John Honoured For A Lifetime Of Achievement

2016 Australia Day Awards — Former Nanango Race Club president and long-serving Nanango Shire Councillor John Lee is congratulated for his outstanding record of achievements by Mayor Wayne Kratzmann

January 26, 2016

Former Nanango Race Club president and long-serving Nanango Shire Councillor John Lee is the winner of the South Burnett’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016.

John retired last year after serving as president of the Nanango Race Club for 39 years.

The Nanango Race Club precinct is named Lee Park in recognition of his long years of service.

He received Life Membership of the Nanango Race Club in 1982, and life membership with the South East Queensland Country Racing Association in 2012.

John has also been recognised by the Queensland Turf Club, and was awarded an Administration Award for country racing, one of only three such awards ever given. He also received a Queensland Racing Community Award, another honour that has only been awarded to three people.

John also served as Councillor on the former Nanango Shire Council for 34 years.

During this time he was Finance Committee Chairman for 13 years, Deputy Shire Mayor, chair of the Town Planning Committee, Council representative on the Nanango/Yarraman Fire Brigade Board, a member of the Police Consultative Committee, Rural Watch coordinator, Treasurer of the Sesquicentennial Committee and involved in the fund raising committees that helped establish Karinya Aged Care.

He also made a significant contribution to the Australian beef industry by concentrating on breeding high quality Santa Gertrudis cattle.

As a well-known and respected cattle breeder, his ability as a cattle judge is widely recognised and he has judging at many shows throughout Queensland.

John began voluntary work for the Nanango Show Society in his youth and was the Show Society’s ringmaster for 18 years.

He was awarded a Life Membership of the Show Society, and also received a certificate of appreciation from the Society for continuously showing prime beef cattle for 50 years (he has now done so for 64 years).

John is currently the fire warden for the district of Broadmere, and was an original member of the Sandy Ridges Rural Fire Brigade formed in the early 1950s.

In 2007, he received a 50 Year Service Medal and has been actively involved with the volunteer fire brigade for 58 years. He is also an honorary fauna officer for his district.

“John has been described as an exceptional citizen whose lifetime of dedicated community service to South Burnett organisations has set a standard which is rarely achieved by others,” Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said.

“John has been, and still is, a pillar of strength in the South Burnett community.”

*** * ***

Other nominees for the 2016 South Burnett Lifetime Achievement award were:

Maldon Goodger

Maldon won this year’s Kingaroy Local Achiever Award for his volunteer work helping to keep Goodger residents in touch with one another by organising regular reunions and community get-togethers, helping future generations to better understand their history.
Edna O’Neill

Edna O’Neill is renowned in Show and Ekka circles for her extensive achievements in culinary competitions. Last year she competed at the EkkaA for her 45th year, bringing home nine prizes including a third place in the Open Rich Fruit Cake Class. Fruit Cake has always been her specialty, with seven of her fruit cakes cut into pieces and sold as a fundraiser on the Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Society’s stand at the Ekka.

During her peak, Edna was the only person to win the Cooking and Preserves Championships at the Ekka in the same year. Her success earned her a segment on Landline, and last year she was selected to give a cooking demonstration at the Ekka, where her recipe was selected for the Blue Ribbon Cook Book.

Related articles: