Southern Grampians Shire Council’s 2018 Australia Day Citizen of the Year, Rosemary
Mercer, said although awards and recognition were often far from the minds of community
volunteers, it is a wonderful feeling to be acknowledged.
Mrs Mercer encouraged people to consider nominating someone for next year’s Australia
Day Awards, saying her own selection for Citizen of the Year was a wonderful surprise.
Nominations are now open for the 2019 awards, in a variety of categories including Citizen
of the Year, Young Citizen for people aged under 25, Community Event of the Year and
Community Recognition Awards.
Awards will be presented at the official Southern Grampians Shire Australia Award
celebrations held on January 26 in the Hamilton Botanic Gardens.
“People generally don’t volunteer their time in order to receive accolades and awards but
they are very welcome confirmation that your efforts are appreciated and making a
difference," Mrs Mercer said.
“My award was also a great opportunity to spread the word about the value of volunteers
to our communities and what they bring to the way of life in regional areas like Greater
Hamilton.
“The awards are an important part of Australia Day celebrations and that makes it
particularly special to get an award or just to be nominated. I encourage everyone to take
the time it to submit a nomination to someone they know and offer some well-deserved
recognition for the special people who make a real difference in our communities.”
Nomination forms are available from Council offices and Council’s website.
Send nominations to AusDay@sthgrampians.vic.gov.au by November 1 or call 5573 0444 for more info.