Award Winners For Airlie, Proserpine and Surrounds

Arts and Cultural Award

Jessica Begun from Whitsunday Arts Festival

Jessica, along with Cathy Knezivic and Tom Casey, founded the Whitsundays Arts Festival due to host its third annual event in September this year.

The festival brings together local artists and broadens our cultural, engaging with the younger generations through partnering with schools, which Jessica, and by extension her team, have been honour for.

Tom Casey, Cathy Knezivic and Jess Begun

Environmental Achievement Award

John Gaskell

Described as the real life “Aquaman” by his peers, John is currently the Program Manager for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Whitsunday Reef Island Initiative – focusing his time on reef rehabilitation.

He previously developed the Daydream Island Coral Restoration Facility and Living Reef Underwater Observatory and has an immense passion for studying, photographing, and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

John Gaskell

Senior Sports Award

Marteaka Hoffman

Marteaka is not only a valuable netball player at the Whitsunday Netball Club, but she has been a valuable volunteer for the past 10 years.

From coaching to mentoring the younger players, travelling to carnivals, umpire development and writing grant submissions, Marteaka is a dedicated sports woman, as well as a dedicated member of the club community.

Young Sports Award

Jy Parkinson

Excelling both in the water and on the field, Jy enjoys swimming, cross country, and football.

He has been awarded Sportsman of the Year at Saint Catherine’s Catholic College in Proserpine for the past three years, and this year winning Gold for backstroke at the Qld Schools Swimming State Championships followed by Bronze at a National Level.

Jy shows maturity beyond his years and has demonstrated great leadership amongst his peers, always encouraging them to do their best and leading by example.

Jy Parkinson

Community Event of the Year

Proserpine State High School’s “We Will Rock You” musical production

This professional standard school musical was received with acclaim from across the region and demonstrated the love and passion of all involved.

There were over 60 students, 20 staff and more than 20 community members participating, and many young people had the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the industry and perform in the sold-out shows.

The cast of “We Will Rock You”

Volunteer of the Year Award

Wally Hinschen

An active and valued member in a range of emergency services, Wally spent 15 and a half years with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services before his retirement on his 65th birthday.

He continues to volunteer for the SES, VMR and the Cannonvalley Rural Fire Brigade giving him a combined total of over 30 years’ experience attending rescues, fires, land and water searches, boat rescues.

Young Citizen of the Year:  

Declan Coull

Racing in the Formula 3 series in Australia, Declan has been behind the wheel since he was nine years old.

Given the “Future Star Award” in the Senior Karts and “Local Sporting Champion” by the Australian Institute of Sport, Declan is also a “racing for road safety” ambassador with Safe Drive Training (SDT) mentoring young drivers about responsible vehicle usage and is also a Defensive Driving Instructor.

Declan Coull with Mayor Andrew Willcox

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