Wagga Wagga Australia Day
Do you know someone who is an usung hero or a positive role in our community? Nominate them for a 2027 Australia Day Award.
There are five award categories:
- Citizen of the Year
- Young Citizen of the Year
- Environmental Citizen of the Year
- Ted Ryder Sports Memorial Award
- Walk of Honour Inductee Award
Nominations for the 2027 Wagga Wagga Australia Day Awards will open in early September 2026 and will close in late November 2026.
We will also be inviting all primary schools in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area to nominate two entrants for the Australia Day 2027 National Anthem Competition. Nominations will open in August 2026 and close in September 2026.
For further information about the awards or if you have questions, please contact the Events team via australiaday@wagga.nsw.gov.au
2026 Australia Day Awards Nominations
Aunty Mary Atkinson
Eilagh Rurenga
Jack Whyte
Joan Saboisky
Mitchell McDonell
Ariba Omar
Lachlan Mitchell
Kate Livio
Sarah Danckert
Carmel Wallis & Kaye Brian (Joint Nomination)
Judith Le Lievre
2026 Australia Day Award Recipients
2026 Citizen of the Year - Aunty Mary Atkinson
Aunty Mary has shown outstanding dedication through her many contributions to the Wagga Wagga community over several decades.
Aunty Mary is a proud Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal Elder who has devoted 25 years to education and is a strong advocate for the First Nations community. Her upbringing, lived experiences, cultural traditions and heritage have played a vital role in strengthening local unity.
Previous Citizen of the Year recipients
| Year | Recipient Name |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Aunty Isabel Reid |
| 2015 | Kerry Geale |
| 2016 | Joe Williams |
| 2017 | Dianne Jacobson |
| 2018 | Phil Hoey |
| 2019 | Alan Lean |
| 2020 | Lynne Graham |
| 2021 | Belinda Crain |
| 2022 | Deidre Tome |
| 2023 | Alan Pottie |
| 2024 | Annette St Clair |
| 2025 | Gregory Johnson |
2026 Young Citizen of the Year - Lachlan Mitchell
Lachlan is a Year 10 student at Kooringal High School who is passionate and deeply committed to protecting our environment.
Lachlan is an advocate for environmental change and is involved in many initiatives including South Wagga Rotary Youth Circular Initiative, Kooringal High School Environment Committee and National Tree Day. Lachlan also volunteers his time by running upskilling sessions, participating in environmental projects, and mentoring students.
Previous Young Citizen of the Year recipients
| Year | Recipient Name |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Angela Burns |
| 2015 | Sally Tanner |
| 2016 | Hannah Kempton |
| 2017 | Isobel Cowell |
| 2018 | Francis Elliot-Rudder |
| 2019 | Matthew Lennon |
| 2020 | Meghan Graham |
| 2021 | Clare Lawlor |
| 2022 | Chloe Hinds |
| 2023 | Maimuna Zaman |
| 2024 | Angus Smith |
| 2025 | Haylee Burkinshaw |
The Baylis Street Walk of Honour was instigated in 1998 to recognise substantial contributors to the City of Wagga Wagga
The award forms part of Council's Australia Day Awards - confirming Council's belief in the importance of recognising those members of our community who have given so much of themselves to our city.
Nominations open in conjunction with the Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Ted Ryder Sports Memorial awards in the second half of the year and the winners are announced on Australia Day.
2026 Walk of Honour Inductees
CARMEL WALLIS & KAYE BRYAN
Carmel and Kaye were jointly nominated and honoured for this award for their significant role as co-founders and the driving force behind ErinEarth, one of Wagga Wagga’s most important environmental and community education initiatives.
For more than 25 years, Carmel and Kaye have inspired countless groups and individuals to ‘walk lightly on earth’, and their influence will resonate for many generations to come.
