Winners announced at Gladstone Regional Council’s Australia Day Awards
Gladstone Regional Council is proud to announce the winners from its 2020 Australia Day Awards held today (26 January) at Tondoon Botanic Gardens.
Eight categories were awarded at the ceremony including Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Arts and Culture Award, Senior Sportsperson Award, Young Sportsperson Award, Sports Official Award, Community Event or Initiative Award and the Community Volunteer Award. And the winners are:
- Citizen of the Year: Darryl Branthwaite
- Young Citizen of the Year: Thomas Watson
- Arts and Culture Award: Under the Trees Music and Arts Festival
- Senior Sportsperson Award: Angela Potter
- Young Sportsperson Award: Dylan Price
- Sports Official Award: Bruce Crow
- Community Event or Initiative Award: Blue Care Garage Sale
- Community Volunteer Award: Suzanne Neucom
Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett offered his congratulations to all the winners and nominees at today’s Australia Day Awards.
“Every person nominated for an Australia Day Award should be congratulated for their contribution to the Gladstone Region,” Councillor Burnett said.
“These Awards recognise and reward members of our community who have a consistent record of excellence, have made outstanding achievements in their field or have made a significant contribution to the growth and development of sport, community events, arts and cultural life in the region.
“While there can be only eight category winners, every person and community group or organisation nominated are winners in my eyes.
“It’s great to see so many people taking pride in our community and who consistently want to see the betterment of our region.”
Learn more about the winners:
Citizen of the Year – Darryl Branthwaite
Darryl is a proud ambassador for the Gladstone Region helping to raise its profile in the media and other forums. Born in New Zealand, Darryl moved to Australia in the early 1980s and took up a job at Boyne Smelter in 1982. He was a founding member of the Boyne Tannum HookUp, long-standing local businessman, influential in securing the cruise ship trade to Gladstone via his former role as CEO at Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Ltd (GAPDL) and has worked with local emergency services. Darryl puts the community at the forefront of everything that he does and volunteers his time to support local events.
Young Citizen of the Year – Thomas Watson
Thomas shows great initiative and enthusiasm towards his community, the local youth and sustainability practices. He developed and facilitates the school bottle exchange program at Miriam Vale State School which has raised $1500 for the student council. Thomas also recognises the importance of community connectedness and the impact of drought on his town. To encourage this and raise funds for those affected by drought, he organised a free community movie night. Through both initiatives, Thomas has encouraged his peers to participate, providing them with a sense of achievement.
Arts and Culture Award – Under the Trees Music Festival
The Under the Trees Music Festival staged at Boyne Island celebrates music, arts and culture in the Gladstone Region. Launched in 2017, the festival presents different genres of art and music for visitors to enjoy in an outdoor setting ‘under the trees’ near the soccer fields at Jacaranda Drive. Volunteers collect natural and recycled materials to create paintings, bunting, chandeliers and sculptures that decorate the event site. There were 36 art installations at the 2019 event.
Senior Sportsperson Award – Angela Potter
Angela has been racing BMX competitively for the past five years and in that time has shown great skill and dedication to the sport. In 2019, Angela competed at the Australian BMX Championships in two different categories placing second in both. This year she will represent the country in the United States of America for the world BMX championships. Angela demonstrates great sportsmanship both on and off the track and is a good representative for the local club and sport. She is proud to be able to share her passion with young and new riders and strives to motivate others to achieve their goals.
Young Sportsperson Award – Dylan Price
Dylan has proudly represented the Gladstone Region in tennis and has now returned to the sport after overcoming an injury. During 2019, he won his first open tournament in Rockhampton, followed by numerous regional Junior Development Tournaments. Dylan enjoys sharing his passion for the sport and has been assistant coach for the Gladstone Tennis Club for several years. He enjoys teaching the young players and watching their skills develop throughout the year. Dylan demonstrates great sportsmanship and was awarded the Toolooa State High School Sportsmanship Award for tennis. Earlier this month Dylan was invited to attend a Champions of Champions Tournament at the Brisbane International and finished in first place.
Sports Official Award – Bruce Crow
Bruce is the President of the Gladstone Harbour City BMX Club and Vice President of Central Queensland BMX. He played a significant role in securing funding, designing and building the new Gladstone Harbour City BMX Club facility. Bruce shares his passion for the sport and club through encouraging participation and promoting club spirit. In the 2019 State Championships, the Gladstone Harbour City BMX Club was the biggest country club with over 60 riders competing and 25 plates won. Bruce’s vision is for the club and its events to lead the way in BMX Queensland and Australia.
Community Event and Initiative Award – Blue Care Garage Sale
The Blue Care Garage Sale has grown from a small event started by the Uniting Church into a popular and successful fundraiser for Edenvale Nursing Home in Gladstone. Located on Margaret Street in South Gladstone, it also helps update equipment for Meals on Wheels and subsidises a car for Community Care. Volunteers, who like to recycle and reuse, run the event that receives donations from residential and commercial sources across the community.
Community Volunteer Award – Suzanne Neucom
Inspired by her parents, who both volunteered in the Gladstone community, Suzanne has spent the past 16 years volunteering for many organisations. These include scouts with the Scout Association of Australia Qld Branch - Port Curtis District Scouts, Scout Association of Australia Queensland Branch - Lake Awoonga Scout Campsite Executive Committee, Gladstone Gymnastics Club for 25 years, Zonta Club of Gladstone and Western Suburbs Swimming Club. She volunteers as the Assistant District Commissioner helping to oversee the running of five scouting groups within the Port Curtis District. Suzanne’s dedicated contribution to scouting has helped the Port Curtis District Scout Movement support young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development.
Visit www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/australia-day-awards for more information on Gladstone Regional Council’s 2020 Australia Day Awards recipients and nominees.
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