Kempsey's Australia Day award ceremony celebrates local legends and heroes

Individuals and groups from across the Macleay came together this morning (January 26) to celebrate the hard work and dedication of those within the community.

The Kempsey Australia Day Awards Committee, which determines the community awards, received a record number of nominees from the community.

"It made the selection process even more difficult than years before them," MC and KSC's general manager Craig Milburn said.

"Not only was there a large number of candidates but the quality of the applications and the work they represent was quite incredible.

"With so many deserving nominees, the committee decided to reintroduce some award categories."

Alongside the Local Hero and Citizen of the Year awards, the committee reintroduced the Community Group of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year which had been retired during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee also announced two Lifetime Achievement awards at the ceremony.

When Josie Clarke was just five years old, her father had an accident that resulted in him becoming paraplegic.

Coming from a multi-generational farming family at Bellimbopinni and her lived experience of disability, she formed the online platform Ability Agriculture.

The platform, which allows rural Australians living with a disability to share their stories, aims at increasing awareness, support, representation and opportunity for disability in agriculture.

"I think talking about greater inclusion and diversity for agriculture is something that we are doing well but there's a lot of work we can do for people with disability," Ms Clarke said.

"For me, I wanted to show that Dad is...also a farmer and just because he has a disability doesn't mean he can't be a farmer.

"Agriculture, as an industry with the highest amount of workplace accidents, [there's] often a very big focus on farm safety but there's no other side of that."

Her father Glen Clarke said he was surprised but immensely proud that she received an award.

"She worked hard. She's doing a really good job," he said

"I didn't expect [Ability Agriculture] to be as big as what it is...but there's definitely a need for it for awareness, employment and inclusiveness in agriculture."

Ms Clarke, who is currently a full time PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, said it was nice to have the recognition.

She has also received the 2022 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women's Award, 2020/2021 Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Rural Achiever.

She is currently working on registering Ability Agriculture as a non-for-profit charity and will be having her first board meeting in the coming month.

Brienna Elford has given her all to her community though her dedication as a South West Rocks Surf Life Saving Club member.

In the past 10 years at the club, Ms Elford completed a total of 712 volunteer patrolling hours, always volunteering on Christmas Day with 150 hours clocked at the club in 2022 alone.

"The committee was staggered by the contribution of [Ms Elford]," Mr Milburn said.

Throughout the years she has taken on various roles at the club, joining the committee as the director of administration in 2015 and later director of finance and director of lifesaving.

In 2022 she was awarded Trainer of the Year at the Mid North Coast Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence and played an important role with other club members in a rescue that received the NSW Surf Life Saving Rescue of the month.

Ms Elford has engaged with the community to lead the creation of the first Reconciliation Action Plan for the surf club and played a key role in the Gotcha4Life 24 Hour Row.

In her spare time she's also involved as a committee member at the Mid North Coast branch of the surf life saving club, South West Rocks business chamber, Marlins Rugby League Football Club, and the South West Rocks Sport and Recreation Association.

"[Ms Elford] works hard to bring the community as a whole into surf life saving and constantly engages groups that are disadvantaged and less likely to take part," Mr Milburn said.

"She's selfless, an inspiration, and a mentor to the members of the surf club as well as the young people in our community."

It was another big win for the South West Rocks Surf Life Saving Club at the awards ceremony.

The club, which formed in 1919, plays an important role in beach safely education and developing the next generation of surf life savers.

Each season, about 50 volunteer members patrol local beaches between 2000 and 3000 volunteer hours, looking after beachgoers.

Involved in the club is a team of emergency call out members who attend emergency situations in the local area with other agencies.

The club also collaborates with many non-for-profit groups in South West Rocks by providing water safety.

In October 2022, members of the club, including Citizen of the Year Brienna Elford took part in a rescue which earned them the NSW Surf Life Saving Rescue of the month.

After the Lawrence familiy's mother Karen had undergone various treatments for bowel cancer in 2018, the four siblings decided to do something proactive while she battled the disease.

