Cavendish resident Roger Edwards has been announced as Southern Grampians Shire Council’s Citizen of the Year for his 50 years of service to the local community.
The honor was bestowed upon Mr Edwards by Mayor Councillor David Robertson at the official Australia Day community celebrations held at the Hamiton Botanic Gardens today.
Mr Edwards is a founding member of the Cavendish Townscape Association and an original committee member of the Cavendish Red Gum Festival. He plays a pivotal role in Hamilton Institute of Rural Learning (HIRL)’s Mud Gallery and the arts scene in general. For decades he’s volunteered with the Cavendish Uniting Church and his local Men’s Shed.
Presented with the Young Citizen of the Year accolades were Ruby Hayden Simpson and Tayla Lewis both from Hamilton for their work promoting mental health awareness, and, in particular, for addressing last year’s Youth Wellbeing Conversation for parents and carers of young people in the Southern Grampians region.
Other awards presented at the Australia Day community celebration included:
• Community Recognition Awards -
o Eileen Broadwood from Coleraine
o Eileen Jolly from Hamilton
o Noleen Clark from Coleraine
o Paul Bosch from Coleraine
o Hamilton Anglican Mothers Union
o Mark Thomas (Salvation Army)
o William Kinghorn from Byaduk
• Community Event of the Year – Dunkeld Writers Festival
• Mayors Award – Dr Dale Ford
Mayor Cr David Roberston said the Southern Grampians community would not be what it was without our hard-working volunteers.
“There are hundreds of volunteers who dedicate a large part of their lives to helping others to achieve a safer, more comfortable, and happier life,” he said.
“Today’s award recipients are just a few of the many people who have made a significant impact. I’d like to congratulate them all on this very special occasion.”
Hundreds of people flocked to the official Australia Day event in Hamilton, where there was also a citizenship ceremony for seven residents.
-Ends-
AWARD RECIPIENT BIOGRAPHIES
Citizen of the Year – Roger Edwards
Roger Edwards has dedicated the best part of his life to serving the community of Cavendish since he moved there nearly 50 years ago. Through his tireless and diligent involvement in and leadership of, many local organisations, Roger has made a profound and positive difference to the wellbeing and welfare of Cavendish and the district. Roger was a founding member of the Cavendish Townscape Association and has worked on countless projects over the years, such as the establishment of Settlers’ Walk and Ron Lewis Park, the construction and erection of town entrance signs and the weir on the Wannon River to name but a few. Roger instigated projects, wrote funding grant applications, and liaised regularly with local government and various utilities to ensure the realisation of his and the group’s vision. Not unnoticed were the thousands of hours of his manpower at group working bees and the individual time he has given to maintenance and town improvements. Roger has been on the committee for the Cavendish Red Gum Festival since its inception, contributing to the organisation of art exhibitions, environmental speaker forums, and general festival logistics. He has been a linchpin of HIRL’s Mud Gallery, offering his management time, donating paintings, running art workshops, and painting murals at HIRL and around the district. Roger has for numerous decades been a big part of the Cavendish Uniting Church, involving himself in administration, delivery of weekly services, and provision of support to congregational members. He is also incredibly kind and thoughtful to others. When local townsfolk are unwell, hospitalised, or grieving loss, Roger and his wife Kay provide visitation and support. Roger is a Cavendish Men's Shed member and has supported and encouraged its creation and development. Roger is, and for many years has been, held in extremely high regard in Cavendish and the wider Hamilton community. He works hard but is a modest, quiet achiever who sets an example for others to follow through his voluntary and charitable contributions.
Mayors Award – Dr Dale Ford
An owner at Hamilton Medical Group Practice, Dr Dale Ford is a highly respected GP who has served the Hamilton and surrounding districts for more than 35 years. Dr Ford has worked above and beyond expectations, in particular during COVID when his selfless display of expertise and leadership exhibited a COVID response many other areas of Victoria were envious of and drew guidance from. Outside his role as a General Practitioner and Chief Medical Officer of Western District Health Service (WDHS), Dr Ford volunteers an enormous amount of time to the improvement of health in the region including the mentorship of young doctors of whom he is a continual reference, inspiration and role model. He is chair of Southern GP Training, on the board of Great South Coast Medicare Local, and is the principal advisor for Australian Primary Care Collaboratives. He has had various peer-reviewed published articles and presentations both in Australia and abroad on Quality Improvement in Health. Through these various voluntary involvements, Dr Ford has been able to influence policy and advocate for rural and regional doctors and patients.
Young Citizen of the Year – Ruby Hayden Simpson & Tayla Lewis
Ruby and Tayla are exceptional leaders who are dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and creating a community where individuals with lived experience can contribute meaningfully to awareness-raising efforts. They strive to bring people together to enhance youth mental health and wellbeing and play a crucial role in shaping future solutions. Whilst completing a work mentoring placement with Southern Grampians Shire Council as part of the GSGLLEN Young Leaders program, Ruby and Tayla were dynamic in the facilitation of a Youth Wellbeing Conversation event held at the Greater Hamilton Library. The evening was aimed at parents and carers of young people in the Southern Grampians region. Upon Ruby and Tayla’s recommendation, the event featured a ‘lived experience’ panel, allowing for audience interaction and discussion, where these amazing young people actively engaged and openly shared their deeply personal experiences in the hope of helping others.The lived experience panel was an incredibly powerful discussion, where Ruby and Taylor each eloquently described their personal experience of navigating the mental health system, highlighting the challenges and barriers in their help-seeking journey in addition to protective factors and what worked well for them. This was incredibly valuable and powerful and was a highlight of the evening among the audience.
