Community Awards

Trust and respect are two dominant themes that stand out in the nominations received for Paul Tanner. Since arriving in Myrtleford in his late teens, Paul has become an active member and volunteer of many organisations. Starting with Myrtleford Rotaract – the Rotary Club’s youth program – Paul soon joined the Myrtleford Football Netball Club and Myrtleford Lions Club.

During his time with Rotaract, Paul was noted as an exemplary member who was always first to put up his hand to help. Paul has dedicated many hours with the Lions Club, and has held every position on the board including president. Paul has contributed to the organisation and running of many events and projects with the Lions Club including the Lions Licola Kids Camp, The Myrtleford Festival Ball, Legacy Wood Day, restoration of the Myrtleford Pioneer Cemetery, bushfire relief programs and the annual Myrtleford Golden Spurs Rodeo.  

Paul has dedicated 40-plus years to the Myrtleford Football Netball Club (MFNC), starting as a player in the reserves. After starting a family, Paul was heavily involved with his children’s junior sports and took on the role of assistant coordinator for Myrtleford’s Auskick program before following their progression and becoming the coach for the Under 14s, Under 16s and Under 17s and eventually Junior Club President. Paul was also instrumental in the formation of the Alpine Eagles team in conjunction with the Bright Junior Football Club, and was involved in the establishment of an Under 16s team in the Wangaratta & District Junior Football League. Paul’s contribution to the Junior Club has carried through generations, with many of the former players once under his guidance now part of the Senior Club as players, coaches and fellow board members.

After moving on from the Junior Club, Paul started as a trainer at the MFNC and has held the role of Head Trainer since 2007. In addition to these duties, Paul works tirelessly on fundraising activities, coordinating volunteer and player rosters and assisting at events for the club. Paul is also a member of the RC McNamara Reserve & Memorial Oval Committee of Management and is always the first to offer a helping hand with any maintenance work required.

Paul was awarded the MFNC Kevin Smith Perpetual Trophy in 2008, which is presented to a non-playing member who has made a considerable contribution to the club through voluntary work, made a Life Member of the MFNC in 2016, and was the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League Volunteer of the Week in round 18 of 2022.  

Paul is regarded as a well-liked, trusted and respected member of the community and continues to lead by example. All who know Paul will know that he does not seek accolades or praise but simply takes pleasure in doing his bit to make our community a better place.

Water safety is something all Australians need to be aware of, and education needs to start young. For over 30 years, Lois Beggs has committed herself to ensuring children in the Alpine Shire are safe in the water and learn to swim.

After taking on the management role for the Myrtleford Swimming Pool in 1983, Lois volunteered multiple hours to plan water safety programs for the local primary schools and became a coach at the Myrtleford Swimming Club.

Lois became a volunteer for the Myrtleford Asthma Group and gave her time during the cooler months to drive a bus from Myrtleford to the indoor pool at Bright to teach both children and adults with asthma to swim. This program aimed to improve quality of life for local asthma sufferers by allowing them to take part in the low-impact exercise of swimming year-round. Lois committed to this role for almost a decade.

After qualifying as a lifeguard, Lois spent countless hours ensuring the safety of swimmers at local river pools and swimming pools and facilitated many successful rescues during this time.

Until her recent retirement, Lois spent over 30 years as a swimming instructor. Many locals would know Lois through this role, in fact there would be children she taught who now have children of their own that also attended her classes. Lois has taught infants, preschoolers, primary- and high-school aged kids and adults, along with specialised individual groups. This is an amazing achievement and wonderful legacy.

Lois had great success as a teacher and put a big emphasis on fun during lessons. Understanding the importance of water safety, Lois was able to teach valuable skills and techniques by making learning to swim exciting.

Outside of the pool, Lois has been a longtime member of the Myrtleford Agricultural and Pastoral Society, assisting with multiple areas of the annual Myrtleford Show, and was awarded a Life Membership by the Society in 2012. Lois has also volunteered for the Muscular Skeletal Group and lead exercise classes for the group at the Bright Sports Centre.

Lois has demonstrated a commitment and perseverance to water safety and the general wellbeing of the Alpine Shire community, and there are many community members who can attribute their swimming skills and quality of life back to Lois’s contribution in this space.

