Australia Day Awards recognise community heroes

Published on 27 January 2015

Mildura Rural City Council has announced the recipients of the Mildura 2015 Australia Day Awards at today’s celebrations at the Nowingi Place.

 Mildura Mayor Glenn Milne presented the Awards to the winners in the three categories during the official ceremony this morning. “I am thrilled to announce that Michael Hellwege is our Citizen of the Year, Rachel White Young Citizen of the Year and the Mallee Up in Lights, Small Town Transformation project at Ouyen is our Community Event of the Year,” Cr Milne said. “I really want to thank everyone who took the time to nominate people and events for these awards. You all put so much effort into the applications and it shows the respect you have for these people and the difference their contributions have made to the lives of so many.” 

While the reasons for their final selection are unique, the recipients of Mildura Rural City Council’s 2015 Australia Day Awards have all made significant contributions to our community and to the growth of our region. 

Citizen of the Year – Michael Hellwege It was Michael Hellwege’s leadership through his volunteer work with the SES which earned him a nomination for Citizen of the Year. Michael has been a member of the Mildura SES for more than 30 years and has undertaken the role of Controller for 15 years. “Michael is a wonderful asset to the Mildura SES team and has been instrumental in many search, rescue and community support incidents during this time,” Cr Milne said. “Not only has he committed countless hours to the on ground work, but Michael also works hard on the operational side of organisation and helping in the training and skill development of other volunteers.” His other achievements include receiving the SES Service Medal and National Medal and has been involved in state-wide programs such as the Driver Reviver campaign. “One of the great things about Michael is how accessible he is and his willingness to promote community safety at all times,” Cr Milne said. “He is a well-respected member of our community and a much deserving winner of this award.” 

Young Citizen of the Year – Rachel White Rachel White has certainly crammed a lot into her young years, showing commitment to our community in many ways. Rachel recently completed the Northern Mallee Leaders Program and her blossoming leadership skills are being put to good use in her roles with a number of community organisations. “Rachel’s commitment and community involvement is what really set her apart from the other applicants this year,” Cr Milne said. “She is demonstrating leadership qualities far beyond her years and should be acknowledged as a role model for young people throughout our region. “Rachel is a very busy young person, currently the Treasurer of the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens, a member of the South Mildura Rotary Club and is the Marketing Officer of the Mildura Young Professionals Network. On top of all those commitments, she completed a Bachelor of Accounting at La Trobe University, graduated from the Northern Mallee Leaders Program and also gave her time to the Merbein Football Netball Club.”A quiet achiever, Rachel is certainly someone who has proven herself to be a valued member of a number of organisations and someone who is helping to make a difference in our area.

 Community Event of the Year – Mallee Up in Lights, Small Town Transformation - Ouyen When the Ouyen community received a grant to transform the Roxy Theatre’s courtyard, a small group of dedicated locals took the opportunity to use the process to bring the whole community together. Over an 18 month period, the people of Ouyen and the surrounding areas spent countless hours transforming not only the iconic Roxy but to use artistic expression throughout the town. The project culminated in a huge celebration last October. “Mallee Up in Lights is a great example of the pride our rural communities take in their townships and the amazing creative people we have living here,” Cr Milne said. “The thing that made this project stand out was the lasting legacy it has created for the Ouyen community. “There were the physical changes to the Roxy Theatre of course, but the new skills people have developed in terms of leadership, project management and creative design will benefit the whole community for years to come. “In particular the personal development of the young people who engaged in the project was fantastic,” Cr Milne said. “Seeing so many people lining up to be extras in their zombie movie showed just how well they had engaged with their community.” The Mallee Up in Lights program included a range of community activities such as the New Moon project launch, street-art displays, poetry competitions, terrazzo workshops and path design and has led to new photography and film projects being planned for the future. 

Cr Milne congratulated all recipients of the 2015 Australia Day Awards, as well as those who were nominated for their outstanding contributions to our community.