Australia Day 2024

Australia Day Awards

The annual Australia Day Awards are an opportunity for our community to recognise outstanding local heroes and high achievers from all walks of life.

Nominations for the 2024 Fraser Coast Australia Day Awards closed on 24 November 2023.

Awards Ceremony

The Australia Day Awards Presentation will be held at the Brolga Theatre on Friday 26 January 2024. Starting with a citizenship ceremony from 9am and the Awards Ceremony to follow at around 10am. The ceremonies are free and all are welcome to attend. 

Australia Day Awards 2024 Recipients

  • Ken has been an outstanding contributor to the Fraser Coast region for many years. He is passionate and knowledgeable about the history and geography of the local area. He strives to excel in his many volunteer roles, including as Maryborough’s Town Crier, a Mary Ann Steam Train driver, and District Commissioner of Scouts.

    Ken has held several leadership roles in 54 years of exemplary volunteer service to the Scouting movement and is currently serving as District Commissioner. Ken has been instrumental in Maryborough hosting the Australian Jamboree in 2013, the Queensland Cuborees in 2016, 2018 and 2023, as well as the upcoming Australian Jamboree in 2025 – all of which attract thousands of visitors to our region.

    Ken has been an ambassador for the Fraser Coast as the Town Crier since 2005, and first competed in the World Town Crier Championships that same year. He has travelled across Australia competing in competitions and promoting our region, winning multiple awards in the process including Loudest Crier, Best-dressed Crier and Best Scroll. He also portrays Admiral Boom at the Mary Poppins Festival each year.

    Additionally, Ken is President of the Maryborough and District Antique Motor Club, and the Maryborough Whistlestop Railway Museum, as well as a volunteer and manager of the Maryborough Military and History Museum, and a volunteer for the Guided Maryborough Heritage Walk tours.

  • Diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia when he was eight years old, George decided he wasn’t going to let it hold him back and has been advocating on a local, state and federal level to raise awareness and understanding of dyslexia and improve educational outcomes. George wrote to the Mayor to request Council raise awareness of Dyslexia by "Lighting it Red for Dyslexia" – a campaign by Code Read which gained both national and international recognition.

    His next goal is to write to local business leaders and business owners asking them to "take an hour for dyslexia". This is an initiative provided by Microsoft and Made By Dyslexia, to raise awareness of dyslexia in the workplace.

    George is determined to make a difference and advocate for change to allow all children to have an equal and fair chance to achieve what so many take for granted.

  • Since first becoming a volunteer with the Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum in 2003, Brian has been an integral part of the organisation and key to some of their biggest successes.

    With the energy of someone much younger than his 85 years, Brian is still finding time to expand his endeavours by now visiting local Nursing Homes to talk to and entertain fellow community members. He has built a portable ropemaking setup to demonstrate ropemaking to those who cannot visit the Museum.

  • Toby, a 12-year-old student, has been an invaluable asset to Sleepbus since it first launched in Hervey Bay in April 2023. Toby initially joined as a member of the Housekeeping Crew and since day one has been a passionate and committed volunteer. Toby did 30 shifts for Sleepbus in just its first six months. With his volunteering, he has helped Sleepbus to provide 171 safe sleeps in the Hervey Bay community.

  • The Fraser Coast Dunga Derby is a four-day Car Rally that runs from the local area once a year. For six months before this, participant teams hosted multiple fundraising events. The Fraser Coast Dunga Derby Car Rally has over 250 volunteers and the 2023 event raised $567,308 for the Fraser Coast community.

  • The Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum serves as the custodians of our region’s history, ensuring it is preserved for generations to come while allowing locals and visitors alike to learn and experience our past.

    The Hervey Bay Historical Village & Museum has received many awards, including "Best of Queensland Experiences" and Trip Advisor Travellers Choice and was listed in the Top Three attractions for Hervey Bay in 2022. 2024 will see the Museum celebrate their 50th Anniversary on March 16 – a major milestone for this valuable and unique asset for our region.

  • Grace is an exceptional student who excels in physics, chemistry, maths and digital technology. Grace was recognised as Urangan State High School’s top achiever in chemistry, physics and digital solutions. This fantastic achievement saw Grace awarded the Highest Achiever, Year 12, 2023, the pinnacle academic achievement award for Urangan State High School.

