Australia Day Award winners 2023

Published on 27 January 2023

From left: Jim Hickey (Deputy Mayor), Anupam Sharma (Australia Day Ambassador), Molly Molloy (Young Citizen of the Year), Dennis Roach (Citizenship Award), Margaret Pope (Citizen of the Year), Lynette Smith (Senior Citizen of the Year), and Tom Kennedy (Mayor).

YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

Molly Molloy

Molly Molloy has received an Australia Day Award nomination after establishing herself as one of the city's most dedicated and versatile young leaders.

In 2019, Molly undertook to make 100 joey kangaroo bags to donate to RRANA for joey kangaroos who were orphaned due to their mother being hit by a car.

In the same year she was nominated for the Pride of Australia Awards and was a Cub Scout of the Year nominee and finalist.

Molly has been a member of her school leadership team for many years, this includes being on the SRC in both primary and high school, and she was the school captain of her primary school in 2020.

Molly recognised that COVID was restricting parent access to her local school and in response dedicated countless hours each week in coordinating and creating an online platform for parents to be able to engage with their children’s school assemblies, classroom learning and other significant events that prior to COVID families would have been a part of. This was hugely successful and continued through the entire year with an appreciative response from families.

Also in 2020, Molly had the idea to improve her school playground. Molly did this through organising and purchasing resources to create a mud kitchen and to improve the aesthetics of one of the school buildings. Molly organised her fellow year 6 students to help her paint the building in bright designs. The theme of the wall was “A Space to Be Yourself”.

Molly participates in local theatre and musical productions, helps with the coordinating of Alma Swimming Club weekly pointscore, and volunteers as a radio host on Broken Hill community radio station, 2 Dry FM.

In her on-air role Molly has participated in events with live streaming such as the Mundi Mundi Bash and Youth Week celebrations.

Molly always goes above and beyond and has been recognised as Cub Scout of the Year on a local and state level as well as Scout of the Year at local level. She has worked hard to receive the highest award for a cub scout and is currently working on her Australian Scout Award, the highest award that can be awarded to a scout.

Molly is always the first to assist when help is needed, and she often does so without being asked. She is a young leader in all aspects of her life, whetherat scouts, swimming or school. She is a great role model to others, and always puts the needs of others first while displaying a happy and enthusiastic attitude.

Recently, Molly applied to attend the World Scout Jamboree, which is to be held in South Korea in 2023. Molly was accepted to attend. To date she has raised over $6,000 toward the fees by working hard to hand deliver 10,000 telephone books, selling donuts, working at St Pats, and by writing to businesses to request donations.

Molly regularly participates in Clean Up Australia Day and National tree Planting Day, and always encourages those around her to also volunteer.

Her commitment to her community was recognised in October 2022 when she was awarded the Far West Young Volunteer of the Year by the Centre for Volunteering.

Congratulations Molly!

CITIZENSHIP AWARD

Dennis Roach

Dennis Roach moved to Broken Hill in 2010 and has become a mainstay behind the scenes for a number of organisations in the city.

He is always willing to call upon his long and varied experience of public service in order to benefit Broken Hill and our community.

Dennis initially worked as the Executive Officer for the Broken Hill Chamber of Commerce when that organisation was an important part of business life in the city.

In more recent years he spent many hours of his own time in an effort to restore and reinvigorate the Chamber Of Commerce when changing times had threatened to make it non-viable. Dennis worked closely with the Chamber’s life members to transfer the Chamber’s assets to Foundation Broken Hill.

Dennis has been very actively involved in the operations of the hospital kiosk as a member of the committee for many years. As Secretary and Public Officer, he spends at least one day a week on site but a great deal of time behind the scenes making sure that that very successful organisation continues to run smoothly.

Another organisation that Dennis has had a close involvement with is the Community Legal Centre (CLC) where his advice, as someone who worked in that area prior to his retirement, has greatly assisted the local committee. Dennis is a previous board member and current Public Officer for the CLC and is frequently called upon for his advice and assistance.

He has also frequently used his experience to assist organisations in writing funding and grant submissions. This is often an onerous and thankless task and one which many organisations find difficult and daunting.

Dennis has also been a member of the Board of Robinson Education Centre Ltd since 2014, having served for a number of those years as Deputy Chair and Public Officer. He has also achieved life membership of the Centre's board.

