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Australia Day - Honouring Great Aussies

Wellington Shire Mayor Councillor Keith Boyd announced today the winners of the Wellington Shire annual Australia Day Awards

By Wellington Shire Council - 25th January 2002 - Back to News

Wellington Shire Mayor Councillor Keith Boyd announced today the winners of the Wellington Shire annual Australia Day Awards.

Every year on Australia Day hundreds of Australians are recognised for their work in the community, for their commitment and their integrity often in the face of overwhelming odds and insurmountable opposition.

Whilst every one of these mostly ordinary Australians deserve our thanks we in the Wellington Shire have a large number of people voluntarily doing extraordinary things and have our own honours list in the form of the Wellington Shire Australia Day awards Cr Boyd said.

These Wellington Shire Awards recognise the achievements of people who do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Again this year, as in past years they have gone to two outstanding individuals and a community event selected from a large number of nominations.

The Wellington Shire Community Event of the Year was this year awarded to the Yarram Tarra Festival. Established in 1954 this major annual event has showcased the Yarram area and is a great example of a community working together to celebrate its achievements and recognise local groups and associations. The Tarra Festival attracts thousands of visitors to the Yarram district each Easter and is a major festival within the Wellington Shire.

The Wellington 2002 Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to a young lady from Maffra who is involved in the community as an active member of the Fire Brigade, Maffra Recreation Reserve Fundraising Committee and is involved in local sports. Rennaye Graham is an example to all young people about being committed to the community in which she lives and participating in creating a better place for us all.

Wellington Shire's highest honour, Citizen of the Year, this year has gone to a woman who has dedicated many years to dozens of charitable organisations and other groups. Evelyn Warner of Sale has had over 35 years as a committed community volunteer working with scouts, guides, St John Ambulance Brigade, ACES, U3A, as well as many executive positions such as president, secretary and treasurer on local school councils, mothers clubs, tidy towns and other committees. Evelyn is well known for her involvement with the Sale U3A organisation, as a keen member and also delegate and representative of U3A on many local organisations.

The Councillors and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of these awards on behalf of all Wellington citizens and residents and thank them for the enrichment they bring to our community.

This is our country, our Shire and the more each of us can do individually rather than rely on someone else, the more we will enjoy living here.

I encourage all citizens to become involved and contribute in some way to enhance our Wellington Shire for the benefit of this generation and generations to come Mr Boyd said.

Source: http://wellington.gippslander.com/

Published by: wellingtonshire@gippslander.com

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