Australia Day Celebration 2023 – Award Nominees Announced

Yorke Peninsula Council is excited to host its 2023 Australia Day Celebration after cancelling the event in 2022 due to Covid-19.

Council invites the community to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate Australia Day in 2023.

The event will be held at the Maitland Town Hall from 2pm starting with a Citizenship Ceremony followed by the presentation of the Australia Day Awards.

“Nominees have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to their community,” Mayor Darren Braund said.

“All the nominees should be proud of their efforts and Council thanks them for making a difference in their communities.”

At the conclusion, afternoon tea will be supplied.

Citizen of the Year nominees

Kelly DeGiglio Cook

Kelly works tirelessly to run Footlight Dance Experience which offers dance classes on Yorke Peninsula. She puts in many hours into running weekly classes whilst providing performance opportunities to kids.

Colin Franke

Colin has been cooking and selling donuts for more than 10 years on a voluntary basis. His solo efforts have raised a lot of money for the Yorketown Progress Association and the money raised is distributed to community projects. He spends a lot of his free time cooking donuts at the hall during the day. Colin is a well-liked member of the community. He isn’t only known for his contribution of cooking donuts but is also passionate about history. Colin has alerted several groups and clubs about upcoming anniversaries and can be seen lending a hand when required.

Michelle Geater-Johnson

Michelle works tirelessly on several committees often taking larger behind-the-scenes roles. She willingly volunteers her time to help anyone in need and is an avid supporter of all community events and businesses. She has been involved with the Arthurton Basketball Club as treasurer and team manager for junior basketball. She was the CY Cougars Netball Club 2022 Cougar of the Year recipient. She has also been involved with the Maitland/Arthurton Women’s and Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, Maitland Area School canteen and was a key organiser of annual Arthurton Pop Up Markets.

Sue Hall

Sue is a tireless volunteer in in the Port Vincent community. She has been a member of the Port Vincent Progress Association for several years and is currently assistant treasurer. Sue has a talent for writing grant applications and has been instrumental in obtaining funding for the town water tower mural and many more. She is also treasurer for the water tower and visitor information committees. Sue has also be involved in writing a history book, committing many hours to the project.

Anthony Hart

Anthony has a real sense of pride for his community and is always willing to help out not only in a personal capacity but also by utilising his contacts and plant/equipment from his business. Anthony has been involved with the Warooka Progress Association for 20 years and for the past 10 has been president. He is also the driving force behind the Warooka Pageant. He was part of this pageant as a child when his parents were involved in organising the event and now the community spirit lives on through his dedication and organisation of this event. He was also part of the initial team that organised the Flaherty’s Beach Golf Classic, was one of the organisers behind recreating the “Old Time Movies” at the Warooka Hall. There are too many community groups to list that Anthony has helped out in the community but one of the more recent was in October for the Minlaton Show.

Brian Higgins

Brian attends YP Leisure Options and volunteers as a mentor for people living with a disability. He shares his knowledge, skills and compassion to enrich his community and improve the abilities of people who work with him in the wood shed program. Brian recently helped create a video showcasing the skills people with a disability have and how they contribute to a safe working environment. He also assists other community groups including Probus and completes a road trip to Menindee to take donations for young people to the community.

Kellie Saint

Kellie was responsible for the creation of the Pepper Tree Markets in Minlaton which has been going for more than 10 years. She is on the committee of the SYP Show Society and has been part of Trees for Life for many years. Kellie is also a grower of indigenous trees for southern Yorke Peninsula and sells trees to lots of organisations and community members. She has been part of the revegetation of Gum Flat. Kellie is very knowledgeable about the environment and assist lots of people.

Steven Thomas

Steven was the 2020 Maitland Citizen of the Year for his service to the community during the bushfires along with his active roles volunteering in SES, Central Yorke Football Club and the Maitland Museum. During the past three years he has worked tirelessly to promote Maitland through the Maitland Progress Association and the Maitland Museum. He has researched local town history and republished the town walk historical booklet. He led historical walks during the town’s 150th celebrations. He has collaborated with the local Rotary Club to obtain grants for the improvement of museum facilities and revitalisation to make sure the history of the town is not neglected.