Free time following Helen McDougall’s retirement has resulted in wonderful gains for the Kiewa Valley community. Taking an active role in the Red Cross, Upper Kiewa Valley Support Services and various community advisory, advocacy and action groups, along with volunteering at Alpine FM radio and the Uniting Church Op Shop in Mount Beauty, Helen has certainly been keeping busy!

Helen is held in high esteem by her colleagues and is widely regarded for her warmth, compassion and generosity. The primary focus for Helen’s volunteerism is to help vulnerable people or those in need of immediate assistance, and starting with the Tawonga branch of the Red Cross in 2013, Helen was able to provide support for her local community and those further afield.

Locally, the Before School Breakfast Program at the Mount Beauty Primary School was initiated by Helen, and she had an active role in the ‘Pillowcase Project’, a resilience and emergency preparedness activity for students in grades 3 to 6, and has assisted with various community relief and resilience activities including on-the-ground support in emergency relief centres during fires and floods. On a national and international level, Helen has participated in many fundraising and general support activities including the Ukrainian Crisis Appeal, and the Queensland and NSW Flood Fundraising Appeals.

Helen has held the position of Chairperson, Branch Delegate and more recently Secretary for the Tawonga Red Cross branch, and her involvement has led to other opportunities including roles in the Alpine Emergency Services Team, UKV Community Resilience Action Group (CRAG), the Community Health Advisory Group (CHAG), the Alpine Independent Aged Care Advocacy Service, and the Upper Kiewa Valley Support Group (formerly Anglicare) to support vulnerable families in need.

Shortly after joining Alpine FM as a volunteer in 2014, Helen began her on-air career by becoming a presenter for RPH, radio for those with a print disability, reading from local and state newspapers. In 2018, Helen began presenting the ‘Sharing and Caring’ program with co-host Traudy Homolka. The program is produced for residents and staff at Mount Beauty’s residential aged care facility, Kiewa Valley House. The focus is on bringing music to the residents that, wherever possible, they have chosen themselves. This involves Helen visiting Kiewa Valley House regularly to meet with the residents and ask for requests. After Traudy’s passing in 2019, Helen has continued to present the program.

Helen also presents the ‘Sunday Morning Mix’ and has been co-host of the ‘Saturday Spotlight’ with Caitlin Frawley. Helen presents 6 to 8 hours of programming each week and often fills in for other presenters. In addition, Helen has taken on the role of Volunteer Wellbeing Coordinator as well as Membership Secretary duties at Alpine FM. She is noted for her outstanding contribution to station culture and wellbeing, as well as her professionalism.

Helen’s willingness to help out her community is also shown by her commitment to the Mount Beauty Uniting Church Op Shop as an ‘evening angel’. Each Sunday evening, Helen collects all the donations made to the op shop and takes them home to sort in her own time, keeping aside what can be sold at the shop and arranging for the remaining items to be disposed of. Helen then transports the useful items back to the Mount Beauty shop or on to a larger shop, providing an invaluable service to allow day time volunteers to take on other important duties in the shop.

Helen’s warmth, kindness and compassion shines through in everything that she does, and the Kiewa Valley is certainly brighter for having her.

A strong desire to assist and be a useful member of the community is a driving force behind Baylin Ford’s volunteerism. Taking on a broad range of volunteer roles with enthusiasm and eagerness, Baylin’s contribution to the Kiewa Valley community includes wildlife rescue, shifts at the Hospital Op Shop, and becoming a member of the CFA and the Upper Kiewa Valley Community Recovery Group.  

At school, Baylin strives to challenge himself and take on new opportunities to work towards improving his skills in various fields. Baylin actively seeks ways in which he can make a positive impact at school while also achieving his own goals. In addition to his studies, Baylin has hosted a school trivia night and MC’d the school swimming carnival, and in 2023 was the Captain of the CFA Youth Crew and one of two Vice-Captains of Bogong House.  

Outside of school, Baylin’s eagerness to work with animals saw him approach a local wildlife shelter to volunteer. He was willing to take on any job that needed doing, from cleaning enclosures and preparing food to assisting with medical treatment and rehabilitation of injured animals. Baylin has demonstrated confidence and reliability in this role and has become a great asset to the shelter.  

