2019 Community Service and Achievement Awards: 

Scott Pettett of Communities for Children Wellington was recognised for his tireless volunteer work over the last six years contributing to and promoting community events such as the Wellington community Christmas Party in the Park.

“Scottie has volunteered with CFC for 6 years. He walks in rain, hail or Shine to out flyers aroind town advertising events. He helps out at all community events and is always reliable. Whether we need the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus Scottie make sit happen. He is a wonderful helper and is well known in the community,” CFC Manager Maree Thomas said.

Naomi Jeffery was awarded a Community Service award for her work for the Wellington Eisteddfod Committee over the previous fifteen years, including as the Eistedfodd Dance Registrar. 

Erica Baigent was recognised for her many years of volunteering services to the Mount Arthur Trust. The Mount Arthur Trust work and manage the Mount Arthur Reserve and have received several grants in recent years in order to support the work the volunteers do caring for the environment and surroundings grounds situated close to Wellington. 

Bev Hutchinson received her Community Service award in recognition of her fifteen years in service to the Wellington Show Society, the Show Society oversees and organises the annual Wellington Show, which is entering it’s 144^th year when it returns on May 18. 

Lisa Thomas was recognised for her work as president of Wellington Arts, a key organiser in many of the year’s most successful events including the Arts and Sculpture Festival, the Gravity and Other Myths acrobatic troupe, Fong Lees Lane and many more. 

2019 Community Event of the Year: 

Wellington’s 2019 Community Event of the Year was the Fong Lees Lane festival, wherein a group of inspired volunteers from Wellington Arts and other organisations transformed the historical location of Fong Lees Lane into a vibrant, redesigned and re-painted street market with cultural displays and shows, musical performances and food stalls. 

Organiser Natacha Richards, one of the key people behind the festival, accepted the award on behalf of the volunteers and gave a speech thanking the community for turning the event into such an overwhelming success with their support. 

“Even on the day, I was planning to go around and buy a meal at each of the stalls because I was so worried about no one turning up,” Ms Richards said. 

“Then we ended up selling out of all the food in just a few hours because of the incredible turnout.”

2019 Junior Sportsperson of the Year:

Bianca-Leigh Douglas has been recognised as Wellington’s Junior Sportsperson for her contributions to the sport of Cricket. 

Douglas was recognised in 2018 as the Wellington High School’s sportsperson of the year and has captained the Girls Cricket Team to great success for the previous three years. 

Douglas has represented in U12’s and U14’s Cricket and is currently representing Macquarie Cricket Club’s U16’s team. 

She has also recently taken up a coaching and assistant’s position as part of the Woolworths Master Blasters Cricket program which aims to get young children involved in the sport and teach them how to play. 

She has also provided her asisstance as a volunteer at Cricket New South Wales carnivals held in Wellington and as part of the volunteer group for the test matches at the SCG. 

“I’m really, really ecstatic about receiving the award,” Ms Douglas said. 

2019 Sportsperson of the Year: 

Justin Toomey White has been acknowledged as the 2019 Sportsperson of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the game of Rugby League. 

White has played for both Wellington and Macquarie, assisting both teams in securing titles in 2007 and 2008. 

He played a season for the Canberra Raiders before returning home to lead the Wellington Cowboys into the grand final against Parkes. 

White has captained and co-captained the Wellington Cowboys for several seasons and was named the Whitney Jeweller’s Group 11 Player of the Year in 2018, 2015 and 2013 and was also named the Referee’s Player of the Year in 2018.

Toomey White was unable to attend proceedings as he’s undergoing surgery, but Georgia Williams accepted the award on his behalf and led the crowd in a round of applause and cheers for the Cowboys player who was listening in via phone. 

2019 Young Citizen of the Year: 

Wellington’s Young Citizen of the Year is Geena Purcell, who was selected to represent her home town of Wellington as a State Finalist in the 2018 Land Sydney Royal Showgirl competition. 

Ms Purcell was among 14 finalists selected out of nearly 500 competitors and remains an participant in the Wellington Show Society including a Vice President position on the organisation’s board. 

“I was very proud to represent my home town at that level,” Ms Purcell said. 

“To me it’s all about sustaining our show society and providing opportunities for self development for young women which is what this can provide for them.”

2019 Senior Citizen of the Year:

Bill Redfern has been recognised as the Senior Citizen of the Year for his tireless work as a community organiser and volunteer.

Mr Redfern has contributed to organisations such as the Rotary Club, where he received the organisation’s highest award the ‘Paul Harris Fellowship’ alongside his wife Marie. 

He has also worked to provide funds for the Baby Health Centre, Apex Trail and other ventures as part of the Apex Club and has worked to provide transport for workers to Westhaven in Dubbo as a member of the Westhaven Contact Group. 

Mr Redfern was a founding member of the Wellington Men’s Shed and has provided support for many of the group’s projects. 

As a member of the Wood Turners in Dubbo and a charter member of the Probus Club, Mr Redfern has contributed his time to making toys for children and providing meals on wheels for many, many years.

“He’s very honored and of course very humble about it; he didn’t even want the award,” Mrs Redfern said. 

2019 Citizen of the Year: 

Tyrone Kiernan has been awarded the 2019 Citizen of the Year award in recognition of his dedication to his community. 

A registered nurse at Wellington Hospital during his professional life, Mr Kiernan nevertheless devotes an extraordinary amount of time outside of work hours as a volunteer to various groups. 

With the St Johns Ambulance NSW, he works as a first aid volunteer and within the Wellington SES unit he has served extensively as the Deputy Controller. 

He has provided his professional expertise and time to both groups in various leadership roles and positions and has devoted his time working to train and teach volunteers within both organisations. 

“Tyrone is a devoted and committed person who is well respected and always professional and responsible,” Mayor Ben Shields said. 

Of the award, Mr Kiernan said he was ‘incredibly honored and humbled’ but fully intended to ‘track down the person who nominated me’.