Manilla residents raise $8000 in online auction to purchase eight-metre tall Christmas tree for Rotary Park

Residents have banded together to help purchase an eight-metre tall tree, which will be lit up on Thursday to mark the start of the holiday season.

For years, a donated tree from past resident and former Manilla mayor Cheryl Randall stood in the town hall each December.

But after Ms Randall moved to the coast, Gayle Riley and her mother took over the task of bringing festive spirit to Manilla.

But Ms Riley decided an indoor tree just wouldn't cut it and started gathering donations to auction off, in a bid to raise money for a towering tree to put in Rotary Park.

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"The businesses, they've been through hard times with COVID and everything else and they've all donated so we can make this possible," Ms Riley said.

The auction, which was held on Facebook, raised $8000 to purchase the tree and decorations.

Tamworth Regional Council has also found itself back on the nice list in the Manilla community, after they refused to help pay for a new tree last year.

Ms Riley said this year, council has found their Christmas spirit and funded the fencing to go around the tree.

"We've been fairly lucky all round to be able to get it up and going," she said.

A cherry picker was also donated to the Christmas committee to help put the tree up.

The lighting of the tree will take place at Rotary Park on December 1 at 8pm, with a visit from the jolly man in red to be a highlight of the night.

"It would be lovely to see as many people out for that as we possibly can," Ms Riley said.

The tree will remain in the park until January 5.

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