SOME of Gunnedah's most hard working residents have been honoured as recipients of a 2021 Australia Day Award.
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Thirteen community members and groups received their awards and certificates of recognition during last night's Awards Dinner at the Gunnedah Town Hall.
Gunnedah Shire Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Australia Day Committee Cr Rob Hooke congratulated the winners for their leadership and service.
"I would like to commend both the winners and nominees for going above and beyond helping make Gunnedah Shire an even better place to live," Cr Hooke said.
"The Australia Day Committee had a challenging job selecting winners from a strong pool of candidates.
"It was inspiring to read the nominations and hear about the extraordinary people we have here in our community."
One of these extraordinary people is Citizen of the Year Ray Williams, a long-serving volunteer who has demonstrated passion and commitment in helping the Gunnedah community.
Ray has dedicated years of service to Gunnedah Public School, WIRES, local sporting clubs and many other charities.
Junior Citizen of the Year Aidan R de Luzuriaga has also had an extraordinary impact on the Gunnedah community.
"He has advocated for his peers through Gunnedah's Youth Council, shown leadership in his position as Vice-Captain of Gunnedah High School and is a respected teammate with a bright future ahead of him," Cr Hooke said.
"I applaud all recipients for their ingenuity and determination during what has been a challenging year. They are wonderful role models who have all made outstanding contributions to their community."
Awards are presented annually and the community is encouraged to think about a resident, service or organisation they would like to see recognised ahead of next year's event.
Gunnedah's Australia Day Award recipients for 2021 are:
Citizen of the Year: Ray Williams
Young Citizen of the Year: Aidan R de Luzuriaga
Ossie & Beryl Campbell Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award: Helen Cygan
Eve Turner Perpetual Trophy: Bruce Hill
Community Organisation &/or Events Achievement Award: Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce & Gunnedah Eisteddfod (joint winners)
Max & Mikie Maas Good Neighbour Award: Mercy Associates & Friends
Sports Person of the Year: Andrew Cygan
Junior Sports Person of the Year: Aaron Osmond
Sports Team of the Year: Gunnedah Bulldogs AFL Women's Team
Junior Sports Team of the Year: Gunnedah & District Soccer Junior Competition
Ivan Towns Memorial (Coach of the Year): Philip Hinshelwood
Environmental Citizen of the Year: George Truman
