![Bicentenary celebrations: In the lead up to Tamworth's 200-year anniversary, The Northern Daily Leader has been publishing the Faces of Tamworth. Bicentenary celebrations: In the lead up to Tamworth's 200-year anniversary, The Northern Daily Leader has been publishing the Faces of Tamworth.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/3FRrb3AuBjKJGNhBeTSDxy/1b520808-f76d-4099-b53f-bfd5262a77f6.jpg/r0_47_2937_2913_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Northern Daily Leader is celebrating the 200-year anniversary of explorer John Oxley reaching the Peel River in Tamworth.
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The city is now gearing up to celebrate the bicentenary of European Tamworth, after Oxley entered into the ancient lands of the Kamilaroi, accompanied by his competent deputy George William Evans with a party of 14, largely convicts, together with 19 pack-horses, on September 2, 1818.
Now, on September 2, the city of Tamworth will mark its bicentenary, with a celebration in the park for the whole community.
![MARK OF RESPECT: Jack Woolaston, at the ground named after him, was a Face of Tamworth from July. Photo: Gareth Gardner MARK OF RESPECT: Jack Woolaston, at the ground named after him, was a Face of Tamworth from July. Photo: Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36FM9qHpEAtS8daVXYFgHBA/4503459c-1e35-453e-a485-8979940bb897.jpg/r0_173_3000_1866_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In the lead up to this event The Northern Daily Leader has been publishing the Faces of Tamworth.
These are 200 people who have made, or are making, a significant contribution to the fabric of our community.
There’s community advocates, sporting heroes, leaders in their field, and also some of the people from the past who have helped to make our city what it is today.
From August 1, we will be putting into print extracts of the pieces that have been appearing online at northerndailyleader.com.au in recent months.
![Selfless sacrifice: Australian soldier and Gomeroi man William Allan Irwin sacked three German machine gun nests, he died rushing the fourth. Selfless sacrifice: Australian soldier and Gomeroi man William Allan Irwin sacked three German machine gun nests, he died rushing the fourth.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36FM9qHpEAtS8daVXYFgHBA/7c6f863c-6203-4d89-bce5-35d293d73c6a.jpg/r0_0_2941_4388_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Pick up your copy of the paper each day for a series of profiles, or head to the community section on our website to browse the faces.
And then we would encourage everyone to come down to Bicentennial Park on Sunday, September 2 to join in the festivities.
![TAMWORTH TRAINER: Sue Grills, a Face of Tamworth from July. Photo: Peter Hardin TAMWORTH TRAINER: Sue Grills, a Face of Tamworth from July. Photo: Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36FM9qHpEAtS8daVXYFgHBA/844f7bc8-ab65-4443-8653-503b28863a54.jpg/r0_0_5185_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)