Australia Day 2019 award winners

Betty Richter is a well-respected and active member of the Oakey community, who has made a significant contribution to various groups over a long period.

A mother of three and a grandmother of three, Betty enjoyed a successful 30-year career with the ANZ Bank, working her way up the ranks to a very senior position at the Oakey Branch.

Betty is a hard-working member of the community, who exercises common sense and compassion.

She is a Life Member of the Oakey Swimming Club and an active member of the Oakey Show Society, Oakey Ladies’ Bowls Club, Landcare and the Oakey Tennis Club. She is involved with the local Chamber of Commerce, the Girl Guides, Uniting Church and Friends of McDonald Home.

Betty always helps with numerous local events including the Oakey Show and Rodeo, Santa Fair, McDonald Nursing Home, church fetes and tree planting for Landcare.

Betty is a Commissioner for Declarations and completes audits and ministerial functions for various not-for-profit groups in a voluntary capacity.

Among other attributes, Betty has a current First Aid certificate and has been called on to administer first aid pending the arrival of the ambulance on at least five occasions.

Jolie Williamson, the eldest of six children, possesses a maturity beyond her years and an inherent sense of responsibility. During 2018 Jolie was an exceptional vice-captain at Oakey State High and enjoyed her role as a T.I.P. leader, helping Year 7 students adjust to secondary school.

Jolie is a conscientious, self-motivated student who juggles family life and responsibilities, part-time work and education and still finds time to ‘go the extra mile’. Time management is one of her strengths.

When Jolie isn’t studying she works evenings at Pizza Hut Oakey and in the office of a local earthmoving contractor during school holidays. Her ability to get the best out of other staff members and remain calm under pressure makes her an excellent shift manager.

Education is very important to Jolie, who seeks opportunities to extend her knowledge and experience base whenever she can. In 2016 she undertook a school-based traineeship and gained a Certificate III in Business. Through her traineeship at Pizza Hut Oakey, Jolie developed knowledge in retail and hospitality, and demonstrated her aptitude in staff supervision and management, and her skills in customer relations.

Jolie is a wonderful ambassador for her school, an excellent role model and is supportive of her peers in their various roles.

Her service at school has been commendable and unique. She has held two Student Council portfolios in two years and was responsible for the conduct of school socials in 2017.

In 2018 Jolie became cultural chairperson and orchestrated several lunchtime concerts for the enjoyment of students and staff. She received the school's 2018 Cultural Excellence Award for her contribution to the arts at Oakey High, and her study in Drama and Music.

Jolie's community service has included volunteering as part of an Oakey SHS Work Party to ‘tidy up’ Oakey’s main street. Jolie also helped with preparations for the annual Oakey Show.

With her trusty guitar, Jolie has supported various district events including the Oakey Music Festival, the Firefighters’ Christmas Party and the Oakey Legends of League football carnival.

In 2017 Jolie performed at Cully Fest in Toowoomba and has competed in eisteddfods in Toowoomba and music festivals across the Darling Downs.

In 2009 a small group of young people from Oakey and some youth workers from Toowoomba Regional Council attended a South West Youth Forum in Warwick convened by Department of Communities. During discussions it became apparent that some regional families struggled to find affordable and active programs with positive mentoring for their children.

Sarah Kay-Huybregts was one of the youth representatives and she came up with a dance program concept to address some of those needs in her hometown of Oakey. A grant was sourced from the Department of Communities to cover set up costs and SK Studios started operations in 2010.

Since then SK Studios has been providing an outlet for Oakey youth to discover and enjoy the freedom and discipline of dance, with Sarah and her sister Katie now co-ordinating the program.

SK Studios is a dance ‘family’ first, and a community dance program secondly. It is a not-for-profit program run by volunteers. This unique concept has resonated with a number of Oakey families and has 38 students who regularly attend classes.

More than 200 students have passed through the studio since its inception, with classes available for boys and girls from five years of age, three evenings a week at the Oakey High School hall. The dance program is staffed by three lead choreographers and two student teacher assistants, but all students are encouraged to be part of the creative process.

Each year SK Studios stages concerts to aid various charities and since 2010 their efforts have raised $5,250 for a number of charities, as well as assisting a local family with medical expenses for a child battling cancer.

Last year was a particularly exciting year for dancers from SK Studios. They performed a segment in the Oakey & District Arts Council’s Lest We Forget production. A team of dancers from the studio also travelled to Sydney for the Australian Dance Festival.

Don Brown has been an integral part of The Oakey and District Tennis Association Inc. for 37 years.

Don joined the club in 1981 and became president for the first time in 1981, remaining in the position until 1984. In 1989 Don was again elected president, along with stints from 1997 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2018. He still holds the position of president.

Don was made a Life Member of the Club in 2003.

Don started Saturday morning junior fixtures in the early 1980’s, with many local children benefiting from his knowledge of the game. Quite a few of those juniors are playing today as adults.

The tennis club held a June tournament every Queen’s Birthday weekend, attracting a lot of local players. Don was instrumental in making these events successful, coordinating players, food, drinks, trophies and the draw for each day.

Don also invested a lot of time watering, sweeping and marking the ant bed courts in preparation for the carnivals.

A major achievement of the club under Don's guidance was the construction of four new synthetic courts in 1999 to replace the two ant bed courts. Thanks to Don's continuous maintenance of these courts they have lasted a lot longer than the original recommendation.

Don excels in keeping the grounds and club house in immaculate condition. Thanks to his enthusiasm, fixtures are still played Tuesday and Thursday nights as well as social tennis on Tuesday morning and Saturday afternoon. The courts are regularly hired out by the local community. Don has never asked for recognition in return for all the work, time and effort he has put into the club.

He plays tennis three days a week and is well loved and respected by all tennis players as President and Life Member of the Oakey and District Tennis Assn. Inc.

Kaleb is a multi-talented Oakey sportsmen who has represented his school, the Darling Downs and Queensland in rugby league, touch football and athletics.

Kaleb plays football for the Oakey Bears and made the West Zone rugby league teams in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to play in the Shane Webcke Cup.

Kaleb also played in the Clydesdales team in 2016 and 2017 and was selected to play in the Queensland Under 14 Indigenous side in 2018. He also played in the Indigenous touch squad in the same year.

Kaleb made the Darling Downs Schoolboys’ rugby league squad in 2016 and was named player of the game several times during the state championships at Runaway Bay.

A talented all-round athlete, Kaleb was boys’ age champion at Oakey State High School in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and was Oakey State School’s Indigenous Sportsperson of the Year in 2014.

Kaleb represented the Darling Downs in shotput at the state championships in Townsville in 2015. He also made the Darling Downs team for shotput in 2016 and 2017, competing in the state championships in Brisbane.

In 2018 Kaleb qualified to compete in javelin at the state championships in Brisbane. Despite the heat, Kaleb finished fourth with a throw 7cm short of qualifying for nationals.

He was also a member of the Oakey State High School cricket team in 2018. 

Presented by the Oakey and District Arts Council, Lest We Forget was a community tribute commemorating 100 years since the end of WWI, represented through story, dance and song.

Held at the Oakey Cultural Centre in April 2018, the event presented some of the lesser known local and national stories of WWI to mark the centenary of the end of the conflict.

The concept for the event was conceived in 2017 and made possible through funding sourced from Queensland Anzac Centenary - Spirit of Service Grants Program. This enabled the performances to be open to the community free of admission charges.

The event also showcased Oakey’s amazing community spirit, with individuals, organisations, schools and dance groups working together as part of one cohesive story, including Kingsthorpe and Oakey primary schools, St Monica’s and Oakey State High School.

SK Studios and the Oakey Academy of Dance developed choreography for the production that demonstrated the talents of local dancers and helped to tell the story of WWI without words.

Oakey Voices was formed during preparation to perform more of the story through song.

Local thespians demonstrated the sentiment of the anti-conscription movement formed during WWI and a current serviceman played the Last Post on centre stage.

Members of Oakey Historical Museum Society Inc. set up an Anzac display in the foyer of the cultural centre, provided and served afternoon tea to matinee guests and helped man the door for both performances, assisting ‘Ánnie Cuskelly’ and ‘Brigadier Grant’ on the evening.

Organisers were very grateful to Jim and Anne Austin, whose excellent production service ensured a seamless delivery at both performances. Volunteers also helped with lighting and backdrops for the performances.

Lest We Forget was truly a community event, staged by the community for the community.