Australia Day Awards recipients showcase community spirit

Picture: Young Cultural Award of the Year – Mr Noah Byrne

The Fraser Coast’s enthusiastic Town Crier, a passionate young change advocate, artists enriching our region’s rich cultural tapestry, devoted volunteers and community groups are among the distinguished recipients of the Fraser Coast 2024 Australia Day Awards.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the annual Australia Day Awards were an opportunity to recognise local heroes' exceptional talents and unwavering dedication.

“These awards recognise achievements and contributions across various domains such as sports, arts, culture, STEM, and the commendable efforts of community groups and volunteers,” he said.

“It is an honour to present the awards to a remarkable assembly of individuals and organisations. Their tireless efforts have left an indelible mark on the Fraser Coast, contributing to the vibrancy and resilience that defines our community.
“Through countless hours of volunteering, these awardees have played a pivotal role in shaping the unique character of our region.

“The Australia Day Award recipients embody the spirit that makes the Fraser Coast an exceptional place to live, work, and play.”

A special ceremony acknowledging all 63 Fraser Coast Australia Day Award nominees across 11 categories was held at the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery on Friday 19 January 2024.

A citizenship ceremony and Australia Day awards presentation will be held at the Brolga Theatre in Maryborough this Friday 26 January 2024 on Australia Day, which is open to the public to attend.

The 2024 Fraser Coast Australia Day Award recipients are:

• Citizen of the Year – Mr Ken Ashford;
• Young Citizen of the Year – Mr George Rowland;
• Volunteer of the Year – Mr Brian Taylor;
• Young Volunteer of the Year – Mr Toby Robinson;
• Community Group or Organisation of the Year – Hervey Bay Historical Village & Museum;
• Community Project or Event of the Year – Dunga Derby Car Rally;
• Young STEM Award of the Year – Ms Grace Deemer;
• Cultural Award of the Year – Mr and Mrs Willy and Di Paes;
• Young Cultural Award of the Year – Mr Noah Byrne;
• Sportsperson of the Year - Ms Vivian Wearing;
• Young Sportsperson of the Year – Miss Makayla Moller.

Citizen of the Year

Mr 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 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.
 

Young Citizen of the Year

Mr George Rowland

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.
 

Volunteer of the Year

Mr 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 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.

Young Volunteer of the Year

Mr Toby Robinson

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.

Community Project or Event of the Year

Dunga Derby Car Rally

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.

Community Group or Organisation of the Year

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.

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.

Young STEM Award of the Year

Ms 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.

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.

Cultural Award of the Year

Mr and Mrs Willy and Di Paes
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.

Young Cultural Award of the Year

Mr Noah Byrne

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.

Sportsperson of the Year

Ms 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. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and understanding of horses and people resonate by way of a positive experience at every lesson.

Young Sportsperson of the Year

Miss Makayla Moller

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.

More information about the Australia Day Awards nominees and recipients is available at www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/australia-day