January 25, 2013
Nanango show society president Les Schloss was named the 2013 South Burnett Citizen of the Year at the council’s Australia Day Awards ceremony held in Blackbutt this evening.
Les has been a major contributor to the Nanango district for many years, including serving with the Rocky Creek Rural Fire Brigade and Nanango Rural Youth.
He has also been the moving force behind many new events, especially the annual Nanango Country Music Muster.
2012 Kingaroy State High School Captain Bernadette Bunker was named South Burnett Young Citizen of the Year. Bernadette is a high achiever both academically and in community service.
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to leading Murgon businessman Leo Geraghty.
The Culture Award was presented to Nanango historian Liz Caffery.
The Sportsperson of the Year Award went to Over 60s cricketer Nev Kratzmann, while the Junior award went to Kingaroy fast bowler Holly Ferling, who this year was selected in the Australian women’s cricket squad to play in the ICC World Cup.
Volunteer of the Year was hardworking Wooroolin community worker Noel Weller while “Team Ironpot” won the award for South Burnett Community Organisation of the Year. Team Ironpot organises a number of events including the upcoming Reef and Beef Night on February 23.
The awards evening opened with a flag ceremony performed by the 123 Army Cadet Unit from Nanango and a stirring rendition of the National Anthem sung by the Blackbutt Singers.
After the awards were presented, the audience enjoyed a barbecue put on by the Blackbutt Lions Club while Nanango country music singer Amber Goldsmith entertained on stage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013 Australia Day Award Winners and Finalists
(Winners are marked with an asterisk. Descriptions are taken from the nominations.)
South Burnett Junior Sportsperson Of The Year
- Jared Sippel
- Daniel Trace
- Katinka Von Elsner-Wellsteed
- Gabrielle Dempster
- Simon Fairbairn
- Holly Ferling*
- Gabriel Crane
Holly has made outstanding achievements in netball, cross country, athletics and cricket. At 16 she was the Wide Bay School’s Under 19 netball captain, and was selected in the Possible v Probables team for Queensland in 2012. She was also a member of the Wide Bay Open Women’s Netball Time (the Wide Bay Thundercats) in the State League.
She also played for the Bulls Masters at a charity game in Murgon alongside Matthew Hayden in March 2012.
Last year Holly was selected and is now contracted to the Queensland Open Women’s Cricket team (the Queensland Fire). She was also the first female to be awarded the Queensland Junior Cricketer Of The Year award (the Ken McKay Trophy), and is currently touring India with the Australian Women’s Cricket Team.
Holly has been an outstanding junior sportsperson and a great representative for the South Burnett. Her award means she’s also this year’s recipient of the annual Matthew Hayden Bursary of $1000, funded by the South Burnett Regional Council.
South Burnett Sportsperson Of The Year
- Sylvia Hiltunen
- Nev Kratzmann*
Nev was born in Wondai and has been playing cricket most of his life. Until his 20s he played for the Windera Club where his passion and skill saw him selected in many representative sides for the Colts, South Burnett, Wide Bay and – in 1976 – South Queensland Country where he played against Mike Denness’ touring team.
In 1977 he moved to Toowoomba and became Captain/Coach of the Institute Cricket Team, as well as the sole selector of all grades.
For the past five years, Nev has been playing in the Over 60s Queensland team which competes in the annual Australian Over 60s Carnival. In 2011 he was selected to play against the English Over 60s team which played in two Manly tests.
In 2012, Nev and his brother were selected to travel to the UK where the Aussies played 14 matches against county Over 60s teams, as well as three tests. He brought the South Burnett fame by being awarded “Man Of The Match” for the test against Wales where he took four wickets in a tight match, and finished the tour with the most wickets taken over all matches.
After successfully competing in the Australian Over 60s Carnival in Adelaide in November 2012, Nev and his brother Brian have been selected in the Australian team which will tour New Zealand in January and February 2013.
South Burnett Cultural Award
- Elizabeth Caffery*
- Wendy Kelly
- Jane Iszlaub
Liz Caffery is a highly regarded local historian who continues to excel in showcasing the rich and diverse history of the South Burnett. She has numerous publications in print and her love of the South Burnett and her connection to the land as a fifth-generation dairy farmer, combined with her high regard and respect for those who hold and tell our stories, enables her to display the South Burnett’s culture in ways that future generations will appreciate.
