Australia Day Award Winners 2019View this year's outstanding winners

2019 Australia Day Award Winners

 The 2019 Ballina Shire Australia Day Awards were presented by Mayor David Wright and guest speaker Matthew Burke.

We congratulate the following worthy winners and nominees:

Citizen of the Year - Marie Caldwell

 Marie Caldwell has tirelessly shared her musical talents with the whole community for over half a century. Tickling the ivories at community events and developing the musical talents of our youth and adults alike. Marie has been involved in the development of early childhood music and fostered the musical talents of our local thespians as a musical director and 50-year member of the Ballina Players Theatre. Marie continues to bring joy to older residents by regularly playing at retirement homes and entertaining the wider community at local events. Marie also volunteers with other community organisations; delivering Meals on Wheels for 40 years and a member of Quota for 15 years. Marie is a life member of the Ballina Players and received the Platinum Palm Award at the 2015 Gold Coast Area Theatre Awards. Marie is a much-loved and respected member of our community. We hope she continues to share her musical talents for many years to come.

    Sportsperson of the Year - Samantha Brophy and Kyle Underwood

Samantha Brophy Ballina Coast High School student, originally from Canada, has been playing ice hockey since the age of six. After discovering that ice hockey was played in Brisbane, Samantha started playing with the Southern Stars three years ago. Samantha’s commitment to the game sees her travelling to Brisbane up to three times a week for training and competition. For the past two years she has represented Queensland in the Bantam U15 State Team at the Ice Hockey National Championships and currently plays with the Brisbane Goannas in the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. She was recently selected in the Australian Women's U18 National Ice Hockey Team. We wish Samantha and team all the best when they travel to Spain in early 2019 to compete in the World Championships.

 Kyle Underwood From the age of 12, Kyle has rigorously followed his dream to achieve professional golf status on the US PGA tour while also achieving academic excellence. After completing his HSC in 2017 at Emmanuel Anglican College Ballina where he was school captain, Kyle was awarded a four-year athletic and academic scholarship at the Long Island University in New York. Kyle plays golf in the university squad while studying a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Sports Management. In every aspect of his association with Ballina Golf and Sports Club, Kyle is regarded as a fine ambassador of the game of golf, and of his home town of Ballina. (Kyles award was accepted by his Grandfather Neville Budd pictured left).

    The other nominees for the Sports Award of the Year were: Helen Ranki-Jarvie and Jenny Duffield. Arts Cultural Award

 Brian Pamphilon  is no stranger to the stage, Lennox Head resident Brian Pamphilon has played lead roles in nearly 30 local musical productions, winning the coveted ‘Best Actor’ Award at the 2015 Gold Coast Area Theatre Awards. Brian was also nominated as the 'Actor of the Year' by The Northern Star. He tutors in trumpet, piano and voice and has played the trumpet every Anzac Day and Remembrance Day for the past ten years in local Northern Rivers’ ceremonies. A regular at the Ballina RSL Piano Bar, he also volunteers his musical expertise in local retirement homes and Christmas celebrations, acts in local student films and accompanies HSC music students in their final exams. He has made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of the Ballina Shire..

      The other nominees for the Arts and Cultural Award of the Year were: Ballina Arts and Craft Centre Inc. (BACCI), Sprung! Integrated Dance Theatre and Suzanne Whiteman. Local Hero of the Year - Robert Sword

 Robert Sword is a tireless worker for local charities, our community and the environment. Arriving in Lennox Head with his wife Dawn after they lost everything in the 2003 Canberra bushfires, Bob set about committing himself to the service of his new community. The man with the biggest heart and smile is always finding ways to serve, both up front and behind the scenes. Here are some places you will find him at work: East Ballina Lions Club famous barbeques and markets; Ballina Coast High School's Leo Club, Meals on Wheels, Ballina Hot Meal Centre, Cancer Council Daffodil Day and Relay for Life, Wardell Knit and Knat Group and Clean Up Australia Day. Bob is a true local hero.

      The other nominees for the Local Hero of the Year Award were: Carol Stacey, Damon Moloney, Geoff Alexander, Karen Wilson, Kevin Anderson, Maria Matthes, Marjorie Steinhard, Sarah Gent and Jack Barden. Young Citizen of the Year - Finn Ball

 Community involvement, education, sport and the arts – he does it all! Finn attended Alstonville Primary and Alstonville High Schools with an outstanding record of academic, cultural and sporting achievements. For several years, he has been deeply involved in voluntary work with a variety of community organisations, most notably the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society. His prowess in public speaking and mathematics has led to many hours coaching younger students in these areas. He was the 2018 Regional Lions' Youth of the Year and his performance rated a mention at the NSW Legislative Council, "Finn is an impressive young man and a wonderful representative and role model for young people in our region".

      Other nominees for the Young Citizen of the Year were: Alex Lapham, Chloe Pratt and Tara Coughlan. Senior Citizen of the Year - Lloyd Jansson

 Lloyd Jansson is a most talented musician who began learning the trumpet at the age of ten. When Lloyd eventually retired and moved to Ballina 23 years ago he joined the Ballina Shire Concert Band. Lloyd also started the Unity Jazz Band, and is still involved in a small jazz group. Lloyd was nominated for the Australia Day Awards for his amazing trumpet playing at many local community events including ANZAC Day, other commemoration services and the monthly East Ballina Lions Club Markets. At the age of 91 he has only recently stepped down from Musical Director to the position of Deputy Musical Director of the Ballina Shire Concert Band.

      Other nominees for the Senior Citizen Award were: Anne Sharpe, Bonnie Donnelly (posthumous), Jane Hunt (posthumous), John and Helen Niven, Marie and Gordon Jarrett, Marie Caldwell, Pat and Jean Kennedy, Volunteer Team – Tweed, Byron and Ballina Community Transport and Joan Hurley. Community Event of the Year - Love Lennox Festival (Lennox Chamber of Commerce)

 The Love Lennox Festival hosted by the Lennox Head Chamber of Commerce, continues to grow and as Lennox’s biggest community event attracts over 10,000 people each year. The event aims to promote main street businesses and attract more people to town during the cooler winter months. The festival now serves a much broader objective; providing a variety of community groups and small businesses an opportunity to connect with the people they represent or service. The event has recently taken greater steps to making the event more environmentally sustainable and the Chamber is working on some exciting new festival initiatives. The hard working group of Chamber volunteers, who are also busy running their own businesses, deserve this recognition for running a successful and sustainable community event.

    Other nominees for the Community Event of the Year were: 2018 Australian National Men’s Masters Hockey Championship (Ballina Hockey Club), Ballina Community Market (East Ballina Lions Club), Boomerang Bags, Duck Race (Ballina Rotary Club Inc.), Melbourne Cup Luncheon (Meals on Wheels), Our Kids Day Out, Rebuilding from the Rubble (Ballina on Richmond Rotary Club) and the Rainbow Region Dragon Boat Regatta (Rainbow Region Dragon Boat Club). Posthumous Tributes - the late Bonnie Donnelly and the late Jane Hunt

Tribute was made to two posthumous nominees in honour of the many years of service they have made to the Ballina Shire community. A special floral arrangement was presented to the families of the late Bonnie Donnelly and the late Jane Hunt.

Sixteen New Australia Citizens in Ballina Shire

Ballina Shire also welcomed sixteen new Australia Citizens. We warmly welcome our new residents from across the globe including the United Kingdom, United States, Thailand, Belgium, Guatemala, India, Canada, Azerbaijan, New Zealand and Brazil.