WILCANNIA - 2025 Outstanding Community Service Award Recipients

Rebecca Hatch - Citizen of the Year

An outstanding nurse, Rebecca is always behind every large community event. She never fails to support community events including the Easter weekend fishing competition.

Rebecca is always volunteering her help and knowledge.

Cassandra Auld - Special Recognition Outstanding Service to the Community

Cassandra has outstanding dedication and leadership supporting the community in the Wilcannia Forbes Diocese.

An active member of the St Therese Community School for several years, helping to organize important events and initiatives, she is also involved in fostering First Nations Leadership, helping ensure that the voices of Aboriginal people are heard in the broader church community.

She has undertaken a lot of work developing and delivering training programs for educators helping them understand and incorporate aboriginal perspectives into teaching.

Owen Whyman – Outstanding Service to the Community

Convener of the Indigenous Aboriginal party of Australia created in Wilcannia, Owen is also member of the Wilcannia Golf Club.

He is on the Maari Ma Board of Directors, and is the representative for Wilcannia. He sits on North/Western Aboriginal Water Committee, and is Deputy Chair Mutawintji National Park.

Owen is the Chair of Paroo-Darling National Park, Indigenous People's Organisation where he has Been selected to attend Azerbaijan to do a presentation on the Darling River.

Bill Elliott - Volunteer of Year

He is always there to help out and help others, and always checks on elderly residents. Bill works tirelessly in the community.

He is involved with numerous community projects including supporting tourism for the town, the local paper, and much more.