Community Event of the Year – Dunkeld Writers Festival
The Dunkeld Writers Festival (DWF) is a cultural event that celebrates local people and places. The festival program aligns with the essence of Dunkeld, with themed sessions covering sport, food and wine, nature, landscape, and indigenous issues. This writers' festival not only provides an opportunity for locals to meet and engage with leading authors and to hold conversations, but it also attracts visitors to the Southern Grampians. The inaugural event was held in 2022, followed by the 2023 festival that was strategically held on the last weekend of August to fill a gap in the local events calendar and give local businesses an economic boost during a traditionally quiet visitation period.
To connect with Dunkeld’s existing assets, the main hub of the festival was at the Sterling Place Community Centre, authors stayed at the famous Royal Mail Hotel and the unique Old Bakery supplied catering. The four-day program featured 19 visiting authors, 11 separate sessions, four local group excursions, two school sessions, one gala dinner, and 250 scones and pastries! The Dunkeld Writers Festival is driven entirely by seven residents and relies on the generous volunteer support from over 30 volunteers, who fill a range of roles, including serving food, bus driving, hosting authors, social media marketing, emceeing, room setting, and selling tickets. An estimated 1300 hours of volunteer support powered this event in 2023.
Community Recognition Awards
Eileen Broadwood
Eileen contributes significantly to several successful long-running community initiatives. These include Driver Reviver, Pedal Car Grand Prix Committee, Rope Quoit Association administration, and The Coleraine RSL, as well as catering for many local events. Her sense of community spirit is heartwarming, and she goes about her tasks with grace, dignity, humour, and enthusiasm.
Eileen Jolly
Eileen Jolly has been actively involved in many community organisations including the Hamilton Old Time Dance Club, Dramus Theatre Group, and The Anglican Parish. Eileen has always been community-minded and generously gives her time to others in need and providing essential services to the aged community in Hamilton. Whether that is visiting someone in hospital or a hospice providing company and comfort, or delivering home-cooked meals to people she has been told are unwell or alone at home. She is well known for her personal ‘meals on wheels’ specials, in addition to doing the cleaning and laundry of many sick and aging community members. Everyone in Eileen's social circle knows her door is always open for those in need of a chat and/or some food.
Hamilton Anglican Mothers Union
The Hamilton Branch of the Anglican Mothers Union has been conducting an annual book fair for over 30 years, which has raised more than $320,000. The fair runs for approximately six weeks and is staffed solely by volunteers. Funds raised are distributed widely to local, national, and overseas charitable organisations including the Hamilton Institute of Rural Learning and Hamilton Special Development School, and for community projects such as restoring the Christ Church heritage building. Funds have also been used to provide ‘health packs’ to patients at Hamilton Hospital and needy families within the shire through Anglicare.
Mark Thomas
Mark makes a huge contribution to the local community every year in his role as a community engagement worker with the Salvation Army. Based at the Salvation Army church in Hamilton, Mark and his supportive group of volunteers provide financial assistance, groceries, weekly community meals, and delivery of food parcels to people and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Each Thursday Mark and his volunteers prepare and cook around 100 meals for the community, and every week up to 50 food hampers are delivered to local households. Mark is a hardworking man with a huge heart and there is not a needy person in the region who has not met or been helped by Mark over the years.
Noeleen Clarke
Noeleen has a long history of volunteering in Coleraine organisations that support the elderly and disadvantaged. Along with her sidekick Eileen Broadwood, Noleen has catered for all kinds of events for the Coleraine RSL. She also volunteered for 25 years with the now-disbanded Coleraine Lions Club, helping with barbecues, raffles, and working bees. The Driver Reviver van is run by Noeleen and Eileen, which is a very valuable service for drivers during busy holiday periods. After the Lions Club disbanded, these ladies had it purchased and refurbished by the RSL Social Club so the service could be continued. Noeleen is also a Coleraine Rope Quoit Club Life Member after 50-plus years of service and recently sat at the door all weekend welcoming and selling raffle tickets at the Australia Rope Quoit Championships in Coleraine. She also contributed to the Pedal Car Grand Prix and worked tirelessly at the ‘Tins for Bins’ Fundraiser Day. Noeleen is also a Past Community Car Coordinator.
Paul Bosch
Paul has lived in Coleraine for over 25 years and has been an active member of the community. He has been the Coleraine State School Council President for nine years and an active member of the Coleraine Apex Club. He has been on the committee of the Australian Pedal Car Grand Prix for two years and has coached junior football in the district for over a decade. Paul is the owner of the IGA supermarket in Coleraine and provides a significant opportunity to young people in our community for full-time and part-time work. He provides mentoring to these young people and is very flexible and understanding when various work and personal issues arise. Paul willingly provides significant sponsorships to many community groups around the district, which they very much appreciate.
William Kinghorn
Will has selflessly devoted himself to the Byaduk community including being the captain of the CFA, Treasurer of the Cricket Club and President of the Recreation Reserve. Will is an active member of the Byaduk and North Byaduk Progress Association, and he’s been a volunteer for the Byaduk Spring Show most of his life. Will has been on the committee of the Hamilton P&A Society since 2011 and has been in the chair’s seat since 2022.
Will is currently the Vice President of the Gazette Landcare Group, which actively works towards developing a wildlife corridor through farmland towards Mount Napier. Will always has a meeting or project on the go, but makes time to help his neighbours, friends, and family and embodies the Australian spirit in everything he does.