An individual who has tirelessly fundraised for his community to assist bushfire and drought recovery, a woman’s determination following the death of her son to campaign to change the law on voluntary assisted dying in SA, and a woman’s strong drive to reunite people with their beloved family members are just a few of the outstanding individuals recognised in the Australia Day Awards 2022 on 30 March at Government House.
These awards were unable to be presented prior to Australia Day in January 2022 due to the impact of COVID Omicron variant at the time. On 30 March, these incredible South Australian individuals were finally honoured for their contributions.
Australia Day Council Chief Executive Officer, Jan Chorley said the Australia Day Awards recognises the commitment of South Australians whose work often goes unnoticed. These individuals are selfless, resilient, and generous, and enable their communities to be stronger as a result of their tireless efforts.
“The Australia Day Awards recognise those outstanding efforts made by people all around South Australia,” said Jan Chorley.
“They don’t do it for the praise, or for the recognition – they do it simply because it makes a difference for people in their communities.
“These are the unsung heroes that we pay tribute to on Australia Day, and I congratulate all Award recipients for the outstanding contribution that they have made to their community.”
This year’s Australia Day Award recipients are:
| South Australia’s Citizen of the Year: | Christine Robertson (City of Charles Sturt) |
| South Australia’s Citizen of the Year commendation: | Julie-Ann Finney (City of Port Adelaide) |
| South Australia’s Citizen of the Year commendation: | David Thomas OAM (District Council of Robe) |
| South Australia’s Young Citizen of the Year: | Elijah Hobby (Light Regional Council) |
| South Australia’s Young Citizen of the Year commendation: | Julia Dangerfield (City of Mount Gambier) |
| South Australia’s Community Event of the Year: | West Beach Pink and Blue Swim/Walk (City of Charles Sturt) |
| South Australia’s Community Event of the Year commendation: | Renmark Rocks on Festival (Renmark Paringa Council) |
| South Australia’s Award for Active Citizenship: | Stephen Hedges (City of Victor Harbor) |
| South Australia’s Award for Active Citizenship commendation: | Melvin Charlton (District Council of Tumby Bay) |
| The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures (Category 1): | Kellis Dare Lawrie |
| The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures Commendation (Category 1): | Mehnaz Hussaini |
| The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures Commendation (Category 1): | Shuhua (Krystal) Zhong |
| The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures (Category 2): | Zainab Kazemi |
| The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures Commendation (Category 2): | Oscar Zi Shao Ong |
| Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award: | Liz Habermann |
| Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – ‘Emerging Leader’: | Bianca Nilsson |
| Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – Commendation: | Melanie McHugh |
| Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – Commendation: | Farida Ayubi |
About The 2022 Australia Day Awards Recipients:
South Australia’s Citizen of the Year 2022:
Christine Robertson (City of Charles Sturt)
For so many our pets are a cure for loneliness, a member of the family when there is no one else, a lifeline. When a loved pet goes missing, the pain of wondering whether you will ever see them again is profound. And if your pet is not microchipped, it could well mean you are highly unlikely to find it. Now an enterprising volunteer charity founded by Christine Robertson is ensuring people will not have to endure that torment – all for the cost of just $10 to have them safely microchipped. So successful has the idea become that Christine’s charity program is the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere with more than 43,000 pets microchipped in South Australia alone since it began in late 2015. Congratulations Christine. Please say a few words.
South Australia’s Citizen of the Year (Commendation) 2022:
Julie-Ann Finney (City of Port Adelaide)
David Finney, a 20-year veteran of the Royal Australian Navy, took his own life in 2019. His mother, Julie-Ann vowed that his death would not be in vain. In the two years following her son’s death she lobbied politicians, gave countless media interviews, and gathered more than 400,000 signatures to generate sufficient support for a royal commission into veteran suicides. It worked. The Government announced a Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran suicide in July 2021.
South Australia’s Citizen of the Year (Commendation) 2022:
David Thomas OAM (District Council of Robe)
Country communities often thrive because of the dedication of a few to improve the lives of others. After retiring from SAPOL after 42 years’ service, David has had several roles assisting young people – being a Coordinator of the Christmas Party for special needs children for over 10 years, State Coordinator for Blue Light South Australia and Member of The Driver Intervention Program. David has also been Chairperson of the Lions Disaster Response and Recovery where he supported many organisations that were affected by the aftermath of bushfires in Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Keilira and Lucindale. He has also Chaired a Drought Relief Committee for Lions Districts in South Australia disbursing funds to drought affected farmers and their families.
South Australia’s Young Citizen of the Year 2022:
Elijah Hobby (Light Regional Council)
Elijah’s exceptional levels of voluntary service to people in his hometown has been noted by others with quiet reverence. Himself a modest individual, Elijah is a striking exemplar of a person dedicated to the service of others. A volunteer with the Hewett Centre’s, Elijah is a teacher and mentor for café volunteers and works closely with three of their on-site therapy groups showing a remarkable ability to learn how to communicate with participants who are non-verbal and those living with dementia. His warm-hearted approach is always kind and fun filled.
South Australia’s Young Citizen of the Year (Commendation) 2022:
Julia Dangerfield (City of Mount Gambier)
Wildlife carer Julia Dangerfield has her own fauna refuge at her home and when she is not tending to their welfare she is either out on the road or in the middle of a paddock in the middle of the night taking care of another animal that has been injured.
