Cardinia Shire Australia Day Awards 2023 Nominees announced

All nominees and winners will be announced and celebrated at a special ceremony on Wednesday 25 January, for the nominees and their families and friends. 

Australia Day Awards 2023 nominees 

Council received nominations to the Cardinia Shire Australia Day Awards 2023 for the following local citizens and events (listed in alphabetical order for each award category): 

Citizen of the Year 2023  David & Julia Graham  Shelley Beardshaw  Senior Citizen of the Year 2023  Audrey Dodson  Dianne Divola  Janice Crittenden  Young Citizen of the Year 2023  Ace Simpson-Braden  Charlotte O'Sullivan  Samuel Nichols  Event of the Year 2023  Art Show Pakenham  Cardinia Mens Shed Senior-tivity Day  Emerald Arts Society Annual Art Exhibition 2022  Gembrook Market  Growing Cockatoo Food & Film Festival  John Dudley Portrait Prize  Pakenham Cricket Club – Pink Stumps Day  Sports Community Leaders Luncheon - Forum Change our Game towards Gender Equality  Trending Art Exhibition 

For more information about this year’s Australia Day Awards and nominees, visit Council’s website at www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/AustraliaDayAwards 

Australia Day events 

Also at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Council is hosting a special Citizenship Ceremony to welcome 100 new Australian citizens, from 11am on Thursday 26 January! 

And, a number of community-run events are being held across Cardinia Shire for the community to enjoy:   

Cardinia Australia Day (previously held at Lakeside Pakenham) 

From 12 – 4pm, Thu 26 Jan 2023 

Toomuc Recreation Reserve, Pakenham 

Event contact: Tony O’Hara, 0438 377 283    

Koo Wee Rup Australia Day Games 

From 12 – 3pm, Thu 26 Jan 2023 

Cochrane Park, Koo Wee Rup  

Event contact: Turning Point Church Koo Wee Rup, 5997 2217   

Koo Wee Rup Australia Day  

From 8.15 – 10.30am, Thu 26 Jan 2023 

KWR Community Centre, Koo Wee Rup  

Event contact: Caroline Roff, 0409 803 340   

Cockatoo Australia Day 

From 8.45am, Thu 26 Jan 2023 

Alma Treloar Reserve Amphitheatre, 77 Pakenham Rd Cockatoo 

Event contact: Rachelle Mechielsen, 0403 049 428   

For more information about the various Australia Day events across the Shire in 2023, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/AustraliaDay 

Council is proud to support these community events through its annual Festivals and Events Grants program. For more information about the grants program, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/grants