It was Baylin’s experiences through the CFA Youth Crew at school that led him to sign up as a full member of the local CFA unit and becoming their youngest – and most enthusiastic – recruit. Baylin attends regular training nights and brigade functions and has been welcomed into the unit by all.

Baylin’s volunteer work at the Hospital Op Shop has also been welcomed, with other volunteers describing him as always respectful and accommodating. His natural ability to connect with customers from a variety of ages and backgrounds demonstrates his innate communication skills.

The UKV Community Recovery Group has also allowed Baylin to show his consideration for others by participating in discussions and brainstorming ideas around community recovery following the recent Falls Creek landslide and flood events. 

Baylin continues to show a strong commitment to his community and a desire to help others. He is an inspirational role model to his peers and an exceptional asset for Mount Beauty.

As a member of the Resilient Alpine Youth Squad – or RAYS – Kira Mack has been able to make a significant impact on her community.

Kira had a key role in organising the recent Emergency Services Careers Expo which brought representatives from the CFA, Victoria Police, SES, Ambulance Victoria, Fire Rescue Victoria, Ski Patrol, Forest Fire Management Victoria and the Australian Defence Force together to show local students the pathways available for careers in emergency management. The expo was a great success and attended by approximately 150 students from all four high schools across the Alpine Shire. Kira was responsible for ensuring all the sessions ran on time, working with all agencies attending to coordinate the schedule for the day.

Assisting with the Alpine Colour Fun Run in Porepunkah last year gave Kira another opportunity to flex her organisational skills and help RAYS deliver a successful event. The Colour Fun Run is now an annual fixture and supports youth mental health and well-being.

Kira’s exceptional organisational and networking skills along with her dedication to community spirit and well-being has amplified these events, strengthening connections and partnerships locally and regionally.

Demonstrating leadership, empathy and passion for the well-being of others, Kira has proven herself to be an invaluable member of RAYS and continues to show her commitment to the community through her dedication to affect positive change. Taking an active role in decision-making and organisation with RAYS, Kira’s continued enthusiasm and initiative is to be commended.

Hannah Pear can certainly be described as a high achiever and an inspirational role model in her community.

Hannah completed VCE last year and was successful in achieving DUX of Myrtleford P-12 College with an ATAR of 91.1 – a truly commendable effort. In 2023 Hannah was also the recipient of the Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award, an annual accolade presented by the Australian Defence Force to recognise students who demonstrate leadership and teamwork within both the school and broader local community.   

From year 7 to year 12, Hannah was an active member of the School Student Representative Council (SRC) at Myrtleford P-12 as well as becoming a member of the College Council in 2021 as a student volunteer member. As part of this role, Hannah has provided support and encouragement to younger SRC members. Hannah was appointed School Captain in 2023 and has represented the school in numerous community events including the Anzac Day service.

Tennis is a passion for Hannah, and her achievements are on par with her school accomplishments. After joining the Myrtleford Lawn Tennis Club in 2016 as a junior player, Hannah has been successful in club championships, consistently winning her age group and has been successful as the open women’s champion for the past two years. Hannah has also won multiple events in the annual Easter Tournament and continues to play three times a week as a senior member, supporting competitions run by the club and actively encouraging junior players.

For the past three years, Hannah has been a community tennis coach alongside the club coach at Hot Shots, mentoring young players and developing skills. Hot Shots is an important program that supports the progression of young players (5 to 11 years) into the Myrtleford Lawn Tennis Club. Hannah’s natural teaching ability and her ability to engage the kids has made her a popular coach. Hannah does a tremendous job of encouraging players and building confidence in the sport, and is to be commended for her professionalism and enthusiasm for the role.

Hannah’s commitment to tennis does not end on the court however. As a committee member of the Lawn Tennis Club for the past two years, Hannah has been an active voice for junior players in the club and participated in numerous club events and working bees, always willing to lend a hand. Hannah is also an integral member of the annual Easter Tournament committee taking on many roles including junior court umpire, general kitchen duties and fundraising.

Hannah continues to take on more responsibilities within the club and is considered to be a wonderful ambassador and role model.

Community participation in local sporting clubs can be vital to the health and wellbeing of community members, providing both a means to stay active and socialise with others. Attracting new members is not always an easy task, especially in smaller communities, and ensuring those members remain engaged and active in the club can be a challenge.