    Beyond her academic success, Grace serves as a Science Ambassador at our Urangan High, a role she carries out with exceptional enthusiasm. Notably, she dedicates her own time to assisting in running the STEM club for Year 8 students, where she serves as a shining example and inspiration to her peers, particularly as a female excelling in STEM.

  • Willy and Di Paes have given outstanding service to their community over many years, with mural painting, backdrops, pavement art, community participation and willingness to help. They are role models as volunteers who love their community and give freely of their time.

    Willy is an artist whose works have become synonymous with Maryborough, having created the colourful pavement art for the Mary Poppins Festivals, the hand-painted backdrops for the Brolga Theatre’s community productions and multiple murals across the city, including in The Story Bank.

    In addition to supporting Willy in all his work, Di volunteers for the Hospital Auxiliary twice a week and, as a member of the Rotary Club of Maryborough Sunrise, works together as the Entertainment Coordinator for the Maryborough Markets, running the stallholder raffles and looking after the social media.

  • Noah’s passion and dedication to the performing arts have seen him be involved in many community shows through ZPAC Theatre and Accent Theatre, including Lovely Bones, Dry Rot, Firebringer, and Finding Nemo, among others, as well as performing at the Mary Poppins Festival.

    Noah recently appeared in three different shows that performed just weeks apart from each other, all while still attending school. He gives many hours after school, sometimes late at night to keep doing what he loves.

  • Vivian has been a role model in the training of horses and riders for 50 years. Over the past 20 years, Vivian has been successfully sourced to coach various Western Performance disciplines including Cutting and Reining, Traditional Dressage, Pony Club, Show Horse, Western Dressage and Stockhorse Challenge. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and understanding of horses and people resonate by way of a positive experience at every lesson.

  • Makayla is a passionate athlete who has represented the Fraser Coast at the highest levels in athletics and is currently ranked number one in Australia for under 14 girls javelin on the Australian Athletics 2023 rankings. She has been Queensland Champion every year for javelin since the age of 10 and top three in Queensland for discus and shotput.

    Makayla is a fantastic role model across all sports that she participates in. She competes with a lot of pride and is always willing to help and encourage other athletes along the way.

Australia Day Awards 2024 Nominations

  • Bobbie Walsh
    Bobbie has excelled in the fields of nursing, childhood education and disability support. She has received the St. Johns Commissioners Award for outstanding contribution to youth and volunteering, the Educator of the Year for Family Day Care and has been the finalist in two national childcare awards.

    Robyn Dowling
    Secretary and Marketing Manager of the Maryborough Sunrise Rotary Club, Robyn is also the Director of Fraser Coast Events and has been pivotal in the establishment and running of the Maryborough Markets along with her fellow Rotarians.

    Danny Mattsson
    A long-time resident of Hervey Bay, Danny has been serving the community in various roles that utilise and share his abundance of skills for decades. A founding member of the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay Sunrise in 1994 and has held multiple positions at a club level including Club President and at a District level including currently serving as Assistant Governor.

    Willy Paes and Mrs Di Paes
    Willy and Di Paes have been nominated as a couple as they come as a package and totally support each other in everything they do for the community. They embody the spirit of Mary Poppins dressing up as the chimney sweep and the bird lady every year in addition to regularly dressing up in themed costumes to add life to the markets or multiple other events, including dressing as Santa and Mrs Claus at Station Square.

    Maxine Crawford
    Maxine has developed the recycling and waste reduction program at St Helens Primary and established the new Fraser Coast Sustainable Schools Network for schools to network and share ideas and solutions to waste problems. Maxine is an inspiration to everyone working or volunteering in sustainability.

    Marilyn Clarke
    Marilyn sacrifices her time and energy to help others in as many ways as she can. From transporting veterans to medical appointments, selling raffle tickets to raise funds for veterans’ services, community youth and local charities, to tasks such as pet minding for those who have been hospitalised.

    Drew Godfrey
    As the owner and operator of Hervey Bay Snake Catchers, Drew has been proactive over the past several years to promote wildlife conservation. Providing a 24/7 service to the community while also volunteering his time and resources to help sick and injured wildlife.

