Greater Hume's 2025 Australia Day Ambassador Announced
Published on 17 January 2025
Each year Greater Hume holds its Australia Day Celebration in a different town or village. In 2025 the focus will be on the community of Henty.
Greater Hume Council is thrilled to welcome, Mr James Pittar as Greater Hume’s Australia Day Ambassador.
James suffers from a genetic disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa which causes a degeneration of the retina. This disease was diagnosed when James was 16 years old after he suffered from rapidly decreasing vision. He was legally blind at 21 years of age and completely blind by his early 30’s.
As a direct result of his declining vision, James focussed his sporting efforts on the fields of swimming and rowing and during the 1990’s represented Australia in both these sports as a disabled athlete.
In the mid 1990’s James decided to attempt the English Channel after meeting the inspirational Australian swimmer Des Renford and was successful on his first attempt in 1998. He then went on to successfully complete some of the most difficult marathon swims in the world over the next ten years including the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, The Strait of Gibraltar, New Zealand’s Cook Strait and the Catalina Channel. James became the first Australian to complete the Triple Crown of Open water swimming (by completing the English Channel, Manhattan Island marathon swim and the Catalina Channel). In the process had completed an open water swim in every continent excluding Antarctica in 925 days.
In 2010, his accomplishments were recognised when he was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
In November 2011, James completed a 12km swim from Malabar to Bondi beach and in September 2012 James completed a swim from Collaroy to North Steyne beach. Both of these swims were to raise money for the Fred Hollows Foundation.
In May 2013 James received The Fred Hollows Foundation Helping hand award for his fundraising through his swimming. He completed a swim from Long Reef beach to North Steyne beach via Shelley beach to raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
In August 2013 he was a member of the first ever staged relay swim across the full length of the Bering Strait roughly 100kms without wetsuits. There were 66 members from 16 countries. As a member of the Bering Strait swim, James and the other members received the World Open Water Swimming Association Performance of the Year Award.
In 2014 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Nelson Mandela becoming President of South Africa James swam from Robben Island to Blouberg in Cape Town South Africa without a wetsuit. This was a 7.5km swim in 13 degree water.
He also completed the annual swim for The Fred Hollows Foundation, this time from Dee Why beach to North Steyne beach via Shelley beach.
In addition to his swimming accomplishments, James is the Ambassador for the Rainbow Club; a not for profit organisation which offers swimming lessons for children with disabilities, he is also a fund raiser for the Fred Hollows Foundation; which focuses on blindness prevention and indigenous health. His autobiography “Blind Vision” was published in December 2019, and released in 2024 as an Audio Book.
In February of 2020 James as one of 65 swimmers involved in the Relay swim across the length of the Bering Straits. The event and all 65 swimmers were included into the Guinness Book of World Records. A few months later in August of 2020, James was inducted into the Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
James works full-time for the Australian Tax Office, is married and has a teenage daughter.
The Australia Day celebrations will be held at the Henty Recreation Ground, Angaston Road, Henty commencing with a free breakfast from 8.00 am prepared by the Henty Lion’s Club and sponsored by Council.
The official ceremony will commence from 9.00 am including the Australia Day Ambassador’s address, a Citizenship Ceremony and the presentation of the awards for Citizen, Young Citizen, Sports Person/Team, Volunteer/Group and Community Event of the Year, School Citizenship Certificates.
The Henty Community is also planning an afternoon of live music, kid’s entertainment including giant outdoor games, and a historical car display.
All Greater Hume residents are invited to celebrate Australia Day, this year, at Henty Recreation Ground, Henty.
So, bring the family and enjoy Australia Day at Henty.