WOMEN dominate this year’s Warrnambool City Council Australia Day Awards with Peter’s Project founder Vicki Jellie leading the charge as the citizen of the year.
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The city’s winners were revealed yesterday ahead of Monday’s celebrations at the Warrnambool Botanic Gardens. Five women, two men and one community event have been recognised for their contributions to the local community.
Ms Jellie was recognised for driving a campaign which fulfilled the dreams of her late husband Peter to have a cancer care centre based in the south-west, allowing patients to undergo radiotherapy treatment closer to home.
As founder of Peter’s Project, Ms Jellie contributed hundreds of hours of volunteer work and lobbied successive governments to attract federal and state funding. She also led a campaign that raised $5 million in just nine months.
Young citizen of the year winner Sam Maloney began hosting a local radio show when he was in year 9 and has returned to 3WAY FM as part of the SYN national youth media project.
The project assists young people to be creators of media and not just consumers. Sam trains and mentors other young people with an interest in radio, highlights various youth issues and engages with a wide range of young people and organisations.
The Rotary Club of Warrnambool East’s summer hole-in-one competition won the community event of the year. Having run for the past decade, its popularity has boomed in the past four years with over 5000 competitors.
Five local achievers were also named with breast cancer support volunteer Ann Krause, local history campaigner Julie Eagles, disability advocate Lorraine de Kok, tireless volunteer Kaye Slater, firefighter Wayne Rooke and F Project and The Artery driving force Megan Nicolson all recognised for their efforts to enrich Warrnambool.
Mayor Michael Neoh said all recipients had made significant contributions to the community.
“Each of the award winners has achieved so much in different fields, but they can be linked by one attribute — selflessness,” Cr Neoh said.
Each recipient will be presented with their accolades at the Warrnambool City Council’s Australia Day event at the Botanic Gardens on Monday.
Monday’s event starts at 10.30am and includes entertainment from the Holiday Actors, music from Cooper Lower and the Louie Clancey Band, a barbecue, children’s activities, an indigenous welcome to country and an address from Australia Day ambassador Joel Taylor.