    Leanne Thomsen and Jessi Scanlon
    Mother and Daughter duo, Leanne and Jessi are Zumba instructors who do much more than teach dance. They are also active fundraisers for the community, with recent fundraising efforts have seen them raise over $3,300 for members of the local community battling cancer.

    Alison Bowman
    Alison is dedicated to helping those in need around her and takes an active role in numerous clubs in our community including Zonta, the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Welfare Officer and the Uniting Church. Alison saw a need for a support group for partners of veterans on the Fraser Coast and in 2022 introduced the ‘Partners of Veterans Association Support Group (PVA)’ to the Fraser Coast Community.

    Kerry Jones
    In his role as President of Fraser Coast Meals on Wheels, Kerry leads a core group of several employees and a very large team of volunteers (100+) who collectively meet the very immediate needs of locals who have difficulty providing for themselves. The continued viability and good guidance of this organisation in difficult times is an essential service for many on the Fraser Coast.

    John Andersen
    John is a fifth-generation local who has lived is whole life in Hervey Bay. A consistently engaged community member and ambassador of the Fraser Coast. John joined the Hervey Bay Historical Museum in 2007 where he has been invaluable as a historian, tour guide, public speaker and author.

    Ken Ashford
    Ken has been an outstanding contributor to the Fraser Coast Region for many years. He is passionate and knowledgeable about the history and geography of the local area. He strives to excel in all of his many volunteer roles, including as Maryborough’s Town Crier, a driver of the Mary Ann Steam Train, and District Commissioner of Scouts.

    Glen Winney
    Glen Winney has worked tirelessly on local community groups for several decades. He’s been involved with the Chamber of Commerce, tourism groups, industry-specific associations, and many more over his years of community work. Glen has also started Fraser Coast Films in association with 3 other people whose aim is to bring quality filmmaking to the Fraser Coast to help promote the region.

    Nan Ott
    Nan is an outstanding community citizen who, for more than 40 years, has been supporting community organisations as a key member in the critical and demanding roles of secretary, treasurer, president and vice president.

    Tara Duerkop
    Tara works as a Community Navigator at Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre assisting our most vulnerable community members to access a range of services. Tara also attends the weekly Comfort Kitchen dinner at Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre to meet with people experiencing hardship and offer support.

  • Toby Robinson
    Toby has been volunteering for Sleepbus since they commenced operating in Hervey Bay in April 2023. Dedicating a significant part of his weekend, every weekend, Toby makes beds, cleans toilets and helps train new volunteers. He has assisted Sleepbus in providing over 171 safe sleeps and counting.

    Phoebe Lee
    Phoebe is an outstanding role model to both younger students and her peers. As her school’s School Captain, she upholds their values of Safety, Respect, Effort and Self Responsibility. Phoebe also contributes significantly in the local community by voluntarily writing a fortnightly column in the local newspaper, The Maryborough Sun, for over a year and counting. Her column, "For Kids by Kids," has covered a wide range of topics from how to deal with bullying to activities children can access through the school holiday period.

    George Rowland
    Diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia when he was 8 years old, George decided he wasn’t going to let it hold him back and has been advocating on a local, state and federal level to raise awareness and understanding of dyslexia and improve educational outcomes. George is determined to make a difference and advocate for change to allow all children to have an equal and fair chance to achieve what so many take for granted.

    Jake Rapps
    A fantastic role model for his peers and the wider community, Jake was the School Captain at his school in 2022, repeatedly showing interest in helping and leading the community the school has, attending Captains' breakfasts, mass, leading the school’s assembly and attending every ANZAC day parade through Maryborough.

  • Peter Higgenbottom
    Peter is the musical director of ‘Maryborough Musos’. After joining the club six years ago, Peter stepped up when the original coordinator suddenly left, and despite having a limited musical background, undertook the mammoth task of compiling the music, organising the venues, creating a strong committee, and continued to learn more music to inspire and teach others.

