Locals take top Australia Day honours

COMMUNITY CELEBRATES… From left, Australia Day Award recipients, Greater Shepparton Community Event of the Year, Reg Qemal on behalf of the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival, Shepparton Senior Citizen of the Year, Heather Lloyd, Greater Shepparton Young Citizen of the Year, Laura Cole, Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe, Greater Shepparton Citizen of the Year, Sam Atukorala and Greater Shepparton Community Event of the Year, Enver Sabri on behalf of the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival. Photo: Blake Rosenberg.
COMMUNITY CELEBRATES… From left, Australia Day Award recipients, Greater Shepparton Community Event of the Year, Reg Qemal on behalf of the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival, Shepparton Senior Citizen of the Year, Heather Lloyd, Greater Shepparton Young Citizen of the Year, Laura Cole, Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe, Greater Shepparton Citizen of the Year, Sam Atukorala and Greater Shepparton Community Event of the Year, Enver Sabri on behalf of the Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival. Photo: Blake Rosenberg.

AS the region came together to celebrate what it means to be Australian on Saturday, 26 individuals and community groups were honoured through this year’s Australia Day Awards.

Sam Atukorala was announced as the overall Greater Shepparton Citizen of the Year, with Laura Cole being named as Greater Shepparton Young Citizen of the Year and the Shepparton Albanian Festival winning Greater Shepparton Community Event of the Year.

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Kim O’Keeffe congratulated all awarded recipients and acknowledged the outstanding contributions they have made to Greater Shepparton.

“Thank you to those who took the time to submit a nomination to recognise their fellow citizens, it is fantastic to see individuals doing great things for their community and it is important that we recognise and celebrate them,” Cr O’Keeffe said.

Australia Day 2019 OAM recipients
Ray Luscombe
Aunty June Atkinson-Murray
Ian Bull
Ross McPhersonDr Menon Parameswaran
Beverley Wall
Chris Hazelman
Robert Holschier
Peter Cox
Beryl Bassett (posthumous)

Australia Day 2019 Award winners

Overall Greater Shepparton
Citizen of the Year Sam Atukorala
Community Event of the Year Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival
Young Citizen of the Year Laura Cole

Arcadia
Citizen of the Year Ros Sinclair

Dookie
Citizen of the Year Janet Batten
Senior Citizen of the Year Una Feldtmann

Mooroopna
Citizen of the Year Ken Faulkner
Young Citizen of the Year Courtney Taylor
Sports Award Breanna Edwards

Murchison
Citizen of the Year Shelly McCormick
Young Citizen of the Year Gabrielle Chessells
Junior Sports Award Aaron Niglia

Shepparton
Citizen of the Year Sam Atukorala
Senior Citizen of the Year Heather Lloyd
Young Citizen of the Year Laura Cole
Sports Award Laura Cole
Community Event of the Year Shepparton Albanian Harvest Festival

Tatura
Citizen of the Year Sue Mancini
Senior Citizen of the Year Bill Milner
Young Citizen of the Year Daniel Maher
Sports Award Gaye Eaton
Community Event of the Year Tatura Festival

Toolamba
Citizen of the Year Laurence Thomson
Young Citizen of the Year Katelyn Trevaskis
Community Event of the Year Lions Club of Toolamba Twilight Festival
Community Service of the Year Toolamba Wednesday Night Tennis Men’s Competition