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Outstanding citizens acknowledged on Australia DayThis year’s Australia Day has brought special recognition to two local residents, as Wellington Shire Council announces the winners of its annual Australia Day awards. By Wellington Shire Council - 28th January 2005 - Back to News Maffra resident Ronald Hewlitt has been named Citizen of the Year, with Laura Moore of Sale named Young Citizen of the Year.
Citizen of the Year Ron Hewlitt has unselfishly dedicated his life to helping his local community and those in need. Ron has been an active member of the Maffra Fire Brigade for 59 years and has been recognised by being awarded with a Life Membership and a CFA Outstanding Service Award.
Ron has been a tireless worker for the local blood bank. He sets up and packs up on blood donation days and has donated over 130 pints himself. The Royal Children’s Hospital has also experienced the benefits of his commitment through his 15 years as a collector for its charity fund.
Ron has provided invaluable support to the local seniors’ community, volunteering to transport them to doctor and specialist appointments locally and travelling the long distance to take to them to Melbourne on a weekly basis.
The Maffra Football Club has also benefited from his hard work and dedication with Ron serving as goal umpire for 10 years, and being an active and loyal supporter of the Eagles.
Young Citizen of the Year Laura Moore is from Sale. Laura has been a local student at Gippsland Grammar and an outstanding musician - as a pianist, cellist and singer.
Laura was an integral part of the student body at her school, where she worked over the past four years as an organiser and performer in the college’s Charity Christmas Extravaganza concert. Last year this raised over $1,000 for Gipps Kids, a charity run through local organisation Anglicare.
She was an active member of her school’s choir, the symphony orchestra and the big band, and managed to juggle this commitment with an impressive academic record, as well as being a friendly and caring student well-respected by her classmates.
In the community Laura has been a regular performer with the Wellington Community Orchestra and the Young Singers of Sale.
She recently obtained honours for her grade six level cello exam, an exceptional achievement at her age, and even more impressive given she has only been studying the instrument for three years. She also records great success every year as a competitor in the three local eisteddfods - Yarram, Latrobe and City of Sale - consistently winning many awards.
Laura recently left Gippsland Grammar to take up her place at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts.
Said Wellington’s Mayor Peter Gault: "Our congratulations go to the winners of this year’s Australia Day Awards. They have done this shire proud.
"Each year there are a number of premier awards available in this shire. We strongly encourage local communities to nominate those in their local areas who truly deserve to be recognised for their contributions.
"This is an important time to acknowledge all those truly outstanding people and groups that we have in Wellington who do great things for their local communities and the shire."
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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