Community
25 January, 2024
Citizens welcomed, award winners honoured
MORE than 300 people gathered in the Lighthouse Theatre earlier this week as Warrnambool welcomed its new Australian citizens and recognised winners of the 2024 Warrnambool Citizen of the Year Awards.
Twenty-nine people from countries such as South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, France, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Afghanistan decided to take the pledge and become Australian citizens.
Tuesday evening’s ceremony also provided an opportunity to come together and officially thank the winners of this year’s awards - Tom Richardson (Citizen of the Year), Courtney Mathew (Young Citizen of the Year), The Project’s ‘Fabric of Life’ festival (Community Event of the Year) and Ailiche Goddard-Clegg (Local Achiever Award).
“I’m really pleased to be able to share in the excitement of a group of people who are beginning their journey as Australian citizens while officially recognising another group who are shining examples of everything a good citizen should aspire to be,” Warrnambool mayor Cr Ben Blain said.
“After welcoming our new citizens and hearing from our award winners, I’m filled with a huge sense of pride to be part of this community.”
Citizen of the Year Tom Richardson said he was honoured by the recognition.
“This is really humbling and I see it as a monumental win for creativity and for community,” he said.
“Every single week I’m lucky enough to partner with hundreds and hundreds of people in Warrnambool who are showing up every day to make sure that the lives of everyone in our community are a little bit more vibrant, a little bit more safe.
“It takes 300 people to put the Find Your Voice Choir on stage and it’s fast becoming my life’s work and I really want to honour and celebrate with co-founder Kylie Thulborn.
“They’re going to take over the world. We’ve got artists and a choir who are going to change the face of the planet.
“I really want to thank all of the council men and women who stood behind the creative arts and said ‘we see the value in doing this, we see what it brings to the community’ and while it might not be necessary for life, it’s the stuff that makes life worth living.”
Young Citizen of the Year, Courtney Mathew, was co-convenor of the Warrnambool Community Garden, founder of Fruit Rescue and a volunteer with multiple community groups.
The Fabrice of Life Festival, named Community Event of the Year, was held last October and encouraged entrants to create wearable artworks.
Local Achiever Award winner Ailiche Goddard-Clegg has spent years working to grow and share theatre with the Warrnambool community.
Ailiche is also a volunteer board member for Leadership Great South Coast and Beyond the Bell as well as a former Warrnambool Adult Riding Club committee member.
