THE organiser of Camperdown’s Cruise rockabilly weekend, an emergency service volunteer, a musician and a dance teacher are among the people nominated for Australia Day honours in the Corangamite Shire.
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The council received 12 nominations for its citizen of the year award, the bulk of them from Camperdown.
Arthur Matsakos, the founder of the rockabilly event which brings thousands of visitors to the town each year, is one of the nominees.
Mr Matsakos now lives in the Ballarat area where he is organising a similar event.
Other nominees are Margaret Anson, of Glenfyne, Gary Cole and Frank Riordan, both from Terang, Bronwyn O’Keeffe, of Glenormiston North, Cobden’s Milton Parlour and Elizabeth Cuthbert, Peter Daffy, Bob Lambell, Kate Meade, Pat Robertson and Len Wiseman, all from Camperdown.
The young male citizen of the year nominees are Daniel Watson, of Timboon, Travis Green, of Cobden, and Scott Green, of Glenfyne, while Camperdown’s Jessica Gaut and Elizabeth Smart have both been nominated in the young female citizen category.
Community event of the year nominees are the Camperdown Pastoral and Agricultural Society for its annual show, the Camperdown Cruise, Princetown’s Kangaroobie Klassic, the Terang Country Music Festival, the Western Plains Spinners and Weavers Craft School at Glenormiston and Camperdown College’s year six Operation Christmas Child Team.
Mayor Chris O’Connor announced the names yesterday in the lead-up to the shire’s Australia Day celebrations at Noorat’s picturesque Dalvui homestead and gardens on Saturday, January 26.
Cr O’Connor said the four major award winners would be announced on the day while all other nominees would receive achievement awards.
Cr O’Connor said the winners had been selected by a panel of councillors.
“The selection process was quite challenging with the high calibre of events and community members nominated by their peers for the awards,” he said.
The awards and community celebrations will be held from 10am followed by a morning tea and live music around the gardens provided by the Lakes and Craters Band and Tune-A-Week.
“Australia Day is an important opportunity to celebrate what’s great about our country,” Cr O’Connor said.