    Mr Willy Paes and Mrs Di Paes
    Willy is an artist whose works have become synonymous with Maryborough, having created the colourful pavement art for the Mary Poppins Festivals, the hand painted backdrops for the Brolga Theatre’s community productions and multiple murals across the city, including in The Story Bank. In addition to supporting Willy in all his work, Di volunteers for the Hospital Auxiliary twice a week and, as members of the Rotary Club of Maryborough Sunrise, work together as the Entertainment Coordinators for the Maryborough Markets, organising the USIC, running the stallholder raffles and looking after the social media.

    Timothy Holstein
    Tim has shown himself to champion accessibility and professional training when it comes to the arts. He started Accent Theatre last year in the hopes of offering professional level tuition that is affordable even to lower socio-economic families and offering a program that aligns with the QLD curriculum.

    Nadene Dresens
    After moving to Hervey Bay with her family in 2012, Nadene stated ‘Little Tutu Dancers’ with the intention of making a fun, caring and positive environment for dancers under five. She began with just three dancers in her first term in 2013 from which numbers started to slowly grow as word of mouth moved around.

  • Halle Bryant
    Halle is a dedicated and multi-disciplinary arts student who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the enrichment of the Aldridge SHS arts and cultural community throughout her academic journey. As a year 12 student this year, she pursued a diverse range of artistic disciplines, including Visual Arts, Visual Arts in Practice, Film & TV, and Music. Halle exceeded the ordinary requirements of her academic responsibilities by studying three different creative art subjects simultaneously.

    Noah Byrne
    Noah’s passion and dedication to the performing arts has seen him be involved in many community shows through Zpac Theatre and Accent Theatre including Lovely Bones, Dry Rot, Firebringer, and Finding Nemo among others as well as performing at the Mary Poppins Festival.

    Danielle Ibbetson
    Danielle has been an earnest and dedicated dancer from the age of 3 and has achieved Distinctions for all of her Royal Academy of Dance (London) ballet exams since 2018, attaining Honours and Honours Plus in her ADA Tap and Jazz exams. Danielle has received numerous awards including the 2022 Dance School Award for choreography and the 2023 College Gold Arts and Cultural Award; College Gold Academic Award.

  • Grace Deemer
    Grace is an exceptional student who excels in physics, chemistry, maths and digital technology. Grace was recognised as Urangan State High School’s top achiever in chemistry, physics and digital solutions. This fantastic achievement saw Grace awarded the Highest Achiever, Year 12, 2023, the pinnacle academic achievement award for Urangan State High School.

    Jasper Robinson
    Jasper was the Year 10 Dux (highest academic performance) and subject prize winner in Science and Maths (and other subjects). Jasper was selected for SPARQ-ed (a unique educational facility established as a collaboration between the Department of Education and The University of Queensland which aims to promote excellence and innovation in biological and biomedical education to Queensland schools).

    Rachael Nissen
    Rachael has consistently delivered outstanding results in her STEM class projects, exceeding expectations. An excellent example of this is her work based around gears and how they have influenced the modern-day differential driving system. Rachael was involved in the building of a 'Judo Bot' - The aim was design and build these 'judo bots' to compete against each other. Rachael has shown the ability to identify not only current issues but also anticipates potential future developments in STEM projects.

  • Julie Lucas
    Julie has been an incredible help with the junior’s program at Fraser Coast 8Ball Association and is a strong advocate for promoting women in sport. She attends and helps to coach at all-women’s sessions. Julie also took out e Central Queensland Ladies Singles Champion award for 2023, which she has won 2 years in a row.

    Vivian Wearing
    Vivian has been a role model in the training of horses and riders for 50 years. Over the past 20 years Vivian has been successfully sourced to coach various Western Performance disciplines including Cutting and Reining, Traditional Dressage, Pony Club, Show Horse, Western Dressage and Stockhorse Challenge.

    Ms Katie Elder
    Katie has been running since 2020. Katie's initial goal was to run 5km. She's now training for a 50km ultra trial marathon for 2024 and is actively involved in Park Run and regularly volunteers with this fun community program initially starting out as a Park Run participant and then becoming a Run Director in 2021 and since 2022 has been the co-Event Director.

