Australia Day awards recognise the good deeds that are being done in our community over the past year as well as dedicated service to our community over many years.
This year six locals have been nominated for the Citizen of the Year award and five young people have been put forward for the Young Citizen of the Year title.
The Citizen of the Year Award and Young Citizen of the Year (up to the age of 24 years) awards are presented to a person who has had significant achievements on a voluntary basis in the Cobar district communities, particularly in the past 12 months.
This year’s Citizen of the Year nominees include: Heath Prendergast (for his contributions to local community projects); Michelle Gillette and Stephen Gillette (for their work in care services, contributions to sporting events and pastoral care); Trudy Griffiths (for her involvement in the Tour de OROC fundraiser for the Macquarie Home Stay facility); Anni Van Der Westhuizen (for her charity giving efforts in the community) and Colby Lawrence (for his involvement in multiple community events over the past year).
Among the Young Citizen nominees are Max McKenna (who has become an online ambassador for Cobar); Pearl Blackburn (who successfully juggles study, work and sport); Katie Nicholson (Nymagee Gymkahana Committee president and member of the Nymagee Spring Ball Committee); Lucy Kilpatrick (who has gone above and beyond working with youth in Cobar); and Malina Bottom (who has shown outstanding leadership in the school and wider community).
The Bossie Mitchell Services to the Community award and the Services to Sport awards both recognise the efforts of people who have made a significant contribution to the Cobar district community on a voluntary basis over a number of years.
There were 15 nominees for the Service to the Community and included: Beverly O’Brien (for her many years of voluntary work with Vinnies); Latisha Bennett (for her work with the Inter Mine Golf Challenge); Molly Birch (for her work with Baptist Church youth); Sharon Harland (for her voluntary work with the Cobar Hospital Auxiliary and Cobar Business Association); the Dust Bowl Fuel Burners (for volunteering at and hosting events) along with Cobar Shire Council staff, Lilliane Brady Village staff, the Cobar Care Co-Op Group, Riki Santos Schaumkell and Rachael Davis Manns, who have all been nominated for going above and beyond in their service roles in the community.
Michelle Gillette, Stephen Gillette, Anni Van Der Westhuizen, Colby Lawrence and Katie Nicholson have also received nominations for this category.
Michelle and Stephen Gillette have also received nominations for the Services to Sport category along with long time Cobar Netball Association volunteer Sherrin Wharton, hardworking Cobar Junior Rugby League volunteer Tarra Burke and Cobar Junior Rugby League and Junior and Senior Touch coordinator and referee Emma Barton.
Other awards to be handed out at this year’s Australia Day celebrations include the Sports Person of the Year, the Junior Sports Person of the Year, the Community Event of the Year and the Environment and Sustainability award.
