For its 51st birthday the suburb of Hughes will celebrate a rich history and community spirit with Parties at the Shops on Saturday May 9.

“We’re calling out to volunteers everywhere to come along and share their stories of how and why they participate in their community. We’ll have a photographer there to take their portraits and together we’ll create a snapshot of the suburb for people to look back on in the future” local volunteer and amateur historian Jenny Tyrrell said.

The rich history of the suburb will also be on display showing how the suburb has grown in the past fifty-one years when it was affectionately referred to as ‘North Cooma’.

“Many of Hughes’ streets are named after armed service personnel from WW1, so there’s extra poignancy this year with the ANZAC Centenary, and there are so many incredible stories about those people who served. Like Carroll St, for instance, was named after John Carroll, recipient of the Victoria Cross for bravery at St Ives in France in 1917” Jenny said.

There will also be a great deal of entertainment on show. Local schools Malkara and Hughes pre-school will present an art exhibition, and kids can look forward to face-painting and craft.

Other entertainment includes a range of musical acts headlined by accomplished blues musician, Dorothy-Jane Gosper, and wide range of food provided by the local shops in the area.

“It’s going to be a really fantastic event and a great opportunity for people to really be a part of their local community, just as Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman in the House of Representatives, intended when she opened the suburb in 1964.”

The party runs from 10am-1pm at Hughes shops, Wisdom St, Saturday May 9.