Australia Day Awards

2026 Australia Day Awards Webpage Banner.png

 

Celebrate and recognise our local legends!

The annual Australia Day Awards are an opportunity for our community to publicly acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contributions of people, groups, and businesses who make Livingstone Shire a better place.

These awards honour the quiet achievers, dedicated volunteers, and inspiring leaders who go above and beyond to support others and strengthen our Shire. Whether it’s through community service, sport, the arts, environmental efforts, or business innovation, their contributions deserve to be recognised.

Nominations for the 2026 Livingstone Shire Australia Day Awards are now open and close midnight Friday, 12 December 2025.

You can nominate both individuals and groups across all award categories, except for Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year, which are individual-only awards. If you know someone, or an entire team, committee, organisation, or community group, making a real difference, take a few minutes to nominate them for one of the following categories:

Citizen of the Year

This award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Livingstone Shire community over the past year or through sustained service over a number of years. The recipient will have demonstrated leadership, dedication, and a commitment to making a positive difference within the local area.

Young Citizen of the Year

This award honours a young person (typically under 25 years of age on 26 January) who has shown exceptional achievement, leadership, or service to the Livingstone Shire community. The nominee should be a role model for other young people and have made a significant impact through their actions or initiatives.

Sports & Recreation

This award celebrates individuals, teams, or organisations that have made notable contributions to sporting or recreational activities in the Livingstone Shire. Recipients will have demonstrated excellence, sportsmanship, or dedication to promoting and enhancing participation in their chosen field.

Arts & Culture

This award recognises outstanding achievement or contribution in the arts or cultural sector within Livingstone Shire. It may be awarded to those who have enriched the community through creative endeavours, cultural events, or the preservation and promotion of local heritage.

Environment

This award recognises significant contributions to environmental initiatives and projects across the Livingstone Shire.

Business/Innovation/Corporate Social Responsibility

This award is presented to a business, individual, or organisation that has shown significant innovation, leadership, or commitment to corporate social responsibility. The recipient will have positively impacted the local economy, introduced innovative practices, or contributed to the wellbeing of the community through ethical and sustainable initiatives.

Community

This award honours an individual, group, or organisation that has made a substantial and positive difference to the Livingstone Shire community. Nominees will have demonstrated commitment, compassion, and initiative in supporting community welfare, fostering inclusion, or leading meaningful projects that benefit others.

The official 2026 Australia Day Awards ceremony will take place in January 2026 at Yeppoon’s Foreshore Amphitheatre, alongside the Great Australia Day Beach Party and a Citizenship Ceremony, bringing together three major civic celebrations for the community.

Nominate now to shine a spotlight on your local heroes and ensure their contributions are recognised and celebrated!

Nominate Now

Tips for Writing a Top Nomination

When you fill out the nomination form, there are a few things you should consider to ensure your nomination provides us with enough information about the achievements of the person you are nominating. The nominations that stand out aren't always those that are the best written or have a long list of referees; the stand-out nominations are those that tell a story and capture the characteristics of an outstanding citizen or group making a difference to our community. 

Here are some tips for writing a stand-out nomination:

  • Aim for quality, not quantity - a long nomination isn't always a better nomination. Keep your sentences short and concise, avoiding repetition.
  • Consider your audience - the committee is made up of everyday community members from all walks of life who may not be familiar with the nominee's field of expertise, so avoid using jargon or acronyms.
  • Share the nominee's story - strengthen your nomination by painting a picture of the nominee i.e. What motivates them? What personal challenges have they overcome? Why do they inspire others?
  • Tell the facts - support your nomination with facts and statistics such as measures of success. 
  • Provide examples - don't just make a statement, demonstrate it with examples.  

Congratulations to all of the nominees who were acknowledged for their amazing contribution to our Shire during 2024 at an Australia Day Awards ceremony in January 2025. 

Honour Roll

2025 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Denis and Kay Ratcliffe

Young Citizen of the Year:
Danielle Armstrong

Sport and Recreation:
Elissa Rosemond

Community:
Kim Newcombe

Arts and Culture:
Lindsay Palmes

Mayoral Award:
Jason Field

Community (Group):
Haynes family

Environment (Group):
Konomie Island Environmental Education Centre P&C

Arts and Culture (Group):
Sing For Health

Sport and Recreation (Group):
Capricorn Coast Toy Library

Business/Innovation/Corporate
Social Responsibility:

