Major Award – Community Event of the Year
Gippsland Immigration Wall of Recognition Multicultural Festival 2008
This outstanding event is being recognised as the Latrobe City 2009 Australia Day Community Event of the Year.
The Gippsland Immigration Wall of Recognition Multicultural is a special and unique major event that took place in the Immigration Park in Morwell on 9th March 2008. This event highlighted the unveiling of two new tablets containing names and details of immigrants to the Gippsland region.
The illustrative bronzes and immigrants engraved names and arrival details, provides a growing tangible acknowledgment of peoples’ arrival, and the subsequent contribution to the growth of Australia as a nation, as a permanent exhibition in Immigration Park Morwell.
The event was well attended by approximately 2,000 people on the day and there were over 100 people who volunteered and contributed to the success of this event.
This event promoted a cooperative opportunity for different ethnic communities to work in harmony for several months before, during and after the event. The event also included the participation of the Gurnai/Kurnai people who performed the smoking ceremony of welcome on the day of the event.
Overall, this successful event has promoted harmony in the different ethnic groups and indigenous community and has contributed to the tourism industry and economics of the local region.
Major Award – Community Service of the Year
Beryl Murphy
The demonstrated commitment to Community Service displayed by Mrs Beryl Murphy of Traralgon has paved the way for her to receive the 2009 Australia Day Community Service of the Year Award.
Beryl has given an ongoing commitment to her local community for 50 years.
This has included membership of -
school councils, schools mother’s clubs and hospital auxiliary; volunteering with meals on wheels, palliative care, adult day programme activity centre and the Friendly Visiting programme; roster coordinator of Margery Cole Hostel Residents Café; and current membership of the board of management of Yallambee Aged Care Village. Beryl has a great sense of social justice and equality, and this prompts her to respond practically and appropriately where there is a need. Her honesty, loyalty, kindness and consideration inspires and encourages others to follow and participate in a voluntary capacity.
Beryl shows by example how to work to achieve the best for her community, and her dedication to those in need, encourages others to follow.
Her understanding and support of the aged community is demonstrated with the establishment of the Traralgon Adult Day Activity Service (now known as a Planned Activity Group), and her current 13 year service on the Board of Management at Yallambee Village Aged Care Centre during which extensive development and improvements in care have been achieved.
Latrobe City Award – Citizen of the Year
Colin Brick
Colin Brick has been an outstanding contributor to the Boolarra Community over many years. He has provided administrative services such as presidency, secretarial, treasurer and auditor of many community groups over the years, always willing to fill a vacancy when no other nominations are forthcoming.
However it is his outstanding and ongoing contributions behind the scenes that justify this nomination.
Colin Brick is a tireless worker, seeking to involve the Community in initiatives that will benefit Boolarra and the surrounding areas.
Colin was responsible for the establishment of the Boolarra Community Development Group through a process of encouraging others in the Community to work toward the formation of the group, and the group has achieved many benefits of the town as a result. Many Government grants, at Federal, State and local levels have been achieved through the efforts of these groups.
Improvements in the town achieved through Community grants and the establishment of the Boolarra Folk Festival as one of the regions premier events are testament to the works initiated by the efforts of Colin Brick.
Latrobe City Award – Citizen of the Year
Ann Lovison
Ann has made a difference to her local community, and the wider community by her involvement in a variety of fields. Within Yallourn North her contribution has been eclectic and with the intention of promoting the town.
Ann is a long time member of the Yallourn North Action Group, and has continued her involvement with the Community Building Initiative and seven small towns’ project with Latrobe City.
Being the inaugural Editor of the Yallourn North News Letter, Ann sought to provide the community with information and news, and bring members of the community together.
As the initial secretary of the Yallourn North Historical Society, her contribution to local history and the establishment of the Brown Coal Mine Museum, has assisted in creating an awareness of the town to the locals and the wider community.
Palliative care in the area has benefited the wider community in Latrobe City and Ann is well known for her fundraising activities on their behalf.
Latrobe City Award – Citizen of the Year
Jeanette Teague
Jeanette Teague is a driver, a visionary and reformer. For seven years she has been the backbone of the organisation of the Arts in Moe, through her work as Treasurer of MOARTZ, Secretary of MOARTZ THEATRE and the Producer of the last ten Theatre Performances, including a multi-stage production of Dimboola at six different venues.
Jeanette has been the prime mover in taking MOARTZ back to its grass roots, developing an Arts Centre in the Moe Heights Area involving the different local ethnic communities. Her superb organisation of the multicultural opening made everyone feel that they were part of it.
Her principles of justice and fair play for all through the Arts are shown in her approaching Moe Life Skills to participate in arts activities with MOARTZ, and this has continued as she moves on her plans to set up a Community Arts Centre in Moe.
Jeanette has a singular gift for being able to gather people to work for a common purpose. She is the team leader par excellence as she shows personal commitment to community values as shown in the local Arts. She inspires others to contribute above their own expectations and encourages them to succeed.
Latrobe City Award – Community Event of the Year
2008 Gemstones, Jewellery, Antiques & Collectables Expo
The Gemstones, Jewellery & Collectables Expo is a popular event and is unique to Australia. Collectors travel from Australia wide to buy and sell their wares at this event.
The Expo featured sales and displays of thousands of different items collected over many years, as well as the opportunity to see stones being polished and faceted into jewellery.
The displays included items such as; jewellery, collectables, gemstones, antique bottles, fossils, old tins, old radios, crystals, glassware, swap cards, coins, stamps, whisky items, comics, postcards, old toys, just to name a few.
Free antique appraisals were conducted on both days of the Expo and it gave people the opportunity to find out about the old items they had collected, which had been sitting in the cupboard or shed for countless years.
Approximately 2000 visitors attend the two day event which is recognised by traders that this is the place to be every year. The expo has been running successfully for approximately 15 years in Kernot Hall with a direct spend economic impact of $184,500.
Latrobe City Award – Community Event of the Year
Give a Damm, Give a Can Appeal
The ‘Give a Damn, Give a Can, is a food can collection which is organised by the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central. Volunteer’s door knocked houses in Traralgon requesting donations. The cans of food are then distributed by St Vinnies. The Give a Damn, Give a Can event extremely was successful for the following reasons;
6000 cans of food were collected and then distributed to those in need The Traralgon Community was made aware of the plight of fellow citizens and given the opportunity to help others by the donation of cans of food Students, both Primary and Secondary gained knowledge of society and the value of helping others Teachers had the opportunity to teach social values, community welfare and the need to help those less fortunate St Vinnies was better able to carry out their mission to help the needy in the community It was a community effort with many sections of society co-operating in the Project and the great work of Rotary in the community was promoted.
Latrobe City Award – Community Event of the Year
Sorry Day Celebration
We believe the gathering of an estimated 300 people in Morwell, from a variety of cultural backgrounds, to celebrate the inaugural ‘Sorry Day’ on 13 February 2008 was a significant and a ‘once in a lifetime’ event for the participants and wider community.
The event was organised at relatively short notice by a couple of agencies who have a record of close involvement with, and responsibility for, providing services for the Aboriginal community, Latrobe Community Health Services Inc (LCHS) and Ninde Dana Quaranook Aboriginal Heath Service. Prompt and positive assistance with the organisation and carrying out of the event from the Latrobe City Council and other local Indigenous agencies demonstrated just what can be achieved when agencies and local government work in a sprit of cooperation and common purpose.
The event, which comprised a Sorry Day Walk through the streets of Morwell to the Morwell Town Common for a welcome from the traditional owners and elders and a community barbeque, received wide local and national media coverage. We believe the event and the positive publicity it generated reflected very positively on our municipality and its members.
Latrobe City Award – Community Event of the Year
29th Tyers Art Festival
The 29th Tyers Art Festival, as well as providing a high quality exhibition for Gippsland Artists to showcase their work encourages young artists participation through the range of Young Artists Awards commenced in 2007 and extended in 2008. Additionally the inaugural Tyers Quilt Exhibition was held this year to widen the scope of the festival. The Art Festival hosted the DSW Forest After the Fire…. a celebration of renewal Community Photographic Exhibition. This exhibition was jointly sponsored by DSE, CFA, parks Victoria and Monash University. This exhibition allowed the wider community to see how the forests have recovered since the devastating fires over the past few years.
The exhibition supports local community groups including the Tyers Garden Club and Tyers CFA who use the opportunity to highlight their work and raise funds. The Art Festival also provided an opportunity for many local schools choirs and bands to perform.
The festival is a major community event for the Tyers community and is strongly supported by the local community. As well as providing a social and economic boost to Tyers the Art Festival also brings in many visitors and tourists from across the state and has established a reputation as an outstanding community event.
Latrobe City Award – Community Service of the Year
Ken Peake (Gippsland Rotary Centenary House Inc.)
Gippsland Rotary Centenary House Inc (GRCH) provides safe, supportive and affordable accommodation to patients and families of the Latrobe Regional Hospital, and in particular the Gippsland Cancer Care Centre.
As a community owned facility, GRCH provides an excellent accommodation option for those travelling from across the Gippsland region to receive treatment. It encourages communal living which facilitates the guests sharing experiences and supporting each other during their stay.
Centenary House is fortunate to be able to be flexible in the charges for accommodation. This means that guests who would otherwise not be able to afford commercial accommodation rates for their treatments period are able to stay at Centenary House.
The lower charges often mean the difference between patients having the full course of treatment rather than electing to not have the treatments. As Radiotherapy is often administered over six to eight weeks, the accommodation costs can be restrictive.
Gippsland Rotary Centenary House is pleased to be able to offer a service that reduces the stress of these costs and this can only be achieved by the dedicated work of the Committee of Management.
Latrobe City Award – Community Service of the Year
Yvonne Jones
Yvonne is a tireless campaigner of the Cancer Council. Over many years she has raised countless thousands of dollars for the Cancer Council, participating in all aspects of fundraising.
Despite being over retirement age she continues to work as a Midwife at Latrobe Regional Hospital where she is an inspiration to all her colleagues.
She has taught many young midwives the ropes and has cared for countless women in the community. She has even reached the stage where she has now delivered the grandchildren of some of the babies she delivered many years before.
In what little spare time she has, she devotes many hours to her family. In particular her granddaughter, whom she provides with respite care on a regular basis.
All of these activities she does with relish and obvious enjoyment, and is far from slowing down and enjoying her twilight years. She is an inspiration to all she meets.
Latrobe City Award – Community Service of the Year
Max Williams
Max Williams has been involved in fund raising for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday appeal within the Royal Exchange Hotel’s Cork Club, for the past 16 years.
He tirelessly organises and runs fundraising events throughout the year, raising thousands of dollars. For example last year the cork club raised $84,000.00, winning them the Country Pub and Premiere Hotel Awards. Much of the money raised comes from catering, coin collection and raffles that Max has been the driving force behind. He is the one who is always there to lend a hand to members when volunteers are scarce - he recruits family members from near and far to assist in making the most money possible for the kids.
He is passionate about the cause and willing to pass on his knowledge of fundraising to anyone who asks, even from other charities. He is humble, needing no recognition for his effort and keeps himself out of the limelight.
He has been awarded a life membership of the Royal Exchange Cork Club and Honorary Life Governor of the Royal Children’s Hospital in recognition of his great contribution.
He is a passionate, caring and selfless man, who deserves to be recognised for devoting his life to such a worthy cause.