IN SHORT

• Johlee Masters has been named 2025 Young Citizen of the Year after winning the prestigious NSW Best All Rounder Ampol Award and gaining acceptance into the Royal Australian Navy

• Pam Vagg receives Citizen of the Year honours for her two-decade commitment to the Hillston Creative Arts Council and leading the 2025 gallery renovation project

• The Australia Day ceremony will be held at Rankins Springs War Memorial Hall on Sunday, January 26, with guest speaker Mr Sam Bramham OAM

Carrathool Shire will celebrate its finest community members this Australia Day, with eight awards recognising outstanding achievements in sport, community service and youth leadership across 2025.

The ceremony took place at Rankins Springs War Memorial Hall on Sunday, January 26, with catering provided by the Rankins Springs CWA and a guest of honour speech from Australia Day Ambassador Mr Sam Bramham OAM.

Johlee Masters has been named Carrathool Shire's 2025 Young Citizen of the Year following an exceptional year of achievement.

The Hay War Memorial High School graduate served as school captain in 2025 while representing Carrathool at state level across multiple sports.

Her dedication earned her the NSW Best All Rounder Ampol Award, where she was selected from more than 900 candidates across the state.

Following this success, Johlee has been accepted into the Royal Australian Navy in 2026, continuing her record of service and leadership.

Pam Vagg has been awarded the 2025 Citizen of the Year for her tireless work with the Hillston Creative Arts Council.

As president of the organisation, Pam has been a committed member for 20 years, playing a vital role in sourcing and organising arts opportunities for the town.

In 2025, Pam led a major renovation project at the Red Dust and Paddy's Melons Gallery building.

She raised funds, managed contractors and kept operations running smoothly throughout the works. The newly renovated gallery reopened on November 1 and continues to serve as both an arts venue and the town's Visitor Information Centre, regularly hosting workshops and community gatherings.

The 2025 Community Event of the Year has been awarded to the Goolgowi Centenary Ball, held in February 2025.

The celebration honoured Goolgowi's long history with live music, country dancing, history displays and a showcase of cultural and traditional dances from Kiribati.

The event was recognised as a huge success in marking this milestone for the village.

The Hillston Creative Arts Council has been named 2025 Community Group of the Year, coinciding with their 20th anniversary.

The group celebrated the milestone by undertaking major building renovations at the Red Dust and Paddy's Melons Gallery building in Hillston.

The project has provided an important facility for the community, combining arts programming with visitor information services.

The Hillston Swans Under 11's Football Team claimed the 2025 Junior Sports Group of the Year award after an undefeated season that delivered their third consecutive premiership, a remarkable achievement for the young footballers.

In individual junior sports awards, Brooklyn Smith (five to 12 years category) was recognised for her gymnastics excellence. The dedicated athlete travels to Griffith each week for training and competed across NSW throughout 2025. Her medal haul included bronze in vault and bars, silver in beam, and gold in floor at Dubbo, followed by gold in all categories at Queanbeyan.

Hayley Felton took out the 12 to 18 years Junior Sportsperson of the Year award for her success across multiple sports. The Hillston Swans under 14's player earned selection for the GWS academy through her participation in the Griffith AFL program. Hayley also competed in RAP basketball and netball teams and achieved state-level success in swimming and track and field events.

Nathan Cahill has been awarded 2025 Sportsperson of the Year following another stellar year for the Hillston Golf Club men's captain. Nathan has led the club for the past five years while continuing to excel competitively. In 2025 he won the club championship for the fourth time in five years and represented Hillston Golf Club in regional competitions throughout the year.