Citizens honoured at Katanning ceremony

From helping immigrants learn English and teaching children how to play sport, to running a miniature railway and putting together a stellar agricultural show, this year’s Shire of Katanning Australia Day award winners were well-deserving.

The awards were presented by Shire president Richard Kowald at an Australia Day barbecue breakfast held at Katanning Lions Park.

Long-time volunteer Jean Phillips was presented with the Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Award for 42 years of volunteer work.

The grandmother’s volunteering career started in 1971 when she moved to town, taking up roles at Red Cross, the Noongar Kindergarten and Katanning Primary School P & C.

Since then Ms Phillips has taught English to African, Chinese, and Burmese immigrants and helped them to enrol in schools, fill out paperwork and pass their citizenship tests.

She has also worked at Katanning High School, before swapping to helping English-as-a-second-language students at the school, as well as being a regular volunteer at Katanning Anglican Church.

The Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Award for a person under 25 years was presented to 14-year-old Katanning Senior High School student Boyd Woods.

Last year keen footballer and basketballer Boyd started volunteering at Katanning Leisure Centre for after-school activities and during school holidays.

The Shire of Katanning Community Long Service Award was presented to Tony Stock for his volunteer work with the Katanning Miniature Railway.

Mr Stock joined the group in 1993 and became president in 1997.

“The smile on kids’ faces when they go for a ride is unbelievable,” he said.

The Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Award for a community group or event was presented to the Katanning Agricultural Show for its impressive 121st event last October, featuring more than 200 volunteers.