Citizen of the year taken by surprise

MIRBOO North Times reporter Rob Waycott was named Mirboo North’s Citizen of the Year on Friday.
He was a member of the original committee of volunteers to save the community newspaper from extinction in 1995 and has reported ever since. Mr Waycott writes approximately 70,000 words each year, as well as researching the town’s history.
“I had no idea,” he said of his win on Australia Day, in Baromi Park, Mirboo North.
Gippsland Hills CWA Exhibition was named the town’s Community Event of the Year. The exhibition featured the work of 113 members. Mirboo North will host the next event on April 14 and 15.
Douglas Mancarella received the Youth Community Contribution award for his various community activities, as well as helping to save the life of his father Paul after he collapsed in the shearing shed of their Mirboo North farm. Douglas applied CPR with the help of a Triple 0 operator.
The gathering recognised South Gippsland Citizen of the Year, Paula Calafiore of Mirboo North. The Prep teacher at Mirboo North Primary School had volunteered with many community groups. She said the award was just as much for the Mirboo North community as herself.
“Mirboo North is full of people who have vision and drive, who all want to make Mirboo North a great place to be,” she said.
Marg Lynn, an advocate for Indigenous people, said January 26 was not recognised as Australia’s national day until 1935.
“We meet on the day that has for many years been called Survival Day or Invasion Day by Indigenous communities and their supporters, who recognise it as the day their dispossession began,” she said.
South Gippsland Shire Councillor Ray Argento spoke of his ordeal as a boy being among the children kidnapped at gunpoint by a prison escapee from the former Wooreen Primary School, and how the community’s response prompted him to give back through volunteering.
Australia Day Ambassador Jason Yeap OAM, philanthropist, urged the country to define its values to allow newcomers the opportunity to better understand what it means to be an Australian.

Giving to community: Rob Waycott was named Mirboo North’s Citizen of the Year for his work with the town’s community newspaper, the Mirboo North Times. He received the award from Marg Thomas.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Jan 30 2018. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry