Australia Day – Local Achievers

He has raised more than $450,000 for local community groups and wants to ensure that the South Burnett is better prepared for any future disaster events.

He organised the “SES Week Trek” from Murgon to Brisbane which stopped at each town along the way to hand out Disaster Ready kits, put on a free BBQ and inform the community about how to be better prepared. He is also involved in St John Ambulance, ensuring local young people have the invaluable life skill of first aid training.

During 2013 they again came to help – but this time it was mud from the severe flooding that impacted many South Burnett farmers and communities.

More than 185 volunteers formed the Murgon BlazeAid Camp over a four month period, organising the clean up and restoration to over 85 farms, clearing and repairing many hundreds of kilometres of fencing and restoring hope for those who lost so much.

He has devoted many years to the Murgon Show Society and the Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Societies operations.

He has served in the roles of chief steward, junior and senior vice-president, and treasurer; has represented Queensland at the Sydney Royal Show, and the South Burnett on the Board of the Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Societies. He is currently a representative and secretary of the Showgirl Awards Committee.

He is equally committed to many other community organisations such as fundraising for the Murgon Ambulance Committee and representing the Wide Bay on the Queensland Local Ambulance Committee Advisory Board.

He was also a former Murgon Shire Councillor and is a regular volunteer at the Murgon Information Centre and Queensland Dairy and Heritage Museum.

He also helped establish “Murgon Moments” as well as the Rural Road Numbering system in Queensland, and has also served on Murgon’s Anzac Day committee.

Often the first point of contact for veterans and others, he has supported the RSL through roles such as President of the Wondai Sub-Branch, President of the Wide Bay Burnett District RSL and Director on the State Board of the Queensland RSL for the past three years.

In 2013 he was awarded the highest RSL award, the Meritorious Service Medal. But he is also proud of his home town Wondai, and wherever he travels in his RSL role he unashamedly promotes Wondai and the South Burnett.

She helps organise the Proston Lions Christmas Fair and is a dedicated Meals on Wheels volunteer. She also willingly helps wherever there is a need in the community, whether selling raffle tickets, catering for community functions or just helping.

He also chairs the South Burnett Neighbourhood Watch Cluster group and is the President of the Kingaroy Community Police Consultative Committee, which also includes the Kumbia area. He has a strong commitment to ensuring the Rural Watch Group retains its support and relevance.

He has kept Senior Citizens Club members in Kingaroy active throughout the year with lots of activities and bus trips. He’s now looking at retiring but because of his commitment to the Senior Citizens, he is not prepared to leave this position as President until a replacement can be found.

She helped her community raise hundreds of dollars over several years to establish a Memorial Rose Garden next to the infant graves at the Nanango Cemetery.

Nothing prepared her for what came next, though: a heartless, shameless and thoughtless act by thieves, robbing the community and the infants of the rose plants. Not one to be beaten, though, she began Round 2 of the fundraising and sufficient money has again been raised to replant the garden when the cooler weather arrives.

Despite losing some of her independence and often spending months confined to a wheelchair, she has managed to volunteer over 180 hours of her time to organise and deliver the Nanango Combined Churches Christmas Tree Festivals; made hundreds of wedding gowns, ball gowns and formal dresses for women in the community; maintained an active membership of the Nanango Lutheran Church; and functioned as the church’s representative on the Nanango Ministers Fraternal, the Nanango Chaplaincy Committee and RE Coordinator for the Nanango State School.

If an emergency arises when he is away from Maidenwell, he happily organises a response crew via his mobile. He has organised successful grant submissions resulting in extra equipment being available, and is an inspirational role model for the Maidenwell community.

He was awarded the 2010/2011 Queensland Flood & Cyclone Citation from the Queensland Government for his volunteer work during the 2011 floods, and the three fire trucks and the Maidenwell Fire Shed are a testament to his devotion.

These two festivals and the historic Boondooma Homestead attract thousands of visitors each year, and her volunteer office administration, bookkeeping, stock ordering, catering oversight and general management skills have contributed significantly to the Homestead’s growing profile.

Lynne is also a competent musician and entertainer who performs regularly for visitors during their stay at Boondooma Homestead, and is known for never missing an opportunity to mention the South Burnett’s local points of interest, with the intent of keeping visitors longer in region.