The Maroondah Australia Day Awards recognise the achievements of Australians and the contribution they make to the Maroondah community. Awards are presented in three categories:
- Citizen of the Year
- Young Citizen of the Year
- Community Event of the Year.
Australia Day award recipients 2023
On Thursday 26 January, 2023 Councillor Rob Steane, Mayor of Maroondah, announced the recipients of the 2023 Australia Day awards.
Citizen of the Year – Dennis Johnston
Dennis Johnston was named 2023 Citizen of the Year for his long-standing involvement with and contribution to Biala Ringwood, an organisation dedicated to providing support and care for special-needs children.
Starting out in a voluntary capacity more than a decade ago and then joining Biala’s Committee of Management serving in the role of Vice-Chair and later Chairman, Dennis has provided leadership on all aspects of the organisation at board and operational levels.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, Dennis showed impeccable leadership, resilience, care and initiative. Working with the committee, he led the development of ‘Biala in the Home’ as part the organisation’s respite program, ensuring that families continued to receive the support needed during lockdown.
This included arranging toys and other resources to be delivered to homes and maintaining regular phone contact with families.
More recently, Dennis successfully negotiated a share of the proceeds of a substantial Victorian Government grant, ensuring Biala can continue providing much-needed respite service for years to come.
Young Citizen of the Year – Jackson Smith and Alyssa Solidaga
Jackson Smith and Alyssa Solidaga are joint recipients of the Young Citizen of the Year award.
Jackson and Alyssa have both demonstrated exceptional leadership in the community as active members of Maroondah Youth Wellbeing Advocate program - a program that advocates for the inclusion of young people’s voices through various projects and initiatives in Maroondah - as well as being Student Representative Council (SRC) captains at their school.
As Maroondah Youth Wellbeing Advocates they assisted in planning and emceeing Maroondah’s first Student Voice Forum and co-facilitated workshops. Together they also proposed, designed and delivered an interactive workshop about student voice for local Grade 5 students.
Jackson excels in the performing arts and takes on leadership roles both on and off stage. He supports all aspects of his school’s productions and was recently nominated for a Lyrebird Award and a Music Theatre Guild of Victoria award for his outstanding performance.
Alyssa is currently philanthropy captain for her year level and has been successful in the role of philanthropy prefect for her final year of school in 2023. Through her work as philanthropy captain, Alyssa has led the running of multiple charity events raising money for FightMND and Teach Us Consent.
Working alongside each other as Student Representative Council members, they continue to support their peers to take action within their school and to encourage positive change.
Community Event of the Year – Chin National Day Festival
The Chin Festival was the first Chin event to be held outdoors in Maroondah, attracting around 4000 members of the community in a celebration of the 74th Chin National Day.
The Chin people all over the world celebrate this auspicious day in their own way. Cultural troupes from various tribes were brought together on this special occasion to promote understanding, sense of identity and unity.
Held at Croydon Main Street on 20 February 2022, the festival provided the opportunity for all cultures to witness and have a better understanding of Chin culture.
The event was greatly received by many people from different cultures, with many keen to learn more.
Award winners Jackson Smith, Alyssa Solidaga, Kham Liam, on behalf of the Chin National Day Festival, and Dennis Johnston.