Generous and hardworking community members from across the region have been recognised in local council Australia Day Awards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the Mount Alexander Shire, Gary McClure received the citizen of the year award for his service to Rotary Castlemaine.
Mr McClure attended his first Rotary meeting in 1963, at the age of nine. Since then he has had several leadership roles throughout this time including president, vice president, club board of directors, assistant governor for the Goldfields Cluster and countless committee chair roles.
Over the last 20 years he has helped raised more than $600,000 for various community projects.
Mr McClure is also a life member of the Castlemaine State Festival after working at it for more than 20 years.
Mount Alexander's young citizen of the year Ada Levis is a member of council's FReeZA Commitee as well as a talented musician who hosts two weekly radio shows on Main FM.
Vic Say, Mount Alexander's senior citizen of the year, has worked passionately for many years to foster a real partnership between council and the local Indigenous community.
"(We) would not be anywhere near our standing in Mount Alexander Shire and beyond if it was not for Vic and his family's unbiased commitment to help us obtain a presence and to help try to make all people aware of the Aboriginal history of this region," Uncle Rick Nelson said.
The Castlemaine Community Farmer's Market was named the shire's community event of the year after 16 years of helping locals access fresh, seasonal and locally-grown food. Around 2000 people head to each market with yearly sales estimated at about $2.5 million.
"This year's award winners have been active volunteers for many years, or from an early age, and have dedicated their time to a variety of causes," Mount Alexander Shire mayor Christine Henderson said.
Buloke Shire Council announced its Australia Day Award winners at the community celebration in Birchip on Friday.
John McConville (Citizen of the Year), Angel Grylls (Young Citizen of the Year) and the Birchip B&S Ball (Community Event of the Year) were allr ecognised for their contributions to the Buloke community.
John McConville has been a large part of the Donald community and is known as the "unofficial mayor of Donald".
He was recognised for leading by example through positivity and proactivity and has helped build sheds, drive buses, chaired meetings and advocated for his town over many years.
Young Citizen of the Year Angel Grylls is a foundation member of the Charlton Junior CWA branch and the reformed Charlton Youth Group. She has used her role to drive the memberships of each while also being a talented projectionist at the Rex Theatre in Charlton.
The Birchip B&S Ball claimed the Community Event of the Year Award for a second time. It has been reinvigorated under a new committee who have shaped this event over the past 15 years and raised $30,000 last year to support its community.