Citizen of the Year – Roger Edwards
ROGER Edwards has dedicated the best part of his life to serving the community of Cavendish since he moved there nearly 50 years ago.
Through his diligent involvement in and leadership of, many local organisations, Mr Edwards has made a profound difference to the wellbeing of the district.
He was a founding member of the Cavendish Townscape Association and has worked on countless projects over the years, like establishing Settlers’ Walk and Ron Lewis Park, constructing town entrance signs and the weir on the Wannon River - to name but a few.
Roger instigated projects, wrote funding grant applications, and liaised regularly with local government and various utilities to ensure the realisation of his and the group’s vision.
Not unnoticed were his thousands of hours of manpower at group working bees and the individual time he has given to town improvements.
Mr Edwards has been on the committee for the Cavendish Red Gum Festival since its inception, contributing to the organisation of art exhibitions, speaker forums, and festival logistics.
He has been a linchpin of HIRL’s Mud Gallery, offering his management time, donating paintings, running art workshops, and painting murals at HIRL and around the district.
He has for decades been a big part of the Cavendish Uniting Church, involving himself in administration, delivery of weekly services, and provision of support to congregational members.
He is also incredibly kind and thoughtful to others - when local townsfolk are unwell, hospitalised, or grieving loss, he and his wife Kay provide visitation and support.
Mr Edwards is a Cavendish Men’s Shed member and has supported and encouraged its creation and development.
Roger has been held in extremely high regard in Cavendish and the wider Hamilton community for decades.
He works hard but is a modest, quiet achiever who sets an example for others to follow.
Mayor’s Award
DR Dale Ford is a highly respected GP and owner at Hamilton Medical Group Practice, who has served the Hamilton and surrounding districts for more than 35 years.
Dr Ford has worked above and beyond expectations, in particular during COVID when his selfless display of expertise and leadership exhibited a COVID response many other areas of Victoria were envious of and drew guidance from.
Outside his role as a general practitioner and chief medical officer of Western District Health Service (WDHS), Dr Ford volunteers an enormous amount of time to the improvement of health in the region including the mentorship of young doctors of whom he is a continual reference, inspiration and role model.
He is chair of Southern GP Training, on the board of Great South Coast Medicare Local, and is the principal advisor for Australian Primary Care Collaboratives.
He has had various peer-reviewed published articles and presentations both in Australia and abroad on Quality Improvement in Health.
Through these various voluntary involvements, Dr Ford has been able to influence policy and advocate for rural and regional doctors and patients.
Young Citizens of the Year
RUBY Hayden Simpson and Tayla Lewis are great leaders who work hard to raise awareness about mental health and create a community where people with personal experience can contribute.
Whilst completing a work mentoring placement with Southern Grampians Shire Council as part of the GSGLLEN Young Leaders program, Ruby and Tayla were dynamic in the facilitation of a Youth Wellbeing Conversation event held at the Greater Hamilton Library.
The evening was aimed at parents and carers of young people in the Southern Grampians region.
Upon Ruby and Tayla’s recommendation, the event featured a ‘lived experience’ panel, allowing for audience interaction and discussion.
It was a powerful discussion, where Ruby and Taylor each eloquently described their personal experience of navigating the mental health system, highlighting the challenges and barriers in their help-seeking journey in addition to protective factors and what worked well for them.
This was incredibly valuable and powerful and was a highlight of the evening among the audience.
Community Event of the Year
THE Dunkeld Writers’ Festival (DWF) is a cultural event that celebrates the essence of Dunkeld, with themed sessions covering sport, food and wine, nature, landscape, and indigenous issues.
This writers’ festival not only lets locals engage with leading authors, but also attracts visitors to the Southern Grampians.
The inaugural event was held in 2022, followed by the 2023 festival that was strategically held on the last weekend of August to fill a gap in the local events calendar and give businesses a boost during a traditionally quiet visitation period.
Connecting Dunkeld’s assets, the main hub of the festival was at the Sterling Place Community Centre.
Authors stayed at the famous Royal Mail Hotel and the unique Old Bakery supplied catering.
The four-day program featured 19 visiting authors, 11 separate sessions, four local group excursions, two school sessions, one gala dinner, and 250 scones and pastries!
The Dunkeld Writers Festival is driven entirely by seven residents and relies on the generous volunteer support from over 30 volunteers, who fill a range of roles, including serving food, bus driving, hosting authors, social media marketing, emceeing, room setting, and selling tickets.
