Outstanding MidCoast Australians have been honoured

Great Lakes Citizen of the Year Award: Judith Newman

Manning Citizen of the Year Award: Carolyn Thompson

Gloucester Citizen of the Year Award: Robert Sparke

Young Citizen of the Year Award (Great Lakes): Thomas Dormor

Young Citizen of the Year Award (Manning): Ben Williams

Young Citizen of the Year Award (Gloucester) : Daniel Hughes

Sportsperson of the Year Award (Great Lakes): Kristian Fiebig

Sportsperson of the Year Award (Manning): Reid Brown

Special Australia Day Award was announced for: Georgina Blanch and Ken Loftus

 

MidCoast Council has recognised the outstanding achievements of community members at Australia Day ceremonies held in Taree, Gloucester and Forster with the announcement of the regional Australia Day Awards.

MidCoast Council Administrator, John Turner said “we sincerely thank every single nominee across the Gloucester, Great Lakes and Manning regions and congratulate them all on their achievements.  These community members have all worked tirelessly to achieve great things in their chosen fields and are representative of the great talent and community spirit that resides in our region.

“Every nominee is a great Australian and we are very proud and honoured to have them as MidCoast citizens.”

Australia Day Ambassadors to the regions – Peter McLean (Gloucester), Gayle Cameron (Greater Taree) and Lynne Strong (Great Lakes) – echoed John Turner’s praise for all the nominees and congratulated the Award winners.

 

Carolyn Thompson won the Manning Citizen of the Year Award for her contribution to establishing services and connections for people with sight impairment.  

Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to Ben Williams, an outstanding leader who has won awards for leadership, is a 2017 school captain at Chatham High School and shows outstanding sportsmanship.

Wingham’s Reid Brown was the recipient of the Ken McDonald Memorial Sportstar of the Year Award, who secured fourth place in the Australian All Schools Golf Championships.

The Wingham Summertime Rodeo took out the Manning Community Event of the Year for its family friendly event that attracts 5,000 spectators and 300 competitors each year.

In Gloucester, Robert Sparke received the Citizen of the Year Award for his outstanding service to the Gloucester community for work across many areas including the Australia Day Committee, Prostate Group, Probus and the Garden Club. 

The Young Citizen of the Year Award went to Daniel Hughes who has volunteered to support sporting clubs and the Clean Up Australia Day, attained second place in the Lions Club Youth public speaking competition and was 2014 Gloucester High School Captain.

 

The Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group received the Project of the Year Award for its Domestic and Family Violence Project which held awareness activities throughout 2016 in the Gloucester community.

 

Great Lakes Citizen of the Year was awarded to Judith Newman from Bulahdelah for her work with local scouts, tennis and golf clubs and assisting the elderly in her community. 

Young Citizen of the Year was won by Forster’s Thomas Dormor for his leadership in captaincy and representation and academic excellence at St Clare’s High School. 

The Sportsperson of the Year Award went to Forster’s Kristian Fiebig who has competed nationally and internationally in slalom canoeing. 

 

A special Australia Day Award was announced for Georgina Blanch and Ken Loftus, for their extensive service to the 28^th Army Cadet unit in the Manning Valley, which caters for cadets from Gloucester, Forster, Tuncurry and Taree.