    Ms Katie Clews
    Katie Clews has been running on and off since 1999 (in between having kids). Last year, together with fellow nominee Katie Elder, she initiated the bi-annual Katies Walk on K'gari - a 24km walk from Kingfisher Bay to Lake Mackenzie and back again. They've now held three of these walks with a growing number of participants each time - proof of the way they inspire others to have fun and enjoy exercising in our beautiful Fraser Coast environment. Katie says "The thing I love about running is that anyone can do it and age is no barrier. You don’t have to be fast - slow and steady gets the job done".

  • Rory Blake
    Rory has competed in over 15 pool and snooker events all over Australia, and at just 17 years of age has a shining future in the sport. Rory is currently competing in Canberra so can’t be here today.

    Riley Laycock
    Riley is actively involved on several levels in Hervey Bay Basketball. He volunteers his time to coach younger teams, he referees Junior and senior games and he recently travelled to Chicago with AUSA Basketball to represent Australia where they played against several teams over two tournaments.

    Ashleigh Moller
    Ashleigh has been a role model for young kids, especially girls in chosen sport of Speedway kart racing. In a predominately male dominated sport Ashleigh has been a shining light for females over the past 10 years of competing. She also coaches Junior drivers at events and practice days. Ashleigh is the Current Australian, Queensland and NSW champion for the ladies’ class, she is also the first female to hold multiple National and state titles in the one year.

    Makayla Moller
    Makayla is a passionate athlete who gives everything 100%. She has represented at the highest levels in athletics and is currently ranked number 1 in Australia for the under 14 girls javelin on the Australian Athletics 2023 rankings. She has been Queensland Champion every year for javelin since the age of 10 and top three in Queensland for discus and shotput.

    Joel Nielsen
    Joel has been an active member of the Toogoom Kyushin Judo Club, since the club began 4 years ago, and he has shown dedication to the sport at all times. His commitment to guiding and mentoring fellow athlete, of any age, shows not only his skill but his leadership qualities. On the first weekend of October, Joel was selected as a member of the QLD team, to compete in the Kodokan Judo National Championships, in Brisbane and he brought home a GOLD medal, for his age and weight division.

  • Nikita Falconer
    Nikita has put forward a positive and humbling outlook on life to her many friends, family and the community as a whole. Throughout 2023 she made a huge impact in the way that cancer and its treatment are viewed, and spent many days volunteering her time, money and passion towards raising vital funds for the Oncology Unit at St Stephen's after she herself received life-saving treatment.

    Brian Taylor
    Since first becoming a volunteer with the Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum in 2003, Brian has been an integral part of the organisation and instrumental in some of their biggest successes.

    Karen Chatfield
    A pillar of the Torquay community, Karen is synonymous with the Torquay Beachside Markets and various events that bring the town’s foreshore to life. Working with the Torquay Progress Association, Karen ensures the weekly community event has a wide variety of stalls, entertainment and children’s activities, and that the markets are appealing for locals and tourists alike.

    Catherine Milijasevic
    Cathy is not just a volunteer, she is the lifeblood and backbone of the Hervey Bay Hockey Association, and she goes above and beyond, not just for the organisation, but for every single member. She is one of a kind and anyone who knows her will attest to how lucky the association and community are to have her.

    Danielle Sullivan
    Demonstrating continued excellence in her community as a role model through her dedicated efforts to support the rough-sleeping and homeless, Danielle has been the backbone of Sleepbus in Hervey Bay.

    Gwen Lewis
    Dedicated prison chaplain Gwen is the embodiment of an inspirational role model who has consistently demonstrated excellence not only within the realm of her role as a prison chaplain but also through her remarkable contributions to our community.

    Marilyn Clarke
    After volunteering for nine years, Marilyn took on the management of the Maryborough Driver Reviver this year, saving it from closure and instead ensuring it remains operable and saving lives into the future.

    Ken Ashford
    Ken is President of the Maryborough and District Antique Motor Club, and the Maryborough Whistlestop Railway Museum, as well as a volunteer and manager of the Maryborough Military and History Museum, and a volunteer for the Guided Maryborough Heritage Walk tours.

    Rachel Recycle
    With a history of conceiving and implementing innovative and successful projects and a desire to make a positive contribution to her community, Rachel initiated a comprehensive recycling program within her Over 50s village that not only provides a valuable service by keeping useful items out of landfill by forwarding them for refurbishment and reuse, but also offers a model for other villages and the wider community.

