Australia Day

Australia Day 2026 Award Winners

The Cassowary Coast community came together to celebrate Australia Day at the 2026 Australia Day Awards, held at the Tully Country Club on Friday 23 January.

The evening celebrated the people who make the Cassowary Coast such a great place to live, recognising local individuals and groups whose dedication, generosity and community spirit continue to strengthen connections across the region.

2026 Australia Day Awards

Awards Category	Nominees	Winners
Citizen of the Year	Bronwyn Philpot Eve Rose Jackie Olditch Kate Jackson Samara Nugent Sheila Lawler Ken English	Ken English
Young Citizen of the Year	Caleb Wodzislawski	Caleb Wodzislawski
Lifetime Contribution	Blaise Cini Pamela Garner Peter Butsworth Margaret Dineen	Margaret Dineen
Community Event / Project of the Year	GBR50 Celebrations Innisfail Riverfest Super Southern Schools NAIDOC On-Country Community Celebration Tully Mill 100 Celebration	Tully Mill 100 Celebration
Community Group Award	Cassowary Coast Tourism Visitor Centre Innisfail BUG Mission Beach Community Association Cardwell RSL Sub Branch	Cardwell RSL Sub Branch
Young Sports Person of the Year	Amaarah Mohammed Mackenzie Law	Makenzie Law
Service to Sport Award	Shayne Cini	Shayne Cini
Arts and Culture Award	Daryl Dickson Tales From Our Early Pioneers Bus Trip	Tales From Our Early Pioneers Bus Trip
Young Arts and Culture Award	Hamish Darveniza Kyeden Munt Oscar Van Haaren	Oscar Van Haaren
Innovation and Excellence Award	Dr Adele Pile	Dr Adele Pile
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Award in Education 2026	Callum Saunders	Callum Saunders
Sports Person of the Year	Kodi Worth	Kodi Worth
Sustainable Environment Award	GBR Safaris, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Manduburra Aboriginal Land and Sea Incorporated	GBR Safaris, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Manduburra Aboriginal Land and Sea Incorporated
Achievement Award	Sheryl Shaw Tamara Gillard Yvonne Moule Raymond Evans Glenda Sabadina	Sheryl Shaw Tamara Gillard Yvonne Moule Raymond Evans Glenda Sabadina

Awards Category

Nominees

Winners

Citizen of the Year

Bronwyn Philpot
Eve Rose
Jackie Olditch
Kate Jackson
Samara Nugent
Sheila Lawler
Ken English

Ken English

Young Citizen of the Year

Caleb Wodzislawski

Caleb Wodzislawski

Lifetime Contribution

Blaise Cini
Pamela Garner
Peter Butsworth
Margaret Dineen

Margaret Dineen

Community Event / Project of the Year

GBR50 Celebrations
Innisfail Riverfest
Super Southern Schools NAIDOC On-Country Community Celebration
Tully Mill 100 Celebration

Tully Mill 100 Celebration

Community Group Award

Cassowary Coast Tourism Visitor Centre
Innisfail BUG
Mission Beach Community Association
Cardwell RSL Sub Branch

Cardwell RSL Sub Branch

Young Sports Person of the Year

Amaarah Mohammed
Mackenzie Law

Makenzie Law

Service to Sport Award

Shayne Cini

Shayne Cini

Arts and Culture Award

Daryl Dickson
Tales From Our Early Pioneers Bus Trip

Tales From Our Early Pioneers Bus Trip

Young Arts and Culture Award

Hamish Darveniza
Kyeden Munt
Oscar Van Haaren

Oscar Van Haaren

Innovation and Excellence Award

Dr Adele Pile

Dr Adele Pile

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Award in Education 2026

Callum Saunders

Callum Saunders

Sports Person of the Year

Kodi Worth

Kodi Worth

Sustainable Environment Award

GBR Safaris, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Manduburra Aboriginal Land and Sea Incorporated

GBR Safaris, Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Manduburra Aboriginal Land and Sea Incorporated

Achievement Award

Sheryl Shaw
Tamara Gillard
Yvonne Moule
Raymond Evans
Glenda Sabadina

Sheryl Shaw

Tamara Gillard

Yvonne Moule

Raymond Evans

Glenda Sabadina

Australia Day

2027 Australia Day Award nominations open now! Click here to nominate!

Australia Day Resources

When