The annual chaplaincy dinner fundraiser has had some incredible speakers over the years, but this year’s guests will blow your socks — or should I say budgie smugglers — right off.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott will share the stage with media personality, and Mr Abbott’s former chief of staff, Peta Credlin for the 25th annual chaplaincy fundraising dinner.

On Friday, May 1, community members are invited to Parkland Golf Club Pavilion to hear from chaplain Liz Spicer about the importance of chaplaincy and listen to a discussion between Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin about a range of topics.

Mr Abbott served as Australia’s 28th prime minister from 2013 to 2015.

His tenure was in the midst of an unsettled time in Australia’s political history where there were five prime ministers over five years — Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Rudd again, Abbott and then Malcolm Turnbull.

He is known to have strong faith and ties with his religion, and even trained briefly for the priesthood before turning to journalism and eventually politics.

With Mr Abbott on stage will be Ms Credlin, whose achievements stand out on their own.

She is a political analyst who hosts Credlin on Sky News, a national columnist with multiple News Corp papers, a trained lawyer, and in 2021 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her work in politics and policy development.

Ms Spicer said she didn’t even need to ask before Mr Abbott put his hand up to travel to Kyabram from his home in Sydney.

She has known Mr Abbott through her long-standing friendship with Ms Credlin, as both women share Wycheproof roots and their families have maintained close bonds over the years.

They were out at a family dinner earlier this year and Ms Spicer was joking about how Ms Credlin wouldn’t be able to make it to Kyabram to speak at the chaplaincy dinner.

“I just said to Peta, you know, I've been looking for someone to talk at the 25-year dinner ... someone that’s a strong woman ... but she couldn’t make it because she was busy that day,” Ms Spicer said.

“And Tony goes, ‘I'll do it.’

“By the end of the night, he’d changed the night and made (it) on a Friday night so they could both do it.”

Ms Spicer said it was a big deal for him to travel to Kyabram from Sydney, and she was grateful to both of them for making the long journey to support chaplaincy.

The dinner will be an opportunity for the community to provide vital financial support to the chaplaincy program, but also a chance to celebrate.

The Kyabram chaplaincy program is celebrating 25 years in 2026, and Ms Spicer couldn’t be prouder of what the program has grown to be.

“The people of Kyabram have just been so kind — I can ask for anything and people will bring it,” Ms Spicer said.

Over the years, Ms Spicer has provided crucial support during floods, droughts, bushfires and personal challenges faced by families and students at Kyabram P-12 College.

She said none of it would have been possible without the generous donors in Kyabram.

“We’re not a big town, but the people here have supported chaplaincy and raised funds for a chaplain to be here — they pay half my wage, and they support, and they give lots of money to anyone who’s in need in Kyabram,” she said.

“They've done that for 25 years — it's no short of a miracle.”

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Friday, 19th October 2029

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