    Ruby Rosenfield and Coryn Dennett
    For over 13 years both Ruby and Coryn have been volunteering at the Faye Smith Wetlands. This includes spending hours upon hours each week weeding and improving the Wetlands, rain, hail or shine.

  • Tara Jaworski
    Tara has volunteered for her school's Sustainability Club, The Young Greenies since the beginning of 2022. Tara was keen to join The Young Greenies and signed herself up as soon as she was allowed. Tara was recently recognised in her school community for rallying some of her peers to assist her with a presentation to her Principal and the school tuckshop convenors about the unsustainability of single-use plastics, and requesting that the convenors change their plastic packaging to paper, which was successful.

    Toby Robinson
    Toby, a 12 year-old student, has been an invaluable asset to Sleepbus since it first launched in Hervey Bay in April. Toby initially joined as a member of the Housekeeping Crew and since day one has been a passionate and committed volunteer. Toby came along to the Open Day of Sleepbus and was excited to join the team. He was the first to show up and is consistently the first one on the roster for the following shift.

    Matthew Hillier
    As a young member of the Show Society, Matthew has always made himself available for the initial set up of the Show, cleaning out pavilions, assisting Chief Stewards throughout the Show and assisting in the packing up of this local event. This year, Matthew was elected for the position of Director of the Fraser Coast Agriculture Show Society at our annual AGM. Since then he has started a Next Gen sub-committee for local youth's aged between 18-35.

  • Fraser Coast Disability Services (FCDS)
    Fraser Coast Disability Services strive to find clients fulfilling employment whether full-time, part-time or volunteering with partners such as We Care 2, Meals on Wheels and St. Vincent de Paul.

    Hervey Bay Historical Village & Museum
    The Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum serves as the custodians of our region’s history, ensuring it is preserved for generations to come while allowing locals and visitors alike to learn and experience our past.

    Rally for a Cause
    Since its inception nine years ago Rally for a Cause has raised over three million dollars to help Fraser Coast families and individuals with life-limiting medical conditions or who have experienced traumatic circumstances beyond their control.

    Sleepbus
    Sleepbus offers a safe and secure place for people experiencing homelessness to sleep and promotes dignity and well-being by allowing individuals to have a sense of privacy and safety.

    My Hero Disability Service
    My Hero Disability Services provides its participants with empowering support that facilitates independent living through skill development, and social integration by organizing social activities and events that foster social connections and fun for the community.

    Chance Nursing and Disability Support
    Chance Nursing stands out for its exceptional care and cultural sensitivity, catering to individuals with diverse needs through a dedicated team including identified staff and well-trained professionals. As a testament to their commitment, they serve as the first aid tent at the annual 'Festable' event.

    The Food Basket
    For the past 15 years, The Food Basket has immeasurably benefited the lives of many individuals, the community in general and various fellow community organisations. By offering groceries and household staples at affordable prices – or free in the case of bread, fruit, vegetables, and some meals – they economically benefit individuals, veterans, low-income families and, especially, the homeless.

  • Dunga Derby Car Rally
    The Fraser Coast Dunga Derby is a four-day Car Rally that runs once a year from the local area. For a six-month period prior to this, participant teams host multiple fundraising events.

    Carols in the Country
    Tiaro’s annual Christmas event, Carols in the Country, brings people together from all walks of life, families, couples, individuals, people with disability, and all cultures, and beliefs. It is an event with natural country grounds and hospitality, welcoming everyone along, no matter who you are or where you are from.

    Illuminate: 100 Days of Innovation and Creativity
    This year, Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre delivered 100 Days of Innovation and Creativity, helping to build a culture of innovation and creativity on the Fraser Coast. The program delivered 126 workshops, events and interactive learning experiences throughout the months of May, June and July to a total of 1,368 attendees.

    Rekindle the Campfires
    Performed by Jon Vea Vea and his Cobblestone Family Band, Rekindle the Campfires is a locally researched, written, produced, and performed concert telling the history of Australia from a unique perspective – a narrative of events of Indigenous Australians and the Westerners who first arrived on the First Fleet and struggled in their own journey.

Awards