Saying thank you to volunteers
On 1 July 1851, Victoria was declared a separate colony to New South Wales. To celebrate the anniversary of Victoria Day, the Member for Ferntree Gully Nick Wakeling MP hosts an annual awards night which recognises volunteers in our community who
have contributed to our local area.
This year Nick combined the Ferntree Gully Electorate Victoria Day awards with community and charitable groups from the electorate of Rowville, represented by Kim Wells MP, to more broadly recognise the contributions of community leaders throughout Knox.
The Ferntree Gully & Rowville Electorates Victoria Day Award helps define, encourage and reinforce local aspirations, ideals and standards by identifying role models.
The awards ceremony, held on 1 July each year, is an opportunity for community groups to recognise, celebrate and say ‘thank you’ to those who make a significant difference to our community, those who achieve their best and those who assist others.
Official invitations are posted to individual community groups located within the Ferntree Gully electorate the month prior to the awards ceremony each year. Each group is able to select one member from within their organisation to receive a Victoria Day Award.
For 2016, Nick and Kim were honoured to award 33 very worthy recipients with a Ferntree Gully & Rowville Electorates Victoria Day Award.
2016 Recipients
- Gary Bass, Ferntree Gully Football Club
- Wendy Bliss, Ferntree Gully Netball Club
- Andrew Breeden-Walton, 1st Rowville Scout Group
- Eric Butterfield, Knox & District Woodworkers Group
- Rod Canobie, Boronia RSL Sub-branch
- Tania Challis, Rowville Primary School
- Miriam Cormack, Knox BMX Club
- Barry Cornell, Wantirna Tennis Club
- Craig Douglas, Scoresby Wantirna South Tennis Club
- Tim Edwards, Upper Ferntree Gully Junior Football Club
- Mark Flanders, Knox Obedience Dog Club
- Helen Ford, Ferntree Gully TOWN Club
- Keith Gay, Knox Little Athletics Club
- Belinda Gresen-Harris, Knox Girl Guides
- Leanne Harvey, Park Ridge Primary Parents & Citizens Association
- Joan Heydon, Ferntree Gully Friends of Red Cross
- Rob James, Rowville-Lysterfield Community News
- Inta Jaunzemis, Knox Historical Society
- Patricia Kolec, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Knox
- Teresa Koronczewski, Eastern Districts Polish Association
- Krystyna Mrozik, Polish Senior Citizens Club
- Barbara Oehring, Ferntree Gully News
- Johann Poppenbeck, Knox Churches Soccer Club
- Ramon Relph, Boronia CFA
- William Rule, Knoxfield 55 Plus Club
- Christine Smith, Rowville Community Kitchen
- Alex & Ethel Sully, Hungarian Community Cooperative Association
- David Thorn, Knox Obedience Dog Club
- Gordon Veerasawmy, St Vincent De Paul Society, Ferntree Gully
- Nina Wai, Knox Chinese Elderly Citizens Club
- Jeanette Windahl, Ferntree Gully North Primary School
