tree Project’ and the ‘Heart of Dalby Project’.
In 2025 the DWC organised the ‘Gumboot Project’ (art project) where more than 120 groups and businesses decorated a pair of gumboots, the analogy being that everyone gets stuck at times, and a good pair of gumboots help us to get out of the mud. It is a shining example of Dalby’s creativity, compassion, and community connection in action.
Mental Health Project
DWC received funding in 2023 to run a mental health project for young adolescents – to help local young people understand the range of support that are available to them, and how to connect. A range of fun and challenging activities were used to engage them – as well as lots of food!
My New Community in a New Country
In 2024, DWC undertook a major new project ‘My New Community in a New Country’. This project was for new arrivals to Dalby from overseas, especially women, assisting them in becoming part of the community and overcoming social isolation. This included Aussie English.
The women would then often advise their husbands about how Australians behave in the workplace and created links and some discussions with employers.
To find out more about our projects or to get involved, please Contact Us.