JRT Group

2024 Award Recipients

Young Citizen of the Year:
Izac Campbell

Mayoral Award:
Tanya Burnett

Living Legend Award:
Ken Landsberg

Community Award:
Andrew Willis

Community Award:
Yeppoon Choral Society

Community Award:
Peta Bosomworth

Rural and Agriculture Award:
Steve Elson

Rural and Agriculture Award:
Kelly McCosker

2023 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Tracey Daffey

Young Citizen of the Year:
Samantha Crowley

Young Citizen of the Year:
Charlie Erlewein

Living Legend Award:
Mary Carroll

Living Legend Award:
Chi Chi Murray

Community Group Service Award:
Yeppoon RSL

Community Group Service Award:
Sailability Capricornia

Mayoral Award:
Yeppoon Community Markets

Mayoral Award:
Shane Yore

2022 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Malcolm Wells

Young Citizen of the Year:
Breanna Willett

Living Legend Award:
Don Knowles

Community Group Service Award:
Emu Park Surf Club

Outstanding Dedication to Public Service Award:
Dr Debra Ibbotson

Mayoral Award:
Julie Palmer

2021 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Yeppoon Lions John and Estelle Lindsay

Young Citizen of the Year:
Owen Harris

Living Legend Award:
Barry Semple

Community Group Service Award:
Capricorn Coast Information Visitor Centre

Outstanding Dedication to Public Service Award:
Trevor Caunt

Mayoral Award:
Owen Harris

2020 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Susan Pullar

Young Citizen of the Year:
Jack Newton

Living Legend Award:
Elizabeth Goodsell

Community Group Award:
Lions Club of Emu Park

2019 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Brian Dorey OAM

Young Citizen of the Year:
Yasmin Craggs

Community Group Service Award:
Yeppoon Surf Lifesaving Club

Senior Sportsperson of the Year:
Bill Robertson

Junior Sportsperson of the Year:
Shirin Kunkel

Administrator of the Year:
Gurney Clamp

Cultural Award:
Barbara Tamassy

Environmental Award :
Dr Alison Jones

2018 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Danielle McKenzie

Young Citizen of the Year:
Mya McDonald

Community Group Service Award:
Capricorn Coast Healthy Aging Group

Community Event:
Yeppoon Lions Pinefest

Sportsperson of the Year:
Brent Pearson

Junior Sportsperson of the Year:
Aidan Scott

Sports Administrator:
Mark Gwynne

Cultural Award (Individual):
Jet James

Cultural Award (Group):
Capricorn Coast Historical Society Inc.

Environmental Award (Individual):
Glennard Keefer

2017 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Peter Conaghan

Young Citizen of the Year:
Caitlin Buttenshaw

Community Group Service Award:
Keppel Bay Sailing Club

Community Event:
Beach Day Out

Sportsperson of the Year:
Steve Gunther

Junior Sportsperson of the Year:
Mackenzie Rolfe

Sports Administrator:
Peter Watkins

Cultural Award (Individual):
Lyn Diefenbach

Cultural Award (Group):
No Nominations Received

Environmental Award (Individual):
Morgan Ells & Mikala Maloney

Environmental Award (Group):
Friends of Lammermoor Native Gardens Group

2016 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Glen Alexander

Young Citizen of the Year:
Sarah Callinan

Community Group Service Award:
The Caves Craft Group

Community Event:
No Nominations Received

Sportsperson of the Year:
Lewis Marshall

Junior Sportsperson of the Year:
Blake Newton

Sports Administrator:
Paul Keating

Cultural Award (Individual):
Tayla Jayne St James

Cultural Award (Group):
No Nominations Received

Environmental Award (Individual):
Shelly McArdle

Environmental Award (Group):
No Nominations Received

2015 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Arthur Hunt

Young Citizen of the Year:
Gracie Wellspring

Community Service Award (Individual):
Marie Lee

Community Service Award (Group):
The Caves & District Lions Club Inc.

Community Event:
Yeppoon Lions Tropical Pinefest

Sportsperson of the Year:
Brent Pearson

Junior Sportsperson of the Year:
Seamus Byrt

Sports Administrator:
Carole Gifford

Cultural Award:
Kenneth Powell Jones

Junior Cultural Award:
No Nominations Received

Environmental Award (Group):
Livingstone Community Nursery

Environmental Award (Individual):
Leise Childs

2014 Award Recipients

Citizen of the Year:
Jan Boyd

Young Citizen of the Year:
Reece Hedges

Community Service Award:
Barry & Bev Hannam

Community Event:
Yeppoon & District Show Society Inc

Sportsperson of the Year:
Beverley Laundry & Kira-Lee Leo

Junior Sportsperson of the Year:
Caleb Dooley

Sports Administrator:
Margie Grant

Cultural Award:
Terry Hayes

Junior Cultural Award:
Emily Bartlett

Environmental Award:
Ginny Gerlach