The town will use the day to kick off year-long festivities to mark the town’s 175th anniversary.

Skipton 175th Birthday Celebration Committee secretary Lisa Wills said she expected the community to support the milestone. 

“The town has decided to celebrate throughout the whole year,” she said. “So all the various local groups, clubs and associations have decided to organise their own things through the year.”

The Australia Day festivities will be held at the Skipton Recreation Reserve from 9am and will include a world record setting Slip ’n Slide event. Ms Wills said the goal was to have as many people as possible bring along a Slip ’n Slide in an attempt to have the most people in any place using the summer essential.

A record does not yet exist for the feat. 

However, Ms Wills said the most important part of the Australia Day festivities would be the smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country performed by Wadawurrung Elder Bryon Powell.

“Mainly because Skipton is celebrating 175 years since settlement and before that there are tens of thousands of years of history,” she said. 

“I think it is really important that we recognise, as a community, that there is a lot more to Skipton, there are thousands of years of history around here.” 

Other highlights of the year include a teddy bears picnic and a special ‘men’s night in’.

“Keep visiting our website (www.skiptonaustralia.org) because there are things for children,  men, women and special interest groups,” Ms Wills said.

matthew.dixon@fairfaxmedia.com.au