Australia Day Awards 2011
Last modified on 26 January 2011
Citizen of the Year Award
Bruce Carfrae has been volunteering and helping people for nearly 50 years.
As a ‘hands on’ man, he has helped in several major projects in the Willoughby area, the construction of the grandstand at the Rotary Athletic Field, the boardwalk at Bi Centennial Reserve Tables, seating and BBQ facilities at Harold Reid Reserve.
He has organised the Tree of Joy project in Chatswood Chase and Westfield Shopping Centre, in which gifts are all sorted and delivered to charities a week before Christmas.
When the NSW drought was at it’s worst, he organised free transport by Toll Transport to take gifts to families and also implemented a plan with IGA to give needy families shopping vouchers.
He has initiated the Young Carers Fun Day and currently, the training fellowship between Indonesian neurosurgeons and the Australian Neurosurgical Society.
Cultural & Community Building Award
Patricia Le Sheldon has dedicated over 28 years to the Castlecrag community that she’s been actively a part of. Being well trained in music, speech and drama, she has contributed to schools in Castlecrag and Middle Cove as well as specialty teaching at Ascham School for deaf students. Throughout her years at Castlecrag, she has brought the community together by holding fundraisers and performances. Such fundraising events has contributed to the success of the Haven Theatre, as at one stage, the theatre was about to fail.
Cultural & Community Building Award
Michelle Sloane first started by volunteering to work on Artarmon’s Open House program and throughout the years, she has been the driving force of Artarmon.
Her visions of uniting the community, particularly East and West Artarmon, promoting community and environmental groups and also creating a venue for groups to fundraise in the Artarmon area has become the very successful Artarmon Fair.
With her involvement in the Artarmon Progress Association, the group’s membership has grown to an all time high of approximately 250 members and she has been a strong advocate for the protection of the conservation area in Artarmon by creating the Artarmon Heritage Committee.
Services to Young People Award
For years, Christina Holder’s hard work and dedication to youth in the Willoughby area has been phenomenal. She ensures that they have the opportunity to achieve a fun, exciting outdoors lifestyle with a strong sense of moral purpose as well. She has been actively involved in the resurgence of 1st Willoughby Cubs and has continued to be a Cub and Scout leader.
The real contribution of our recipient is her ability to build confidence, independence and self worth to the kids that she supports whom will grow up to be better Willoughby citizens.
Young Citizen of the Year Award
Sharon Ho consistently pushes her peers to become involved and passionate about the community we live in by being part of the Willoughby Mentoring Program for years 5 and 6 students and Glambition, a girl only group where young women increase self esteem and gain confidence. She is actively involved in running sustainability workshops and has started an organic vegetable and fruit patch at the Chatswood Youth Centre.
Food grown is used at a monthly lunch for risk kids in the area. With her involvement in fundraising, her Christmas toy drive saw over 200 sick children receive presents at the Westmead Children’s Hospital.