The waft of eggs and bacon on the Rutherglen Rotary Club's barbecue and the dulcet strains of 'I Still Call Australia Home' that set the scene for another excellent Australia Day celebration.
MC Phil Rogers officiated for the singing of the National Anthem and the flag raising before introducing local funeral director and local identity Tony Jones who spoke about what it means to live in the best country in the world.
He encouraged each person to reflect on the past as we look ahead with hope and optimism while honouring the traditions that have shaped us.
Cr Roberta Horne congratulated and outlined the achievements of all the other award recipients around the shire before moving on to details of the local winners.
Rutherglen Golf Club took out this year's Indigo Shire Community Organisation of the Year award after the selection committee was obviously impressed with the very significant revamping of this much loved facility.
A move away from a traditional competition-focused approach has been remarkably successful in attracting more players of all ages and boosted the number of social members.
The inclusion of junior golf programs into the local primary and high school sports curriculums, along with a 'Get Girls into Golf' program in conjunction with a raft of fun, family friendly activities has seen the club become the cornerstone of the town's social and recreational life.
As a consequence of these new initiatives and the hard work of the committee, the community has come together to vastly improve the club's viability and relevance.
Mr Hans Duursma was asked to come forward to receive the Rutherglen & District Certificate of achievement, to loud applause.
Since arriving from the Netherlands in 1974 Hans has generously donated his time, talent and resources to the Rutherglen community for more than four decades.
He established the Rutherglen Bakery, built a motel, repaired our televisions and provided a local bus service. He has been a pivotal part of all the important occasions, events and festivals.
“The community is grateful to Hans for sharing his love of music and his performances at Carols by Candlelight, on Australia Day and particularly for the joy he has brought to so many over all these years,” Cr Horne said.
Paul Schirmer, a longtime Barnawartha resident, was named Indigo Shire's 2025 Citizen of the Year. “Paul has spent a lifetime volunteering and this truly makes him a worthy recipient of this award. It is well-deserved recognition of his ongoing dedication to supporting and strengthening his community.” Cr Price said.
For over 40 years, Paul has been an active member of the Barnawartha Country Fire Authority (CFA), where he still plays an important role today.
He was heavily involved in Scouts, beginning with Rutherglen in 1972, then Kiewa and later serving in Chiltern until the late 1980’s. He’s also been involved with the Barnawartha Lions Club, the Barnawartha Primary School Council, and the Barnawartha Water Trust before its transition to North East Water. Paul has been a key member of the Barnawartha Development Association for 15 years, including a term as President, served on the Barnawartha Recreation Trust and organised the town’s community garage sales for over a decade.
“I don’t believe this award is just for me. It’s for the people who have supported me and encouraged me all this time,” Paul said.
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