An estimated 1300 hours of volunteer support powered this event in 2023.
Community Recognition Awards
EILEEN Broadwood contributes significantly to several successful long-running community initiatives.
These include Driver Reviver, Pedal Car Grand Prix Committee, Rope Quoit Association administration, and The Coleraine RSL, as well as catering for many local events.
Her sense of community spirit is heartwarming, and she goes about her tasks with grace, dignity, humour, and enthusiasm.
EILEEN Jolly has been actively involved in many community organisations including the Hamilton Old Time Dance Club, Dramus Theatre Group, and The Anglican Parish.
She has always been community-minded and generously gives her time to others in need and providing essential services to the aged community in Hamilton.
Whether that is visiting someone in hospital or a hospice providing company and comfort, or delivering home-cooked meals to people she has been told are unwell or alone at home.
Ms Jolly is well known for her personal ‘meals on wheels’ specials, in addition to doing the cleaning and laundry of many sick and aging community members.
Everyone in her social circle knows her door is always open for those in need of a chat and/or some food.
THE Hamilton Anglican Mothers’ Union has been conducting an annual book fair for over 30 years, which has raised more than $320,000.
The fair runs for approximately six weeks and is staffed solely by volunteers.
Funds raised are distributed widely to local, national, and overseas charitable organisations including the Hamilton Institute of Rural Learning and Hamilton Special Development School, and for community projects such as restoring the Christ Church heritage building.
Funds have also been used to provide ‘health packs’ to patients at Hamilton Base Hospital and needy families within the shire through Anglicare.
MARK Thomas makes a huge contribution to the local community every year in his role as a community engagement worker with the Salvation Army.
Based at the Salvation Army church in Hamilton, Mark and his supportive group of volunteers provide financial assistance, groceries, weekly community meals, and delivery of food parcels to people and families who are struggling to make ends meet.
Each Thursday Mr Thomas and his volunteers prepare and cook around 100 meals for the community, and every week up to 50 food hampers are delivered to local households.
He is a hardworking man with a huge heart and there is not a needy person in the region who has not met or been helped by him over the years.
NOELEEN Clarke has a long history of volunteering in Coleraine organisations that support the elderly and disadvantaged.
Along with her sidekick Eileen Broadwood, Ms Clarke has catered for all kinds of events for the Coleraine RSL.
She also volunteered for 25 years with the now-disbanded Coleraine Lions Club, helping with barbecues, raffles, and working bees.
The duo run the Driver Reviver van; a valuable service for drivers during busy holiday periods.
After the Lions Club disbanded, these ladies had it purchased and refurbished by the RSL Social Club so the service could be continued.
Ms Clarke is also a Coleraine Rope Quoit Club Life Member after 50-plus years of service and recently sat at the door all weekend welcoming and selling raffle tickets at the Australia Rope Quoit Championships in Coleraine.
She also contributed to the Pedal Car Grand Prix and worked tirelessly at the ‘Tins for Bins’ Fundraiser Day. She is also a Past Community Car coordinator.
PAUL Bosch has lived in Coleraine for over 25 years been active throughout the whole time.
He has been the Coleraine State School Council president for nine years and a member of the Coleraine Apex Club.
He has also been on the committee of the Australian Pedal Car Grand Prix for two years and has coached junior football in the district for over a decade.
He is the owner of the IGA supermarket in Coleraine and provides a significant opportunity to young people in our community for full-time and part-time work.
Mr Bosch provides mentoring to these young people and is very flexible and understanding when various work and personal issues arise.
He has also willingly provided significant sponsorships to many community groups around the district which they very much appreciated.
WILLIAM Kinghorn has selflessly devoted himself to the Byaduk community, having been the captain of the CFA, treasurer of the cricket club and president of the recreation reserve.
He is an active member of the Byaduk and North Byaduk Progress Association, and he has been a volunteer for the Byaduk Spring Show most of his life.
Plus, he has been on the committee of the Hamilton P&A Society since 2011 and has been in the chair’s seat since 2022.
Mr Kinghorn is the vice president of the Gazette Landcare Group, which is developing a wildlife corridor through farmland towards Mount Napier.
Will always has a meeting or project on the go but makes time to help his neighbours, friends, and family and embodies the Australian spirit in everything he does.