The Mount Beauty Tennis Club has not only managed to attract new people but has also more than doubled their membership numbers in a short amount of time, going from around 95 to just over 200.

This vigorous growth can be attributed to several factors, the most crucial being an enthusiastic, innovative and dedicated committee with the skills, experience and vision to ensure the club and club facilities are at the highest standards for the community.

Affordable membership fees, increased opportunities for players, and investigating and implementing ways in which to improve efficiencies and facilities at the club form part of the five-year business plan. The club is open to families, individual juniors and adults from any age, background or ability. It offers members free access to the courts and club facilities, junior coaching, social and competitive competitions (day and night), and special events. The club also recently introduced the popular Hot Shots program, a national program led by Tennis Australia for kids aged 5-12.

Engaging the local community and maintaining connections with schools and businesses has been a catalyst in securing additional members in recent times. The club facilitated a series of tennis workshops with the local primary schools, culminating in a Family Day attended by around 80 families. Vouchers from local businesses were given out as prizes. A subsequent Open Day at the club attracted more locals from the wider community and was also well attended.

The committee was able to secure funding from Tennis Australia for an upgrade to high-efficiency LED lighting around the courts means that night tennis can become a regular fixture without being a financial or environmental burden. Grants from the Bendigo Bank and AGL have allowed for upgrades to outdoor furniture and court maintenance, and the implementation of an online booking system developed by Tennis Australia now ensures easy and efficient court bookings with guaranteed payment upfront.

The club strives for inclusiveness and aims to make facilities accessible to as many people as possible. The increase in membership numbers demonstrate the support the local community have for the club and the appreciation for the vision and hard work of the committee.

After organising two successful festivals and bringing some of Australia’s best authors to Mount Beauty, the Mount Beauty Writers Festival is planning to carry on with the momentum created and deliver another incredible weekend of meet and greet opportunities, workshops and talks along with the opportunity for local students to enhance their literacy and writing skills.

The concept was conceived by Fay Mason who quickly formed a committee and began organising the inaugural festival in late 2021. By 2022 the committee had secured some grants and started inviting writers to attend. A desire to include local students with the festival led to the idea of a workshop at school with the authors followed by a short story competition.

A long list of notable and accomplished writers including award-winning authors, actors and celebrity chefs were locked in, with a number of local authors also featured in the lineup. The fiction and non-fiction writers covered a wide range of genres including young adult, art, thrillers, cooking, history, short stories, crime, and children’s books. The lineup would appear at West Peak Hotel in front of intimate audiences to speak about their books and experiences as authors, as well as taking part in workshops with local students. During the festival attendees were given the opportunity to chat with authors and gain further insight into the topics presented in the books as well as the writing process itself.  

The first festival was a resounding success and the committee set to work planning for the 2023 event. A new and exciting lineup was booked in, with some new faces in the mix and some coming back for a second year. AGL came on board as a sponsor for the student’s short story competition and many high-quality entries were received.

A particular highlight from 2023 was the appearance of actor, television presenter and author Costa Georgiadis from ABC’s Gardening Australia fame. Costa had one condition for attending the festival – in addition to his duties at the main festival he wanted to visit the local school children. Costa made a point of seeking out the winners of the short story competition to give them personal congratulations and encourage them to keep writing. In a final act of generosity, Costa refused his appearance fee, requesting that it be put towards children’s activities at the next festival instead, and gave a plug to the festival on national radio.

Being lauded by both authors and attendees as one of the best small writer’s festivals in Australia, the event has made a considerable impact on Mount Beauty’s profile and the contribution towards the cultural enrichment of the local community is truly commendable. The dedication, commitment and vision of the small committee to deliver an event that focuses on providing exceptional experiences for attendees, genuine enjoyment for visiting authors and educational outcomes for local students certainly sets the Mount Beauty Writers Festival apart from the rest.

There are few authentic community markets which can boast a history of over 40 years of operation, and probably even fewer that can credit that success to one individual.

Bev Bantick will be known to all who have visited the Mount Beauty Community Markets on the first Saturday of each month for the past 40 plus years. Her friendly greeting is eagerly anticipated by regular marketgoers as is her offerings of homemade jams and preserves, handmade items including baby clothes, fairy dresses and dolls clothes, and the lucky dip for kids. However, up until 2022, Bev’s work started long before the market opened each month.