Some of her contributions to the South Burnett’s cultural life include:
- In 2012, producing the first of a trilogy of books that are planned to be finished and released by the end of this year. Her “Book Of The Farmer” is a collection of photos and stories about the contribution that agriculture has made to our region; “The South Burnett Timber Book” and “Book On Transport” will follow
- Liz assisted Brisbane Valley Heritage Trails with a photobook called “Brisbane River Valley Timber History”
- She’s also completed a brief history of Tarong, and co-wrote “The Gathering Of The Waters”, a brief history of Nanango Shire
Recently Liz has also been asked to prepare a photobook documenting the South Burnett’s 2011 flood and recovery efforts. This book will focus on stories and outcomes, adding another major contribution to preserving the history of our region.
Community Organisation Of The Year
- Kumbia Centenary Organising Committee
- Leo Club Of Nanango
- South Burnett Young Leaders Association Inc
- Team Ironpot*
Team Ironpot came about as the result of the loss of a friend in a motorcycle accident. Rather than succumb to the loss, the group turned their personal loss into their community’s gain and emerged as a great example of how smaller rural communities can punch well above their weight.
Team Ironpot organises and supports events that have community benefit as their central purpose. From the proceeds of each event, it contributes much-needed funds to things such as the local hall; rural fire brigades; the Kingaroy Show Society and the South Burnett Motorcycle Club, to name just a few.
Members of Team Ironpot are involved in supporting annual community events such as the Kumbia and Burrandowan campdrafts; trail, motocross and enduro rides; and Ironpot’s annual Reef & Beef Night.
South Burnett Volunteer Of The Year
- Marian Mudra
- Corrial Hodge
- Noeleen Bird
- Sue Wallis
- Greg Day
- Noel Weller*
Noel’s volunteer service to his local community in Woooolin is an inspiration to many, and so is his reputation for being an “action man”. His volunteering isn’t limited to groups that he has a current interest in, such as the Wooroolin Lions Club and Wooroolin Hall Committee.
Over many years he has (and still does) collect and crush glass as a fundraiser for the Wooroolin Scout Group; makes an active contribution to the Wooroolin State School P&C; and works on the upkeep of the Wooroolin Sports Ground too.
Local Achiever Awards (winners)
- Murgon: Sylvia Hiltunen – for sporting achievement
- Wondai/Tingoora: Corrial Hodge – for community service
- Hivesville/Proston: Irene McDonald – for community service
- Kumbia: Pat Hobdell – for community service
- Kingaroy: Wendy Kelly – for cultural contributions
- Nanango: Nathan Trace – for academic and sporting achievement
- Blackbutt/Benarkin: Ivan & Lucille Panzram – for community service
South Burnett Young Citizen Of The Year
- Nathan Trace
- Amy Harch
- Bernadette Bunker*
- Gabriel Crane
Bernadette has been an outstanding leader amongst her peers in her roles as School Captain at Kingaroy State High School and President of the Student Council.
She has earned the Silver Award in the Duke Of Edinburgh Awards, which indicates her very high level of commitment in the areas of community service and personal development.
She was made Junior Dux of the high school in 2010 and this was followed by Senior Dux. She’s also received the USQ Community Award and the Australian Defence Force Leadership and Teamwork Award, to name just a few.
Bernadette also actively involved herself in the school’s Active Citizen Program where she led Anzac Day ceremonies. As a member of the Chaplaincy Committee she has volunteered her time to help out at many events, such as the Burrandowan Picnic Races and McChappy Day.
South Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award
- Marian Mudra
- June Kimlin
- Corrial Hodge
- Leo Geraghty*
There would be few groups in the Murgon area who have not been beneficiaries of Leo’s passion for his community.
He willingly volunteers his time to assist local groups, including the:
- Murgon Business and Development Association (of which he’s president)
- Blue Light Disco (of which he’s president)
- Murgon Christmas Carnival
- Murgon Moments community newspaper
- Salvation Army
Leo is also the kind of person who’ll drop everything to help someone in need. He’s a highly valued member of both the Murgon community and South Burnett region.
South Burnett Citizen Of The Year
- Marian Mudra
- June Kimlin
- Les Schloss*
- Lesley Dennien
- Leo Geraghty
Les Schloss has been a major contributor to the Nanango district for many years. He’s served in the Rocky Creek Rural Fire Brigade, Nanango Rural Youth and the Nanango Show Society. He was involved in the creation of the Nanango Country Music Muster, which is now a major South Burnett event that attracts large numbers of tourists each year.
And in 2012 he was involved in bringing “The Waterhole Rocks” to the South Burnett, which will now also become an annual event, attracting even more visitors to the region.
Les leads by example and puts in many volunteer hours to make sure all the events sponsored by the Nanango AP&M Society run smoothly.
He gives 100 per cent to benefit his local community.
