Published on Wednesday, 25 January 2023 at 4:16:13 PM

Community champions were honoured and locals lapped up delicious dishes as the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale launched its new-look Australia Day festivities on 26 January 2023.

The revamped celebrations consisted of the Citizen of the Year Awards and citizenship ceremony in the morning, followed by a community cricket match and Food Truck Fiesta at Briggs Park in the afternoon.

Community heroes were recognised across four different categories as part of the Citizen of the Year Awards.

The prestigious Clem Kentish Community Service Award was also presented, recognising an individual who has given more than 20 years of service to the SJ community.

The 2023 Australia Day award winners are:

Julie Richards was awarded the Community Citizen of the Year in recognition of her efforts to promote food sustainability through the Byford Glades Community Garden.

Julie was instrumental in developing the Urban Agriculture Education Program while also fostering the Garden’s relationships with Byford Baptist Church and Beyond Blue.

Reece Jerrett received the Shire’s Youth Community Citizen of the Year Award for his extensive work in the nature and agriculture fields.

Judy Curtis was named Senior Community Citizen of the Year for the variety of volunteer roles she has held across SJ, including with the Jarrahdale Heritage Society and Byford Progress Association.

The SJ Food and Farm Alliance was presented the Active Citizenship Award for championing food and produce education throughout the region through a series of workshops and guest speakers.

The prestigious Clem Kentish Community Service Award was awarded to Vicky Kerfoot.

Vicky has been a volunteer and an active SJ community member since arriving in Jarrahdale from Kenya in the 1970s, making her a fitting recipient of the long-standing award.

A certificate of appreciation was also presented to the Graceford Volunteers for their work at the Graceford Baptistcare Nursing Home.

Nine National Medals were awarded on the day, recognising members of our local volunteer bush fire brigades who have gone above and beyond in their service to the community.

The Rotary Club of Byford and Districts also presented their Rotary Service Above Self Award to Pia Steele.

Shire President Cr Michelle Rich congratulated the winners and thanked them for their tireless efforts in making SJ a great place to live.

“Volunteers are the heartbeat of any community and in SJ we are lucky to have such dedicated group committed to making our Shire a better place to live,” Cr Rich said.

“Each of our Citizen of the Year Award winners demonstrates outstanding community spirit and has given a tremendous amount of service in their respective fields.

“Well done to all of our worthy winners and everyone who was nominated for an award.”

The Shire also welcomed 21 new citizens from 11 different nations of origin on Australia Day, including conferees from India, Indonesia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

“It’s wonderful to celebrate the diverse range of cultural backgrounds we have here in SJ and to see the smiles on the faces of our newest citizens,” Cr Rich said.

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