A number of New England residents have been recognised for their achievements and contribution in the Australia Day awards.
Hillvue resident and former school principal Kevin Clifton has been awarded an OAM for service to the local community, including his many years of volunteer work, involvement in the Rotary Club of Tamworth West and leadership of the South Tamworth Bowling Club.
Dr Philip Hungerford has been acknowledged for his 40 years of service at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital and commitment to training emergency doctors with an OAM for service to emergency medicine.
An OAM also went to retired Wilfred MacBeth of Quirindi for service to the community through a range of roles, including in education, community music, and environmental work with Landcare. Mr MacBaeth has planted over 3000 trees in wildlife corridors.
UNE Associate Professor and expert in inclusive education, Dr Jeanette Berman of Armidale, has been recognised for her service to education with an OAM.
Deni McKenzie of Armidale for service to the communities of Armidale and Uralla, including her involvement in many committees and organisations and her ongoing volunteer work.
Kent Mayo of Uralla has been recognised for his service in protecting the history of Uralla and service to the community trhough the Uralla Shire Council, McCrossins Mill, and the Uralla Central School.
Glen Innes Elder and former Council Member Rosemary Curtis has been awarded an OAM for service to the Indigenous community of Glen Innes, including serving as a Director National Parks Regional Access Committee, and a member of the Aboriginal Land Council. She has also been a foster parent for 35 years.
Robbie Sefton of Tamworth who has been appointed as a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia in recognition of her significant service to agribusiness and to the community in a range of roles.
There were also many local community awards announced at local ceremonies across the region.
The standout in this category, getting a lot of hearty congratulations online, is SES Armidale Unit Deputy Commander Jock Campbell who received the ‘Young Citizen of the Year’ at todays Australia Day awards ceremony hosted by Armidale Regional Council. At just 24, Mr Campbell does a stellar job of both helping the unit and communicating with the public. His regular video updates after the tornado hit Armidale in 2021 were both shared widely and became a source of comfort for both locals and family and friends further afield.
Congratulations to all of today’s awardees.
Top image: Deputy Commander Jock Campbell with his Young Citizen of the Year Award, and as we are more used to seeing him, in his overalls and providing an update on the tornado clean up in 2021.
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