Australia Day Awards

Indigo Shire Council Australia Day Awards celebrate the contribution of individuals, community organisations and businesses in the region. These prestigious awards are designed to pay tribute to those who make extraordinary contributions to society or who are outstanding achievers in the community.

The Australia Day Awards are a great opportunity for you to recognise a friend, family member, community leader or colleague who has made a beneficial contribution to the Indigo community.

What are the Australia Day Awards?

Each year Council invites community members to nominate for the prestigious Australia Day Awards which are presented to local individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to our community.

Awards are:

• Indigo Shire Citizen of the Year
• Indigo Shire Young Citizen of the Year
• Indigo Shire Community Organisation of the Year
• Beechworth & District Certificate of Achievement
• Rutherglen & District Certificate of Appreciation
• Chiltern & District Certificate of Appreciation
• Yackandandah & District Certificate of Appreciation
• Barnawartha & District Certificate of Appreciation
• Kiewa-Tangambalanga & District Certificate of Appreciation
• Emma George Junior Sporting Scholarship

Who is eligible to be nominated?

The awards are open to individuals who reside within and groups who conduct their activities within Indigo Shire.

How does someone become nominated?

Anyone can nominate by completing the appropriate category Nomination Form and returning it to Council.

Nominations must be accompanied by suitable details to assist the judging panel.

An individual or group may be nominated in one category only. All nominations must comply with the General Conditions of Entry, have a nominator and referee and submit the required documentation addressing all areas of the selection criteria.

What happens once someone is nominated?

The Nomination Form is registered and a letter acknowledging receipt of nomination is sent to both the nominator and the nominee. Once nominations close the nomination forms are forwarded to the Australia Day Selection Panel. The panel will preside over the nominations and determine the award recipients. Nominees may, at the discretion of the Selection Panel, be transferred to another category.

The 2013 award recipients:

Citizen of the year: Meryl Johnson of Beechworth is a quiet achiever who does not seek thanks for what she has contributed to her community. These contributions have been considerable, diverse and reflect her deep passion and commitment to maintaining and promoting a strong community. Meryl is involved in many community organisations including the Beechworth and District Community Bank, Beechworth Celtic Festival Committee, Beechworth Ladies Probus, Red Cross, Red hat Society, the Beechworth Christ Church and volunteers at the Beechworth Op Shop and with Red Cross Calling.

Young Citizen of the year: Miss Clancie McCarthy and Miss Rylie Atkins of Chiltern have both been members of the Chiltern Girls Guides for 8 and 9 years. Both girls have challenged themselves to complete their BP (Baden Powell) Award and both are very close to achieving the Queen’s Guide Award which is the peak achievement award for Youth Members in Guiding. Both girls will be attending an event in Switzerland in July this year with other Guides from Chiltern and will be wonderful ambassadors for Indigo Shire.

Community organisation of the year: The Volunteers at the Rutherglen Wine Experience and Visitor Information Centre are a pool of 23 volunteers who commit between 80 and 100 hours per week to the operation of the Rutherglen Wine Experience and Visitor Information Centre. They provide a welcoming first point of contact for the tens of thousands of visitors to the centre annually and enhance the reputation of Rutherglen, Wahgunyah and surrounds by providing accurate, detailed and friendly assistance. They selflessly give their time and are an integral part of the team at the Visitor Information Centre.

Emma George Junior Sporting Scholarship: Miss Charlotte Richardson of Chiltern who at a very young age excels at the equestrian sport of Showing and Dressage. Charlotte competes in many different age groups up to under 18 and many open competitions.

Chiltern and District Certificate of Achievement: Mr Kurtis Hickling of Chiltern dedicates himself to the Community through his involvement in the CFA and with the Hickling Family Emergency Response Fundraiser, raising over $20,000 for local emergency services. Kurtis dedicate much of his time to the community and never expects anything back and was described as a true Aussie bloke who cares for his community and the Shire of Indigo.

Barnawartha and District Certificate of Achievement: Miss Nerida Kerr of Barnawartha has lived in Indigo Shire her entire life and is an outstanding Community Member who dedicates much of her time to various committees and organisations. Nerida is involved in numerous groups including The Red Cross Emergency Services, The Barnawartha Development Association, Barnawartha Recreation Reserve Committee of Management and the Barnawartha Primary School Council.

Rutherglen and District Certificate of Achievement: Mr John McCartie of Rutherglen is a very good mechanic whose philosophy is ‘do it once, do it right’. John has been involved in the RSL, Rutherglen Football Club, Knights of the Southern Cross, on the St Mary’s Retirement Village Committee, Rutherglen Swimming Club to name just a few.

Yackandandah and District Certificate of Achievement: Mrs Fiona Jones of Yackandandah tirelessly volunteers her time making a difference to other people’s lives. She is a highly regarded and valued volunteer with the Yackandandah Bush Nursing Hospital and has been instrumental in raising awareness and support services for cancer survivors and is a voice and advocate for breast cancer survivors.

Kiewa - Tangambalanga Certificate of Achievement: Mr Steve Larkin & Mrs Jenny Larkin are both valuable community members of Kergunyah and Tangambalanga. Both were instrumental in getting the Community Centre in Tangambalanga, a wonderful piece of infrastructure for the community. Steve is involved in the Kergunyah Reserve Committee and Jenny with the Kergunyah Hall Committee. They are both great supporters of the Kiewa Sandy Creek Football Club.