Australia Day Award Recipients
Published on 28 January 2022
Captains Flat
Citizen of the Year was awarded to Phil Dickson, a retiree who volunteers his time to assist members of the community on Valmar Disability Support Service shopping days. Phil’s weekly contributions have made a positive impact on the lives of people with disability in Captains Flat.
Young Citizen of the Year was high school student Liam Osborne-Russell. Liam was part of the Braidwood Central School RFS school cadet program and volunteers in Captains Flat. His involvement in last year’s program — which helps introduce young people to fire safety and firefighting skills — has seen him contribute his own knowledge and assistance to new members of the program in 2022.
Flaherty’s Family Amusements were awarded Community Event of the Year for their Bushfire Recovery Fair at Wilkins Memorial Park following the 2019-20 bushfires. The fair featured various rides, foods and a special family movie viewing in the local hall — helping bring the Captains Flat community together.
Braidwood
Nicholas Fry was awarded Braidwood’s Citizen of the Year for his involvement in various community groups, fundraisers and events. With a particular interest in supporting men’s mental health, Nick’s consistent support of the local Men’s Shed has been a pillar of his enthusiastic community spirit. He is also recognised for his assistance in seeking grant funding for many local organisations.
High school student Nelson Sargent was awarded Young Citizen of the Year for his drive in representing the region in sport and his leadership as a role model to his peers. Representing Braidwood in debating and public speaking, soccer and obtaining a golf scholarship with the South East Sports Academy, Nelson has had the opportunity to showcase his talent and set an example of hard work and commitment to his community.
Braidwood FM The Good People of Nerriga received the Community Event of the Year award. Local residents, Rose Ricketson and Clare Young, created a six-episode podcast series dedicated to sharing the untold stories of the 2019-20 bushfires. By using their technical expertise to bring their community together, the pair have created a safe and welcoming space for fire affected residents to share and heal.
Queanbeyan
Christine Butler received the Citizen of the Year award for over 50 years of service with the Queanbeyan Girl Guides. She has helped obtain numerous grants and organised countless events for the Queanbeyan Girl Guides during her time with the organisation. Christine has enriched the lives of many young women through her leadership and devotion to the role by setting an example of compassion and respect.
Young Citizen of the Year Joash Taufa’ahau raised $8,000 for food rescue charity OzHarvest by walking more than 1400km from the border of NSW and Queensland to Victoria. After working in hospitality for several years and seeing first-hand how much food goes to waste every day, Joash was inspired to take action and help change the conversation around food waste.
The Community Event of the Year award went to Sleepbus®, a worthy initiative that provides safe overnight accommodation for homeless people in our region. Since opening in March 2021, the Queanbeyan Sleepbus® has provided 138 safe sleeps for local homeless people with the help of approximately 40 volunteers.
Bungendore
Bungendore’s Citizen of the Year was Debbie Simms who this year celebrates 20 years of service with the 1st Bungendore Scout Group. Debbie’s dedication to the scout group was vital in securing funding for the construction of the new Bungendore Scout Hall. This award recognises her leadership and mentorship of many young locals.
Cameron Miller received the Young Citizen of the Year award for his assistance to the Bungendore Basketball coaches. Since 2015, Cameron has been a reliable and dedicated member of the club and acted as a role model to many of the younger players.
The Bungendore ANZAC Day Dinner was awarded Event of the Year. Open to all community members, the dinner offered an opportunity for locals to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Australian Air Force. The event took place at the Bungendore War Memorial Hall and featured two guest speakers who shared their insights on serving in the RAAF.
Photos courtesy of the Regional Independent