Get in quick - Australia Day nominations closing
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Time is running out to nominate someone great for the 2022 Australia Day awards.
Nominations close on November 17.
Our Australia Day winners over the years have been people from all walks of life.
There's the community minded people who are always putting others first, then there's those who are heavily involved in fundraising for good causes and those who volunteer enormous hours of their life for a charity or organisation close to their heart.
We all know someone who goes above and beyond. Check out some of our past winners below.
2017 Young Citizen of the Year
Alannah McKeown turned her passion for swimming into a real success story after representing Australia in the pool at an international level in 2015 and winning two gold medals at the National Games in 2014.
2017 Young Citizen of the Year
Jye McBurnie is a real go-getter, raising thousands of dollars for cancer research over the years. His passion stems from his close relationship with his late great-grandmother who lost her battle with cancer.
2017 Community Organisation of the Year
Aware Industries is a local, non-profit organisation that is known in the community for improving the lives of people with a disability through meaningful employment. The organisation has grown tremendously over the past three decades.
2017 Citizen of the Year
Teju Chouhan, a Bhutanese refugee, has been instrumental in representing ethnic communities in the region. He was elected as the first chairman of the Albury-Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council.
2018 Citizen of the Year
Uta Wiltshire is known for her commitment and knowledge of Wodonga that extends from her roles within the Wodonga Historical Society for the past two decades. She has been an active member of the Wodonga Show Society’s committee and a member of the Wodonga Council’s Place Names committee.
2018 Young Citizen of the Year
Sheridan Williams is a keen advocate for the LGBTQI members of the community and was instrumental in establishing a social group for the LGBTQI kids aged 12 to 17 called the Alphabet Crew Youth Group.
2018 Community Organisation of the Year
The Border Ovarian Cancer Awareness Group has done a tremendous job over the past decade with hosting fundraisers to support those fighting the disease and running awareness campaigns to assist women to recognise the symptoms. The group set up a research grant to help finance ovarian cancer trials for local women.
2019 Citizen of the Year
Rupinder Kaur is an advocate for the prevention of family violence and is known in the community for encouraging and empowering women of all backgrounds to speak up for their rights and confront domestic/family violence.
2019 Young Citizen of the Year
Sheldon Smith loves to serve his community and is a great role model for young people. His service to the community includes fundraising for various charities and volunteering with Interchange where he spends time socialising and helping children with disabilities.
2019 Community Organisation of the Year
The 3rd Wodonga Scout Group has been an active part of the community for the past five decades. Boasting more than 100 members, the group has assisted many community organisations and has been involved in many local fundraisers over the years.
2020 Citizen of the Year
Penny Wilson is an advocate for refugees and went above and beyond for extra opportunities to help our newly arrived communities, including setting up programs such as a chronic pain clinic, a hydrotherapy program and a culture club where cultural diversity is celebrated once a month.
2020 Young Citizen of the Year
Bhakta Bhattarai is a Bhutanese refugee who plays a pivotal role in organising community events that foster social cohesion and bring together people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
2020 Young Citizen of the Year
Grace King loves meeting people and volunteers every chance she gets. Grace went above and beyond as a homework club tutor for refugee students and as a member of the Kergunyah Pony Club, she received an outstanding commitment award for volunteering at every event.
2020 Community Organisation of the Year
Repair Cafe Albury-Wodonga provide a free service to help fix household items brought in by the public. The group of skilled repairers fix everything from furniture, clothing, to bicycles, costume jewellery, battery-operated appliances, and other household items.
2021 Citizen of the Year
Lindsay Hanchett is best-known for this annual co-ordination of the Wodonga Carols by Candlelight for the past 17 years. He has also been actively involved in the Wodonga Brass Band and was the driving force behind the operation of the Murray Hume Business Enterprise Centre.