January 12, 2023
South Burnett Regional Council’s 2023 Australia Day award winners will be announced on Sunday (January 22) at Nanango Showgrounds.
The ceremony will start at noon and is due to run until 3:00pm.
Sixty-three community members and organisations have been nominated across 19 categories for the South Burnett Regional Council’s awards.
The nominees are:
South Burnett Citizen of the Year:
• Donald Davey
• Susan Dowideit-Reiger
• Rowena Dionysius
• Dr Graham McAllister
• Valerie Hodson
South Burnett Young Citizen of the Year:
• Bridie Prendergast
• Sienna Spencer
• Jerem Hinchliff
• Josh Steinhardt
South Burnett Volunteer of the Year:
• Damien & Sharon Sippel
• Dianne Reed
• Donald Davey
• Hayley McAnally
• Jae Clarke
• Scott Prendergast
• Lee Powell
• Leanne Rea
• Dennis Wolter
• Lynda Steele
South Burnett Community Organisation of the Year:
• Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO)
• Kumbia & District Memorial School of Arts – Kumbia Country Festival
• South Burnett Park Runs (Wondai, Nanango & Proston)
• Nanango Theatre Co.
• Kingaroy Men’s Shed
• CROW FM 90.7
• Nanango & District Netball Association
• Kingaroy Netball Association
• Murgon Hospital Auxiliary
• The Murgon Music Muster – The Rotary Club of Murgon
South Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award:
• Michael Bishop
• Cynthia Hatchett
• Joy Fennell
South Burnett Cultural Award (Senior):
• Jon Fearnley
• Glenda Geraghty
• Julee-Anne Bell
South Burnett Cultural Award (Junior):
• Jerem Hincliff
• Mitchell Howlett
• Kaylah Bligh
South Burnett Senior Sportsperson Award:
• Brenna Prendergast
• Gaven Whitmore
• Troy Dennien
South Burnett Junior Sportsperson Award:
• Bridie Prendergast
• Sarah Kidman
• Kyle Snow
• Taine Strong
• Belle Barrett
South Burnett Sports Administrator/Coach/Official Award:
• Jared Hinds
• Sandra Brunner
• Brenna Prendergast
• Scott Prendergast
• Hayley McAnally
• Katie Mangan
• Wayne Gscheidle
Local Achieve Award for Blackbutt/Benarkin:
• Emeric Charles
Local Achiever Award for Kumbia:
• Stephanie Stevens
• Todd Armstrong
Local Achiever Award for Murgon:
• Aaron Stephan
• Amy Henderson
Local Achiever Award for Nanango:
• Brenda Fleming
Local Achiever Award for Proston:
• Nicholas Blanch
Local Achiever Award for Hivesville:
• Barbara Hockey
Local Achiever Award for Kingaroy:
• Karmen Cleveland
• Donald Davey
Local Achiever Award for Wooroolin/Memerambi:
• Peter Wingfield
• Marabelle Kerkow
Local Achiever Award for Wondai/Tingoora:
• Chantal Harth
• Karen Chambers
A new award, the South Burnett Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Service, will also be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday.
Local businessman and former Nanango Shire councillor Rod Morgan will be the master of ceremonies and Juliana Evangelista will sing the National Anthem.
A Council spokesperson said that after the ceremony, the Nanango Heritage Choir will perform and afternoon tea will be provided.
“All those nominated for an Australia Day Award have showcased their true community spirit and are at the heart of what makes the South Burnett great,” Mayor Brett Otto said.
“We have faced many highs and lows throughout the course of the past year, however our community members once again demonstrated the true resilience that is the hallmark of our rural community.”
* * *
Guests of honour at the awards ceremony will be Australia Day Ambassadors Daniel Clarke and gardening guru Jerry Coleby-Williams.
Daniel is a passionate conservationist for the critically endangered orangutan populations in Borneo and Sumatra. Since 2008, Daniel, with the help of his brother William, have highlighted the species’ plight and raised more than $1 million to help protect the animals and their habitat.
Jerry is a director of the Seed Savers Foundation, a community organisation which conserves rare and heritage plants. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Horticulture and has been gardening since the age of four. He has been featured on ABC Radio since 1995 and ABC-TV’s Gardening Australia program since 1999.
[UPDATED January 20: Originally published as “Nanango To Host Council Awards”]
