February 27, 2018
Yarraman’s quiet achiever, Terry Reid, received a special award on Australia Day this year, and almost no one in the South Burnett heard about it!
Terry was presented with the Toowoomba Regional Council’s Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award at a ceremony in Goombungee on January 26.
He was also presented with the Rosalie Citizen of the Year award, an award for residents living within the boundaries of the former Rosalie Shire Council.
His citation from Toowoomba Council reads:
Forthright, strong in his convictions and always ready to help his fellow human beings, Terry Reid embodies all that is Australian and has immersed himself in numerous causes and organisations since retiring in Yarraman 16 years ago.
Terry is Yarraman RSL Sub-Branch’s longest-serving president, serving with distinction for the past 10 years.
An advocate and welfare officer since 2003, he has established much-needed care for the needy, organised regular hospital and home visits for returned men and women and their families and secured grants and funding in excess of $150,000 to meet the needs of his RSL community.
Recently he was awarded Life Membership to the Queensland RSL in recognition of his work.
A passionate historian, Terry successfully researched 40 of the 93 men and women who enlisted in World War I, to celebrate the Anzac Centenary.
This magnificent tribute is permanently displayed in the Yarraman Memorial Hall.
Terry supports youth programs through the Yarraman P-9 State School and is an active member of the Yarraman Hall Committee and the Yarraman Progress Association.
Passionate about positioning Yarraman for economic and tourism opportunities, Terry was instrumental in leading his community to develop a plan for the beautification of the town that was successfully presented to Toowoomba Regional Council.
The plan engaged people from all walks of life and brought the community together with a common goal for improvement. Terry also sourced funding in excess of $100,000 to enable some of the projects in the plan to be achieved.
Terry is also involved in the Clean Up Australia Day program at Yarraman that celebrates the environment we live in through a community working bee to clean up the highway litter and surrounds.
Terry told southburnett.com.au the plan developed by the “Moving Yarraman Forward” steering committee was presented to the TRC in June 2015 and was adopted by the Council.
“It was a complete vision for the town, a community vision,” he said.
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Terry said the latest project by the Yarraman RSL Sub-Branch had been the celebration of the centenary of the organisation.
This was held at Yarraman Memorial Hall in January.
The Sub-Branch was formed on January 31, 1918, and they built the first Memorial Hall in Yarraman in 1933.
About 120 people attended the centenary celebration.
Terry presented a history of the Sub-Branch and guests enjoyed lunch prepared by the team from Heritage House.