South Australia’s Community Event of the Year 2022:
West Beach Pink and Blue Swim/Walk (City of Charles Sturt)
The West Beach Pink and Blue Swim/Walk is organised by the West Beach Surf Lifesaving Club as a way of giving back to the community and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve treatment and outcomes for people living with breast and prostate cancer. It is a unique community charity event catering for diverse participation through varied swim and walk options. 100% of the monies raised are equally distributed through partners at St Andrews Hospital Breast Care Unit and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
South Australia’s Community Event of the Year (Commendation) 2022:
Renmark Rocks on Festival (Renmark Paringa Council)
A rock ‘n roll Festival at Renmark is rocking locals with its runaway success as a tourist promotion for Renmark Paringa Council. Under the stewardship of Renmark Paringa Council this extremely popular crowd pleaser is ticking all the boxes since its inception almost a decade ago.
South Australia’s Award for Active Citizenship 2022:
Stephen Hedges (City of Victor Harbor)
Stephen has devoted decades of his life in a voluntary capacity to the survival of the penguin colony such that he is now an acknowledged expert on the lifecycle of the Little Penguin. Stephen’s work has not only enhanced understanding of the factors affecting their decline by helping to collect crucial information but also by communicating the science and the unknowns to Local and State Governments, conservation groups and the community. He became Senior Environmental Advisor to the company leading the Granite Island Causeway Project during which he provided expert, practical advice on mitigating the risk of disturbance to the Little Penguins.
South Australia’s Award for Active Citizenship 2022:
Melvin Charlton (District Council of Tumby Bay)
Melvin Charlton, can you please stand where you are seated and give us a wave as you have received a commendation for South Australia’s Award for Active Citizenship. A 43-year veteran of the Country Fire Service, Melvin and his team of courageous volunteer firefighters on Lower Eyre Peninsula have fought some of South Australia’s worst bushfires. People, livestock, buildings and communities survived because of their extraordinary efforts.
The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures 2022
Provided by the Minister for Education through the Multicultural Education and Languages Committee (MELC).
The MELC is a Ministerial Advisory Committee which provides advice to the South Australian Minister for Education on three interrelated areas of education: languages education, multicultural education and the internationalisation of education. MELC works across the three schooling sectors and encompasses languages programs of the Community Language Schools SA.
Award Categories
Category 1 – A high school student
This award is designed to promote the study of languages and the development of intercultural capabilities. It is awarded to a secondary school student who has shown outstanding commitment to their study of languages and cultures at school, and who seeks to advocate for a multilingual and culturally diverse Australia by fostering engagement in linguistic and cultural diversity.
Category 2: A young person 24 years of age or under (who is no longer at school)
Awarded to a young person who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to advocacy for a multilingual and culturally diverse Australia and strong community leadership.
The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures (Category 1) 2022:
Kellis Dare Lawrie
17-year-old Kellis Dare Lawrie is a spirited young Mirning/Kokatha woman living in the remote Aboriginal community Ernabella in the APY Lands. Kellis’s mission is to preserve and promote the richness of her own culture and ensure that the ancient gifts of language are not lost to her people. Exhibiting strong resilience to the complexities of community life that affect schooling achievement for young Aboriginal children and teenagers, Kellis is showing an outstanding commitment to the study of native languages and cultures at school and speaks three languages, Mirning, Pitjantjatjara (pit-in-jara) and English.
The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures (Category 2) 2022:
Zainab Kazemi
Ten years after arriving in Australia with her family from Afghanistan, now 23 year old Zainab Kazemi has become one of South Australia’s outstanding advocates for a multilingual and culturally diverse Australia. For the past three years she has been advocating across forums and media platforms on behalf of new arrivals from her birth country, particularly Afghani women who find themselves in a culture completely alien to that from which they separated for a new life here. When not studying towards her teaching degree here in Adelaide, Zainab has become a community leader with the Afghan Association in SA supporting people to settle in our community and championing the rights of those still unable to escape Afghanistan.
The Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures Commendation (Category 2) 2022:
Shuhua (Krystal) Zhong
Krystal is an Unley High School international student who is fluent in four languages and teaching other international students the rudiments of Aussie slang in bi-weekly clubs that she initiated to help her peers with our unique Australian phrases to enable a greater sense of inclusion.
Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award 2022
Provided by the Minister for Human Services through the Office for Women.
This Award was introduced by the Australia Day Council and the Office for Women to recognize some of the outstanding contributions by women to the community during the current year or over several years. The criteria also include achievement in their relevant field and their ability to act as a role model in the community.
Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award 2022:
Liz Habermann
Embarking on a campaign to change the law on voluntary assisted dying requires determination, courage, and strength. These are all qualities exhibited by Liz Habermann. Already an outstanding citizen in her local community where she has contributed unselfishly for more than a decade to the advancement of her district and its environs, Liz is also acknowledged nationally for her efforts in bringing about the introduction of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2021, following the death of her 19-year-old son Rhys from terminal bone cancer.
Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award ‘Emerging Leader’ 2022:
Bianca Nilsson
Bianca Nilsson has never allowed adversity to stand between her and success. This young woman has taken on the music industry around the world. In the space of a few years Bianca has gone from working graveyard shifts in a northern suburbs potato factory to become a worldwide phenomenon in the music industry. Following multiple start-ups and several setbacks, Bianca has turned her passion for music into a thriving business based in Adelaide, but with global reach. She has retained the essence of what drove her to strive for ever greater triumph over adversity – her love of people and a deep-seated desire to help wherever she can.
Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – Commendation 2022:
Farida Ayubi
Farida, the founder and joint owner of a spectacularly successful restaurant in Torrensville specializing in Afghani cuisine that hosted sold-out fundraising dinners in aid of the humanitarian crisis that engulfed Afghanistan
Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – Commendation 2022:
Melanie McHugh
Life in a country town can be challenging for teenagers looking for ways to spend their leisure time and Melanie is leading the way in engaging local youth in innovative programs aimed at keeping local youngsters out of strife.
The Australia Day Awards are proudly supported by the Local Government Association of South Australia, MGA Insurance, On the Run (OTR) and Sarah Constructions.
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