Happy Australia Day: Maroondah names Australia Day award recipients and welcomes 60 new citizens

Ringwood Lake Park was abuzz with colour and excitement this Australia Day with thousands of people coming together to celebrate our unique Australian identity and sense of community spirit.

Mayor, Cr Mike Symon, said Maroondah’s Australia Day event on Sunday 26 January was a chance to honour our ‘unsung heroes’ and celebrate those taking the final step in their journey to become Australian citizens.

“Not only is this annual community celebration an enjoyable, free event for the whole family, but it’s also a symbolic day for those receiving Australian citizenship and to those honoured in our Maroondah Australia Day awards,” Cr Symon said.

“Australia Day is an opportunity for all of us to take pride in our citizenship and reflect on the meaning and importance of being Australian and perhaps even to appreciate how lucky we are to live in a country like Australia,” he said.

Long-time volunteer Averil Embury was named 2020 Maroondah Citizen of the Year.

At 89 years young, Mrs Embury has enjoyed a long association with Trauma Teddies, an Australian Red Cross program which helps bring comfort in the form of hand-knitted toys to the lives of children and adults affected by illness or trauma.

Having joined the Red Cross army of Trauma Teddy knitters in 2003, she has been instrumental in keeping a regular stream of ‘Teddies’ ready to distribute to waiting arms.

As of November 2019, Mrs Embury, along with a passionate band of knitters from the Maroondah area, have contributed an incredible 23,700 Trauma Teddies to the program.

“Mrs Embury is a shining example of the importance of keeping busy and ageing well. The commitment, dedication and compassion she has demonstrated through her involvement with Trauma Teddies, as well as her other community volunteer work, has touched the lives of so many,” Cr Symon said.

Ben Voogd was named Young Citizen of the Year for his significant contribution to local junior sport.

Ben offers his time and mentorship coaching for the Ringwood Little Athletics, Little Athletics Victoria Junior Development Squad, and at Little Athletics Victoria clinics, among others.

Ben has also represented the Ringwood Athletics Club at both state and national levels.

A VCE student at Luther College in Croydon, Ben represented Australia at the Oceania Championships in 2019, taking out Gold in the U18 Hammer event and breaking the Meet Record.

He took home Silver for Australia in the U20 Hammer event at the 2019 Arafura Games. Last year also saw him triumph at the Australian and Victorian Championships, winning both U18 Hammer events where he represented both Ringwood and his state.

“Earning the title of Young Citizen of the Year is an absolute credit to Ben’s enthusiasm and willingness to help other young people accomplish their sporting dreams, while living out his own, and all while studying his VCE,” Cr Symon said.

The Community Event of the Year was awarded to Winter Shelter, a joint program of local Christian churches that helps provide shelter, food and support to Maroondah’s homeless.

“Winter Shelter is a Maroondah churches and community response to local homelessness. It is the mission of Winter Shelter to provide shelter, food and honour for people who require a roof over their head, comfort and support,” Cr Symon said.

“Congratulations to all our deserving recipients and nominees. It is thanks to you that we have such a strong sense of community spirit. I’d also like to thank the people who took the time to submit a nomination to recognise the outstanding efforts of their fellow citizens,” he said.

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Maroondah welcomed 60 of its newest citizens as they took the Australian citizenship pledge before family members and hundreds of onlookers.

“As Mayor, it was such a wonderful moment to witness people from so many different countries, such as Chile, South Africa, Lebanon, Taiwan, China, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the USA, embrace Australia, and Maroondah, as their new home,” Cr Symon said.

“Maroondah is a place which represents what it truly means to be a part of Australia. Welcoming people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe to Maroondah also enriches our community.

“The community’s vision for the future of Maroondah is one where everyone is welcome, feels they belong and can succeed, no matter where their personal stories began,” he added.

Helping to spread the message of national pride and inclusion was Australia Day Ambassador Trevor Carroll, CEO of Disability Justice Australia Inc.

“Trevor is someone who has dedicated his life to helping others and is a wonderful example of how vibrant life can be for someone living with a disability,” Cr Symon said.

As the organisation’s CEO, Trevor works with people, many of whom have multiple disabilities and use mobility aids, or who cannot read or write, to fight against discrimination and protect their human rights,” he added.

Australia Day celebrations continued throughout the day, with free family-friendly activities including trackless train rides, inflatable slide, face painting and a petting zoo, as well as appearances by the Paw Patrol team, popular children’s performer Bethany Fisher, and the Magical Mountains Adventure Time Show, which shared educational messages with children about making new friends.

The Australian Red Cross program ‘Trauma Teddies’ is national program. The Red Cross has supplied Trauma Teddies to the Maroondah Hospital Emergency Department for over 10 years totally, in excess of 10,000 teddies.

Trauma Teddies are hand knitted toys given to children and adults who are affected by some form of disruption to their normal lives, which causes them anxiety and panic.

Averil began by knitting skins (the two sides of the Teddy) but soon extended her involvement by offering to finish the teddies by sewing them up, sewing on the Australian Red Cross label, filling them and giving the teddy life by adding eyes, ears, neck and a smile of love.

Averil has been the main ‘finisher’ for the area for many years, finishing an average of 100 per month.

Averil has also been volunteering at Olivet for the past 20 years where she assists the mending of pillowcases, food protectors, turning old sheets into laundry skip covers and the list goes on; nothing is too much for Averil.

Ben gives of his time assisting Ringwood Little Athletics, Little Athletics Victoria, Little Athletics Junior Development Coaching Squads, and is a team member of Ringwood Seniors where his contribution to set up and assist is acknowledged by his peers and Club Committee. Ben has been coaching Junior Athletics to state titles over the past four years.

In addition to coaching, Ben is a National and State title holder, representing Australia and achieving Gold in the Oceania Championships. He has also broken Meet Records, won Australian Championships representing Victoria and won Victorian Championships representing Ringwood.

Ben was a Maroondah Leader 2019 Junior Sports Star of the Year and overall State Leader Junior Sports Star of the Year. 

Winter Shelter is a Maroondah churches and community response to local homelessness.

It is the mission of Winter Shelter to provide not only shelter but food and honour for people who need comfort and support. Winter Shelter works together with local Christian churches to provide the best support to those without anywhere to stay in Maroondah.

“A warm meal, a safe place to sleep, and a welcoming smile” for the homeless rough sleepers of Maroondah.