Keely, Brooklyn, Sarah and Patrick Lawrence began a fundraiser and awareness campaign which they have continued every year in June during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

They lost their mother to bowel cancer in November 2021 after a seven-year battle, but continue the fundraising campaign.

"This family has created something positive from a difficult journey and a tragic set of circumstances," Mr Milburn said.

"Not only do they raise much-needed funds for bowel cancer research, but they also raise much-needed awareness of this disease which is often misdiagnosed in younger people."

The four siblings have been credited for bringing the community together, organising sponsorships and fundraising with support from many local businesses.

After contributing to the local community for more than 25 years, Lynn Gibson is getting the recognition she deserves.

In 1988 she started as a volunteer at the South West Rocks Anglican Op Shop, later joining the committee in 2004 and now is in charge of running the store.

Without Mrs Gibson's dedication to volunteering in the area, the beloved store would not have remained operational.

Mrs Gibson's contributions to the store go beyond providing second-hand affordable items to the community.

She has also coordinated the many volunteers who work at the shop, giving many of those that are unemployed or lonely a new purpose.

Some of her volunteers were part the Australian Citizenship Ceremony also held at the Slim Dusty Centre, with Mrs Gibson helping them fill out their application forms.

"This is my first award in my whole life, aside my nursing certificates" the 76-year-old said.

"It feels good."

Mrs Gibson has also been an active member of the Country Women's Association's South West Rock branch for more than 30 years and is currently president of the branch as well as holding various positions throughout the years.

For 50 years Lyn Knight was committed to making sure children have the best possible start to life.

Arriving in the Macleay Valley in 1990 to teach kindergarten at Frederickton Public School, Ms Knight transferred to Kempsey South Public School in 1998.

She taught at the school for 20 years and was known for always having dynamic and engaging activities including Shakespearean plays, dance groups and Swan Lake performances.

"I was privileged to know her and work beside her for five years when she was at Frederickton Public School," former principal and Kempsey Shire mayor Leo Hauville said.

"Lyn passed away in April 2022, and is remembered for always taking care of the underdog, for her passionate love for frogs and for being so much more than a teacher to decades for local Kempsey Shire children."

Ms Knight worked with children who didn't want to come to school every day, giving them support, care and attention that they needed until they wanted to go to school.

Her husband Chris Austin, who accepted the award on her behalf with her family, recalled her commitment to work and her fellow teachers.

"Her staff were really important to her," he said.

"She was I think, the union rep at every single school she ever taught at."

Ms Knight is also remembered spending her life fighting for social justice, and advocating for disadvantaged communities.

"If she were here today she would be feeling very uncomfortable because for all her purple hair, flashy clothes and big glasses, she was in fact an insecure and social awkward person," Mr Austin said.

"She would come up here, she would receive it but not because she wanted to but because she knew it would give her a platform to say, 'when are they going to change the bloody date?"

A second Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Crescent Head resident Josephine "Jo" Watts.

Ms Watts has been committed to the Crescent Head community for more than 25 years through her involvement in multiple community groups and organisations.

She is an active member of the Crescent Head Rural Fire Service (RFS) and is currently the senior deputy captain with more than two decades of experience at the essential emergency group.

Through her work at the RFS, she has controlled and extinguished fires as well as followed up with victims from fires, floods and motor accidents.

Ms Watts has been credited as having a positive influence on those she works alongside and those who have benefited from her endeavours at the RFS as well as her involvement in the Lions Club and Fishing Club.

Ms Watts has also been a driving force behind multiple community events in the village such as the Head2Head Walk-Run, ANZAC Day services and Christmas carols.

"It is through her involvement in several community organisations that Jo has made an incredible impact on the lives in Crescent Head and the wider community of the Kempsey Shire," Mr Milburn said.

"Jo never turns down a request for assistance and continues her involvement in both Crescent Head and the wider Macleay, ensuring our community is always going to be a better place."

Out of more than 20 nominations, the Kempsey Australia Day Awards Committee selected 10 community members to claim the local hero awards.

They are:

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