Tanya Walsh

Tanya works within the ageing and disability sector as Yorke Peninsula Council’s YP Leisure Options coordinator and advocates heavily for the elderly and people with a disability. She participates in community networks and advocates for vulnerable members in our community to be represented and understands what is important to them and how they can contribute to the community so they can live a good life. She is active in the local community and with local sporting clubs. An example of her advocacy is raising awareness about accessibility issues with Adelaide Oval’s facilities after attending a networking event. She has advocated to be part of a MT All Terrain Push Wheelchair project, which provided options for people with a disability and the elderly to access the YP Walk the Yorke trails and beaches. Tanya participates in the Yorke and Mid North Collaborative Project Steering Committee to advocate for the elderly and represent the YP.

Karen Warren

Karen has long been an active and committed member of the SYP Community. This commitment was highlighted after the 2019 Yorketown fire where she coordinated BlazeAid assistance to help farmers and the community rebuild fences. She was at the Light Church from 5.30am every morning cooking breakfast for the BlazeAid crew, coordinating jobs for the day and ensuring the local community felt heard and supported. Karen noted the need for a transportable resource, something that could pop up as needed to support first responders in emergencies. The concept of the emergency response trailer was born. Karen applied for grants and worked with stakeholders to design a trailer that would be fit for purpose and was successful in obtaining grant funding. Karen and her family have coordinated the build and fit out of the trailer. Karen supports many local initiatives and with her wealth of experience in business and human resource management, she is a fantastic sounding board to so many in the community. Karen also quietly goes about supporting grant applications for various community organisations such as the Yorketown RSL and sports club in a voluntary capacity.

Community Event of the Year

The Arthurton Pop Up Markets

The markets bring together a wide range of local small businesses, entertainers and community members at the town sporting complex. The markets showcase small business owners, provide a day out for the wider community, and have been described as “an incredible community event”. Recently the event reached a massive milestone, raising $10,000 for the Women’s and Children’s Auxiliary.

Maitland 150 Year Celebration

August 2022 was an exciting month for Maitland with a big weekend of celebrations for the town’s 150th birthday. The Maitland and District Progress Association planned a jam-packed weekend for locals, past locals, tourists and nearby communities. Other service clubs and groups also jumped on board to assist in bringing the celebration together. Events included a cemetery history walk, Ecumenical Church Service, time capsule burial, vintage vehicle display, formal 150th celebration dinner featuring a fashion parade of important outfits from the past, the great sack truck race, native garden trail opening, markets, launch of the Maitland pie and old fashioned games for kids. In preparation for the event, volunteers planted in the garden beds to bring colour to the street.

Price Progress Association 140th Celebration

Price Progress Association compiled a busy weekend of celebrations for the town’s 140th anniversary in August featuring everything from the opening of the school time capsule and a vintage fashion parade to a tractor pull and wheatsheaf tossing competition. The event brought members of the community closer together, allowed the building of healthy relationships and enhanced mental wellbeing. It also established the town’s identity which fosters a sense of pride within the community, encouraging local residents to take better care of the town and attracting new visitors and residents. The event created positive change within the community by involving local residents, some of whom had been previously unwilling to volunteer.

Award for Active Citizenship

Ballara Art and Lifestyle Retreat – Discovery for Recovery Project

The Ballara Art and Lifestyle Retreat team continuously host and promote community-minded events and activities. During the past 18 months they have delivered the Discovery for Recovery Project, hosting a range of local and state-wide artists to deliver arts and wellbeing focussed programs for locals and visitors. Discovery for Recovery was developed in 2020 by the SYP Arts Development group to support regional communities on southern Yorke Peninsula by providing opportunities for social connection, local economic growth and cultural development. More than 20 artists have been employed and some provided with valuable mentoring and skill development opportunities as part of this initiative.