Previous Walk of Honour recipients
| Year | Recipient Name |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Ada Beatrice Webb |
| 1998 | Cedric Thomas |
| 1998 | William and Amy Hurd |
| 1998 | Robert John Hurst |
| 1998 | Henry Angel |
| 1998 | Edna Busse |
| 1998 | John Hurst Edmonson |
| 1998 | Yvonne Elsie-May Gilchrist |
| 1998 | Albert Louis Burgman |
| 1998 | Jane Lindsay Scott |
| 1999 | Donald Moreton Kendell |
| 1999 | Trixie and Margaret Read |
| 1999 | Colin Campbell Knott |
| 1999 | John Ansell |
| 1999 | Henry Ernest and Morris Henry Gissing |
| 1999 | Edgar Hugh Graham |
| 1999 | Carol Moffit |
| 1999 | Leyton Selwyn "Don" Joyes |
| 1999 | Rosina Mary Grosse |
| 2002 | William George Fitzroy Huthwaite |
| 2003 | Dr Bruce William Harding |
| 2004 | Robert Lancaster Brunskill |
| 2005 | Cyril Jones |
| 2006 | George Hilton Brown |
| 2008 | Brian and Joy Kahlefeldt |
| 2009 | Michael Kennedy OAM |
| 2010 | Brian Gerald Kennedy |
| 2011 | Bill Kerr |
| 2012 | Marguerite (Madge) Wallace |
| 2013 | June Dunn |
| 2014 | Marie & Dr William Thompson |
| 2015 | Henry "Arthur" Nixon |
| 2016 | John Brasier |
| 2017 | Jim Elphick |
| 2018 | - |
| 2019 | Cecil 'Bob' Scott |
| 2020 | John Mason |
| 2021 | Bill Jacob |
| 2022 | Richard 'Dick' Green |
| 2023 | Aunty Isabel Reid and Aunty Kath Withers |
| 2024 | Peter Cox |
| 2025 | Uncle Hewitt & Aunty Dot Whyman and Zita Denholm |
2025 Ted Ryder Sports Memorial Award - David Dunn
David Dunn is a loyal, hard-working and reliable member of the Wagga Wagga community. David joined the Kooringal High School Science faculty in 1977 and fostered student involvement in the National Youth Science Forum and Rotary Exchange programs. Deeply passionate about soccer, David was instrumental in facilitating the Kooringal High School involvement in the Bill Turner Cup over many years and was appointed as the Riverina Area Manager. David’s football coaching from 1977 – 2012 enabled many Kooringal teams and Riverina teams as well as Lake Albert U-5 – U-17 teams to improve their skill levels, with David organising trips to weekend carnivals in Bathurst, Cowra, Forbes, Young and Canberra. David introduced the Shippard and Creed Shields for the local Wagga Open Girls and Boys Secondary school’s competitions and the Tiffany Selby and Brian Thomas medals for Best and Fairest players. This led to many positive outcomes including, the opportunity to develop team and individual skills without the added pressure and cost families to drive long distances from Wagga and inviting former Matilda and local champion Sally Shipard to meet local players. David received lifetime membership of Bill Turner School Football in 2018.
Previous Ted Ryder Sports Memorial recipients
| Year | Recipient Name |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Steven Kimball |
| 2017 | Anthony Paul |
| 2018 | Peter Lloyd |
| 2019 | - |
| 2020 | Geoffrey Jacobson |
| 2021 | - |
| 2022 | Brian Robinson |
| 2023 | Henri Moreels |
| 2024 | - |
| 2025 | David Dunn |
2026 Environmental Citizen of the Year - Sarah Danckert
Sarah has made outstanding contributions to the local environment and is a passionate advocate for environmental protection.
Sarah established the local Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists chapter and has led a range of practical environmental initiatives as well as delivering school workshops.
Sarah has inspired many people to care for Wagga Wagga’s natural environment, protect biodiversity and create lasting environmental impact across the wider community.
Previous Environmental Citizen of the Year recipients
| Year | Recipient Name |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Ben Holt |
| 2021 | Edward Maher |
| 2022 | Rotary Club of South Wagga Wagga |
| 2023 | ErinEarth |
| 2024 | Demonstration Gardens Wagga Wagga |
| 2025 | Leanne Scott |