Dennis is a person who always shuns the limelight and is first to give others credit for their achievements whilst downplaying his own.

Seeking recognition is always the last thing on his mind. He is the ultimate quiet and modest achiever, and a significant contributor to the wellbeing of our community.

Congratulations Dennis!

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

Margaret Pope

Margaret Pope joined St John Ambulance Aust (NSW) Broken Hill Cadet Division in 2003 as a Non-Clinical Member to assist the Division and Members through fundraising and support at Events and Camps.

She is the supervisor of the AFLBH Jubilee Oval canteen, which is a very big fundraising venture for the Cadet Division.

Over the years she has helped out continuously with Mother's Day Disposals, chocolate drives, and the operation of AFL outer oval canteens.

She also organises food for social nights and catering for various events, whether fundraising or event health services, She also assists in the kitchen

and activities at camps held at Silverton, Lake Cullulleraine etc. Margaret is well known in the community as is always there should anyone need a hand. She is a very reliable and valued member of the Broken Hill

Cadet Division.

In the past Margaret has also volunteered with the Broken Hill SES and the Lodge, where she held the role of Secretary among holding other roles. She is also a very active member of the Glades of Broken Hill.

Marg has performed a grand total of 4,887.15 recorded volunteer hours over her time with the Broken Hill Cadet Division, this does not include the countless hours she puts in behind the scenes.

In 2022 Margaret led her fundraising team to raise in excess of $19,000 for the Broken Hill Cadet Division and has stated next year she aims for over $20,000.

This money is a great help to the Division as it goes towards offsetting uniforms, camp costs, and travel costs for those attending upskilling courses etc. in Sydney.

Margaret received her St John's Cadet Division Certificate of Merit in 2008 and Long Service Medal in 2020.

Congratulations Margaret!

SENIOR CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

Lynette Smith

Lynette Smith started her extensive volunteering career back in 1990 when she began a 10-year stint at the Broken Hill Base Hospital kiosk.

In 1994 after being diagnosed with Diabetes Lyn went looking for a support group, but to her astonishment Broken Hill did not have one.

Being the determined person she is, Lyn petitioned Diabetes NSW to come to Broken Hill and hold a seminar for those with diabetes and their families to attend.

From there Lyn ask about setting up a support group in Broken Hill and she was immediately asked if she would like to be the Volunteer Co-Ordinator and Founder of the Broken Hill Diabetes NSW Support Group.

Lyn jumped at this as she felt is was very much needed in our community, and held this position for 23 years, finishing in 2017 when the group was then taken over by Diabetes NSW.

In 1995 Lyn joined her husband as a Legacy wife and assisted with many fundraising ventures and catering for various events. She acted as the spokesperson for all the wives, providing a voice for women who may not

have felt comfortable speaking up about important issues. Lyn believes in equality and being heard to ensure everyone is happy, and was very well respected by all in Legacy throughout her 20 years of service.

Lyn has served as Convenor of the Heart Foundation Walking Group since 2003, which still meets most weekday mornings at 7am to complete a 5km walk around Sturt Park and get-together for an early morning coffee.

In 2010 she began a 9-year stint at the St James Mart assisting on a weekly basis with the sorting and display of donations of clothes and household goods. She then moved to volunteer at the Salvation Army Family Store in Broken Hill to help sort, clean, and display all the donations to provide to the less fortunate.

Lyn has also been in the background of the St John Ambulance Broken Hill Cadet Division for many years since her granddaughter, Aleesha, joined.

She was always helping Aleesha and her siblings Amy and Jonathan, along with many others of the Division raise funds to help offset any costs incurred to attend camps, courses, awards, etc. Lyn did not officially join the Division as a Non-Clinical Member until 2017, but has been there for at least the past 20- 25yrs in the background.

Currently she is working as part-time volunteer and for a small honorarium with the Broken Hill Greyhound Racing Committee on Race days as kennel head and assisting the vets with swabbing and other duties.

Lyn has volunteered tirelessly throughout her life, whilst holding her own jobs such as making the Legacy Widows happy cleaning their units, along with a couple of Government Office Cleaning jobs.

She never stops and even when her husband's health was failing this year she was always there, even if only for a short time to provide a much-needed break.

Lyn is a very valued member of the Broken Hill community and is well respected by those whose lives she touches or has touched over the years.

As the old saying goes "Lyn would give you the shirt off her back if she thought it would help".

Congratulations Lynette!