Australia Day Awards 2024 recipients
Published on 29 January 2024
Congratulations to all the recipients of Australia Day Awards this year. Read more about each winner below:
Bungendore
Beryl Tarttelin was awarded Citizen of the Year for Bungendore for her outstanding dedication to the Bungendore community. Upon moving to Bungendore 18 years ago Beryl immediately joined the Rotary Club of Bungendore where she has volunteered at many club events, hosted an exchange student and served as club president for some time. During her early years in Bungendore Beryl would tutor local children — many of whom had learning or language difficulties — often free of charge. Since retiring from teaching, Beryl has been dedicated to advocating for seniors in our region. She is an active member of the local Bridge Club, helped start a Seniors Chair Yoga group in Bungendore, and is currently working to establish a new over 55s Seniors Group in Bungendore.
Bungendore’s Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to Sen McNamara for their fierce advocacy of gender inclusivity. Sen’s passion for social justice and challenging conventional gender norms led them to establishing a support group for queer youth in Bungendore in 2021. Sen has been a part of the 1st Bungendore Scout Group for nearly ten years, participating in many fundraising events and representing Scouts at MardiGras in 2023. Sen also played an important role in Bungendore Medical Centre’s COVID immunisation clinics and has maintained a remote area First Aid accreditation to provide First Aid for the ACT Rogaining Association.
The Bungendore Preschool Fair and Pig Races was awarded Event of the Year for Bungendore. On Saturday 4 March 2023, the Bungendore community came together to raise money for the town’s beloved not-for-profit preschool. All community groups and organisations in Bungendore attended or participated in the event, pitching in with stalls or organising games and activities like pig racing. The event was a great success and helped bring the town together.
Braidwood
Braidwood’s Citizen of the Year was awarded to Richard Elliot for his committed service to the Braidwood community. Richard was originally Captain at the Farringdon Rural Fire Service but transferred to the Majors Creek Brigade to help build membership numbers. Despite undergoing a triple bypass in February 2019, Richard was on the front lines of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires for three months, working hard to keep his community safe. He is the Chair of the Braidwood National Theatre s355 Committee and is very hands on with the venue’s events and maintenance. He is also Chair of the Braidwood sponsorship team within the Braidwood and Bungendore Community Bank branches. Richard is an active committee member of the Native Animal Rescue Group and volunteers as a patient driver for Braidwood residents that need to get to specialist appointments in Canberra or Goulburn.
Henry Campbell was awarded Young Citizen of the Year for Braidwood for being community minded and committed to helping others through Scouts. Henry has been a member of the 1st Braidwood Scouts since 2016. He regularly helps with the delivery and unloading of firewood for firewood raffles and the collection of empty cans and bottles to recycle for Scouts funding. Three years ago, Henry set up his own small business selling handmade tea towels to help fund his trip to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea where he was the only representative from the area. Henry recently received his Australian Scout Award which is the peak award for Scouts aged 11-14 and is a milestone in a youth member’s Scouting journey. Henry also volunteers his time to help a local elderly couple with various chores.
The Nerriga Camp Oven Cookoff was awarded Event of the Year for Braidwood. Eight local teams, featuring about 40 people of all ages, took part in the competition, practicing their skills weeks in advance to be competition ready. More than 100 people from Nerriga and surrounds attended or were involved in the event which helped raise more than $14,000 for the Black Dog Institute. The community rallied together to make sure the day was a success, generously volunteering their time to make sure it ran smoothly.
Captains Flat
Citizen of the Year was awarded to Anita King in Captains Flat for her exceptional dedication to the Captains Flat community. Anita has been a Captains Flat Area s355 Committee member for over a decade, helping to make a significant impact on the amenities available to the community and those passing through. She has been a long-time member of the Captains Flat Community Association where she previously held executive positions, as well as a member of the Back to the Flat Organising Committee. Anita was a driving force behind the resurgence of the Back to the Flat event which helped to reinvigorate the community following the pandemic. Over the years she has also helped organise many children’s dances, community socials, carols in the park and community touch football events.
Bohdi Ethan James was awarded Young Citizen of the Year for Captains Flat for his volunteer work with various organisations in the community. Bohdi is a junior member of the Captains Flat RFS where he supports the brigade with preparation before trucks are deployed and with clean-up when they return. He volunteers with the Captains Flat Men’s Shed Café every weekend and at the Captain’s Treasure Op-Shop every week. Bohdi also does gardening for people in town who need help and shaved off his dreadlocks to raise $1000 for the Ricky Stuart Foundation.
Back to the Flat was awarded Event of the Year for Captains Flat. After a decade long break, the annual event was resumed in 2023 with the help of a dedicated group of Captains Flat community members. Hundreds of people attended the event and enjoyed a range of activities including amusements, facepainting, food and drink stalls, sheep shearing, wood-chopping, small car and stationary engine displays, an adult obstacle course and live music. Back to the Flat 2023 helped bring the Captains Flat community together after a difficult few years following the 2019/20 bushfires and the pandemic. The event also celebrated the grand reopening of the restored Captains Flat Hotel.
Queanbeyan
Maria Porreca was awarded Citizen of the Year for Queanbeyan for her involvement with various organisations and her commitment to enhancing the lives of people in her community. In 1958, Maria migrated to Australia from Italy as a child with her family. Over the years, she has been involved with many voluntary charitable organisations including the Good Neighbour Council, Mary Mead, and the Italian Youth Association. She successfully campaigned to bring the Bendigo Bank to Canberra and Queanbeyan where she served on the board for ten years. In recent years, Maria has been on the committee management of QBN FM and is currently an active member of the Country Women’s Association, organiser of the Heart Foundation Health Walking Group, and the Queanbeyan Seniors Group.
Queanbeyan’s Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to Meika Lindsey for her passionate advocacy for young people in New South Wales. Meika is a member of the NSW Youth Advisory Council and the NSW Regional Youth Taskforce where she works to make sure young people’s voices are heard in government. Her advocacy in these groups has a particular focus on creating opportunities for regional youth, cultural inclusivity, and mental health. Meika is a proud Aboriginal Biripai woman and after recognising a lack of opportunity for other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, she established and is president of the Queanbeyan Junior Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. Through the consultative group, she has helped to form Aboriginal support groups within 20 schools across the region to improve outcomes for First Nations students.
The Queanbeyan leg of the 100 Years of Legacy Centenary Torch Relay was awarded Event of the Year for Queanbeyan. The event celebrated 100 years of Legacy supporting families of veterans who gave their life or health for our country with social, financial, and developmental support. The Torch Relay started in Belgium and made its way through France and England before travelling all around Australia where the final leg of the NSW relay took place in Queanbeyan. Local veterans, legatees, and other community members were chosen to be torchbearers and were joined by local schools and the public to complete the relay. Queanbeyan Legacy hosted a reception at the Legacy Village for 300 people, serving food with the help of the CWA, Queanbeyan Rotary, and the Red Cross.