Since the market’s establishment in 1979 by the local Uniting Church, Bev has taken on the responsibility of market coordinator. The market was created to provide an opportunity for locals to sell their homemade and homegrown produce and crafts, and to this day remains true to its original purpose.

Community markets have seen varied popularity over the past four decades and it is a testament to Bev’s persistence along with the community’s support that the Mount Beauty Community Markets have remained a staple on the monthly What’s On calendar. These markets are not just a means for locals to sell their wares, they also create opportunities for social catch ups, stimulate the local economy, provide an outlet for talented locals to showcase their skills, and attract visitors to the CBD area.

Bev retired from her active role as market coordinator in 2022, after more than 500 markets and 42 years of volunteer service. Responsibility for the markets has now been taken on by the Mount Beauty Chamber of Commerce.

Bev’s commitment and enthusiasm for running the markets has resulted in an incredible legacy and an iconic feature for Mount Beauty’s events calendar that is sure to continue for many more years to come.

The Arts and Culture Ambassador category has been created as a special one-off recognition of two very talented and very mysterious individuals. In 2019, two friends set about causing some mischief and creating something truly unique for their hometown of Myrtleford, and thus the Myrtleford Crackpots were born.

With a shared passion for mosaic art, Crackpot #1 and Crackpot #2 installed the first mosaic in town, in secret and under the cover of darkness, under the bridge crossing Barwidgee Creek at Rotary Park. Having gotten away with it, the pair planned more guerilla-style installations, and as they were slowly discovered one by one, rumours began to circulate about the curious artworks.

As more and more locals and visitors delighted in finding hidden mosaics under bridges, on rocks and trees and other unexpected places, the Crackpots were encouraged to create more. To avoid possible repercussions, the Crackpots maintained their anonymity despite the growing fame of their art and continued to work under the cover of darkness.

Soon part of the River Loop trail between Rotary and Apex Park was a veritable treasure-trove of hidden art and the official Mosaic Trail was born. Support from local businesses and organisations allowed the Crackpots to source materials and more mosaics started popping up around town. Promotion of the Mosaic Trail by the Visitor Information Centre in Myrtleford and popularity of the trail with local families during Covid led to the development of an official map, children’s activity book and online treasure hunt. Collaboration with the Alpine Shire allowed the trail to extend for the full length of the almost-6km River Loop trail featuring around 80 mosaics.

Soon the pair were being sought after to create mosaic art for businesses, public spaces, and schools, and share their skills through mosaic-making workshops. In 2021, the Crackpots were engaged by the Myrtleford P-12 school to work with students to create the Tree of Friendship mosaic, as part of an initiative by Arts Victoria. The large tree proudly adorns the front gate of the school to greet students and passers-by with a blaze of colour. The same year a second mosaic trail was added at Reform Hill in conjunction with Myrtleford Landcare, the Threatened Species Mosaic Trail, which has a special focus on local threatened species including birds, plants, reptiles and mammals. The Love the Life Tree and interactive Snakes and Ladders game in Jubilee Park in Myrtleford’s town centre were completed in 2021-22 in conjunction with the Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The Love the Life Tree features over 40 hidden images of what locals love about their town intertwined among the branches of a giant eucalypt.

The original Mosaic Trail continues to evolve with new pieces added in often. More mosaics are installed in public spaces and businesses in and around town on a regular basis, with some of the most recent being a piece commissioned by the Myrtleford U3A depicting migrants arriving in Myrtleford, and another collaboration with Myrtleford Landcare for the currently in progress Myrtleford Landcare Bird Gallery.

The Crackpots’ work has created a new and unique identity for Myrtleford and more importantly provided a means for local and visiting families to connect with nature and the history and culture of Myrtleford by exploring these fun and interactive artworks. The Crackpots have chosen to share their talents freely, choosing to maintain anonymity and allow the art to be the focus. Their gift to the Myrtleford community has been enthusiastically received and continues to inspire and delight.

In recognition of the extensive body of work and notable contribution to the cultural identity of Myrtleford, the Alpine Shire are proud to name the Crackpots as Arts and Culture Ambassadors.