June 2nd, 20262026 Community Awards

Hepburn Shire Council’s Community Awards have recognised the valuable contribution of community members and volunteers in the shire. The awards were presented during Volunteer Week.

Citizen of the Year went to Daylesford’s Frank Page, Event of the Year went to to art event Radical Fields and was accepted by Glenlyon’s Ryan Kennedy and the Hepburn Together award went to The Biggest Morning Tea and was accepted by Bill and Lois Hetherington.
There were no nominations for Young Citizen of the Year this year.
Mayor Cr Tony Clark congratulated all the award recipients and expressed his gratitude for their profound positive impact on the shire.
“All our award recipients are well deserving and should be proud of what they have achieved. Our volunteers are the heart of our communities, and those who have made exceptional contributions deserve to be recognised. Volunteers are the heart and glue of our community and Hepburn Shire’s punches above its weight.”
Frank Page has contributed to the cultural, environmental and civic life of Daylesford for more than four decades.
A Vietnam veteran, heritage advocate and garden lover, Frank has led countless local initiatives through the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Friends of Lake Daylesford, Christ Church Anglican, the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, and regional tourism organisations.
At the same time as his involvement with the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, Frank was also engaged with the Fitzroy Learning Network, an inner-city neighbourhood centre supported by the Myer Foundation. As a long-term Myer employee, Frank worked with the foundation after retirement, helping to establish a partnership between the Fitzroy and Daylesford centres. This initiative enabled refugee families from Fitzroy to visit and connect with Daylesford, building productive and positive cross-community relationships.
Frank was also a committee member of the Williamstown Little Theatre for several years and oversaw marketing and production of the monthly newsletter, which helped the 80-year-old community theatre sustain engagement and morale throughout the Covid pandemic.
His leadership is defined by creativity, cooperation and persistence – qualities that have brought people together across generations and interests.
Cr Clark said Radical Fields had positively impacted the shire community by engaging and encouraging community participation and celebrating our unique culture.
The Biggest Morning Tea also had a positive impact on the community by bringing people together to participate, promoting inclusiveness while recognising and valuing diversity, and building a more resilient community.