Australia Day Awards Presented

Australian Flag

Australian Flag

The Tablelands has publicly honoured its community, sporting and cultural achievers at the 2011 Regional Australia Day celebration, held at Mareeba International Club on Wednesday.

Mayor Tom Gilmore and Tablelands Regional Councillors announced the winners of the Regional Australia Day Awards in 12 categories, with Ravenshoe’s John Kidner named 2011 Citizen of the Year.

Mr Kidner was given the honour in recognition of the strong sense of community he has shown over many decades including donations of machinery, materials, money and time to many groups including the PCYC, every Ravenshoe and Mt Garnet school, the Ravenshoe Pony Club, the Mt Garnet Amateur Race Club, the Mt Garnet Rodeo, the Torimba Festival and the Ravenshoe Chamber of Commerce Christmas event just to name a few.

Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to Laura Leighton.
Laura was recognised for her leadership role at Mareeba State High School, her contribution to a host of community events, her participation with organisations such as Rotary and her assistance in fundraising for many charities..

The remaining awards went to:

Community Event of the Year – Atherton Tablelands Hockey Association for the NAB Under 13 Women's State Hockey Finals.
Development of Commerce and Industry Award – The Tablelands Industry Workforce Group.
Environmental Excellence award –Terrain Natural Resource Management (Tablelands Group)
Senior Community Service award – Robert Walker
Junior Community Service award – Julia Skelton and Krystal Tyter
Sports Administrator award – Sandro Soncin
Senior Sports award – Anthony Ball
Junior Sports award – Angus McGregor and Amanda Nastasi
Senior Cultural award – Jane Hopkinson
Junior Cultural award – Amy Robertson

In other highlights of the Australia Day celebrations at Mareeba, 13 people became Australian Citizens in the special Australia Day ceremony; 20 people were presented with Quiet Achievers’ certificates in recognition of their service to the community; and the winners of the Faces and Places Photo Competition were announced.
There were 234 high quality photographic entries for the judges to choose from.The winners received $250 for first place, and $50 for second place.

The winners were:
Places
1st - Linda Bathe - "Carrington Falls"
2nd - John Tomerini - "Early Morning Mist"

Faces
1st - Enoch Bultreys - "Watermelon Delight"
2nd - Michael Petersen - "Precious Memories"

Digitally Enhanced Places
1st- Alan Carmichael - "Morning Shadows in the Mist"
2nd- Michael Petersen - "Rustic Relic"

Digitally Enhanced Faces
1st - Rob Macaulay - "Frog on a Lily"
2nd - Amanda Mathiot - "Poppy"

Highly Commended
James Hatchman - "Cute As"
Melissa Horton - "In the New Crop"
Anwen Towne - "Mother Curloo"
Renee Allen - "Where there is water, there is growth"
Doug Fox - "Old Feller"
Buck Richardson - "Wet Season Cloudscape, Emerald Creek Falls Road"
Caitlyn Long - "The Ripple Effect"
Alan Carmichael - "Storm over the Mountain"