Clarence Town community hero Trudy Balstad was named the 2025 Dungog Shire Citizen of the Year.

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Trudy is well known to Clarence Town’s volunteer community, having received nominations from no less than five separate community-based volunteer organisations: Clarence Town and Glen William Public Schools P&C’s, Clarence Town Lions Club, Rural Aid Community Builders Program, Clarence Town Museum, and Clarence Town Senior Citizens Centre.

She is described as a one-of-a-kind community member and volunteer who is always willing to generously lend a helping hand to any local organisation in need.

Young Citizen of the Year was jointly awarded to Jack McBlane and James Ryan.

Jack and James work together as a team at the Clarence Town Courthouse Museum, and are excellent youth ambassadors for the facility.

The pair love all things historical, especially local history, and like nothing more than to share their knowledge with others.

When James is available, he is the nominated tour guide and (with the help of his volunteer colleague, Jack) competently organises visitors into manageable groups to maximise their enjoyment.
Jack’s enthusiasm for local history is contagious.

He very much enjoys researching items of interest to the museum on the internet.

He is the ‘media guy’ at the museum and regularly makes useful suggestions and plans for their implementation.

The Volunteer Service to the Community Award went to Allen Shrimpton and Brad Lean.

Allen and Brad were equal winners of this award, impressing the committee with their enthusiasm and dedication to promoting and fulfilling outdoor recreational activities for visitors and residents.

Allen is one of those rare ‘local treasures’ who totally involves himself in the wider community as a volunteer.

The list of organisations of which he is a member, and a leader, includes Flat Tops Rural Fire Brigade, Dungog Common, Dungog Shire Community Centre, Dungog Common Land Care, Dungog Pedalfest, Dungog Dash and Dawdle (now Run Dungog), Ride Dungog, and many more.

Allen is a significant contributor to the social, sporting, recreational, and welfare fabric of the shire. Brad ran and organised the UCI Pump Track World Championship event which was staged on Dungog Common in August 2024.

In the years leading up to this, Brad has been a driving force behind the restoration and development of the mountain bike and walking tracks at the Common, securing government grants, working with local businesses, and laying much of the groundwork for the world-class bike tracks we now enjoy. This has also provided a significant boost to Dungog Tourism for which Brad’s efforts have been a major factor.

The Environmental Citizen of the Year gong was awarded to Samantha Bean.

Sam’s unwavering commitment to the environment, her community and sustainable practices makes her a truly deserving winner for this award.

She is a hallmark of the spirit of environmental care and leadership.

Sam’s enthusiasm for environmental conservation has driven her to take on the role of President of Sustaining the Williams Valley Inc, a local community group affiliated with Hunter Region Landcare Network.

Sam is a catalyst for bringing together like-minded volunteers to focus on controlling invasive weeds and maintaining vital green spaces in the local area.

Sam also contributes significantly to sustainable living by volunteering at the Dungog Growers Markets every month.

Sam’s passion for the outdoors, nature and wildlife is infectious, and she readily facilitates the recruitment of new contributors to this vital cause.

The final major award, the Junior Sports Award, went to Tamryn Matheson, who was recognised for her dedication and excellence in the sport of gymnastics.

Tamryn started on her journey of gymnastic competition in kinder gym when she was three years old.

From the very first lesson, she loved gymnastics, and her passion and skill level continued to grow. Tamryn started competition at level 2 and quickly moved to level 3 where she competed in Hunter Valley events, winning several gold and silver overall medals.

She competed in her first State Championships in 2022, coming home with overall gold.

In 2023 she moved to level 4, with another successful competition year, coming first overall in her division.

In 2024 she moved to level 5 and has gone from strength to strength.

This was the first year she was eligible to compete at the NSW Country Championships in Armidale where she won gold in her division at Level 5.

Tamryn recently competed at the National Club’s Championship on the Gold Coast and again won the gold award in her division.

Each year on Australia Day, the Community Citizen of the Year Awards give local governments around the state the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution and celebrate community engagement of people within the community.

Mayor of Dungog Shire Council, Digby Rayward, said the Awards recognise and celebrate the contribution of individuals within the Shire who make a real difference to our community.

“In smaller communities, the efforts of dedicated locals often go unnoticed, but these awards allow us to shine a spotlight on their hard work, passion, and commitment,” he said.

“We acknowledge and thank all of the 2025 nominees for their contributions and the vital role they have played to connect, strengthen, and support our community,” Mayor Rayward said.

The Australia Day Ceremony and Awards Presentation was held at the James Theatre on Sunday, 26 January.

It featured an address by Australia Day Ambassador Therese McIntyre, an Acknowledgement of Country, words from Mayor Rayward, a flag-raising ceremony, and performances by A Twist of Blue.