Australia Day 2013
Australia Day in Hobart is traditionally marked by an Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony and the presentation of the Council's Citizen, Young Citizen and Community Event of the Year Awards at the Sandy Bay Regatta at the Nutgrove Beach Reserve commencing at 11 am, by the Lord Mayor of Hobart.
Australia Day Awards
The Australia Day awards are part of a group of awards co-ordinated through the National Australia Day Council and administered by local councils throughout Australia.
The awards are presented to citizens in recognition of personal achievement and to acknowledge outstanding contributions to the local community.
In recent years recipients of the Hobart City Council awards were required to be resident in the Hobart municipal area, but this has now been changed and nominations are welcomed for anyone who has made a noteworthy contribution to the Hobart community.
2013 award winners are:
Citizen of the Year
Dr Nitan Verma
Dr Nitan Verma qualified as an ophthalmic surgeon in India in the 1980s and has helped coultless people restore their vision. Dr Verma is now a Hobart eye specialist and ophthalmic surgeon and has been living in Hobart since 2002. He has performed sight-restoring surgery on 55,000 people from India to Hobart and Papua New Guinea, the Northern Territory and East Timor.
Dr Verma undertakes numerous aid projects overseas by travelling to East Timor and Western Samoa with a group of highly skilled, talented and generous people to help make a difference and to restore vision in people. He has made remarkable inroads in East Timor, which he first visited for a week many years ago as the sole ophthalmologist. It was the start of the East Timor Eye Program which now includes more than 54 voluntary participants from all over Australia, as well as a fully trained East Timorese specialist in Dili.
Dr Verma is also the Honorary Consul for the Democratic Repulic of Timor-Leste in Tasmania. This also inspired him to start a scholarship program with the University of Tasmania called "Strings for Timor" which provides strings for East Timorese musicians.
Young Citizen of the Year
Miss Elizabeth Carin
Miss Elizabeth Carin is a young woman with a great passion for and commitment to social justice and the environment. Elizabeth is a year 12 student at Hobart College and lives independently, as her family lives on the East Coast of Tasmania, but she managed to balance her study commitments with her involvement in a variety of groups for change.
Elizabeth is a member of the Oaktree Foundation and in 2011 she worked with the Foundation to stage a two day conference which aimed to encourage young people to act on their unconventional ideas, and to teach them skills for making change. In 2011 and 2012, Elizabeth worked with VGen, World Vision's youth movement. She has provided support for schools in the south of the State by being a mentor for the State team, and she also organised a clothes swap in August 2012 to raise money for the 40 Hour Famine. Elizabeth is also a volunteer with Australian Youth Climate Coalition and helped set up the Tasmanian Branch.
Community Event of the Year
2012 Festival of Voices
The 2012 Festival of Voices, now in its 8th year is Tasmania's largest winter and cultural event, and Australia's premier festival celebrating voices in its many forms and it has proven to be an innovative and vibrant creative initiative that is attracting record number of participants and crowds. The 2012 Festival of Voices reinforces its cultural and community impact, by successfully engaging with an increasingly diverse sector of the Hobart community and attracting new participants. The Festival attracted audiences of over 18,000 people and its success has had a broad economic impact for Tasmania.
Recent winners
Citizen of the Year
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2012
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Mrs Leone Scrivener – Recognition of her long record of services to education in the Hobart community through her years as a teacher. |
|
2011
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Mrs Romilda Amarosi – Fundraising services to the Cancer Council of Tasmania over many years. |
| 2010 |
Mr Nicola Ranalli - Services to the Abruzzese community in Hobart. |
| 2009 |
Dr Sheila Given - Contribution to the areas of ageing policy and education. |
| 2008 |
2008 Mrs Jean Panton OAM - Contribution to the areas of medical research, cultural heritage and the environment. |
| 2007 |
Mr Alojzy (Alex) Dziendziel - over 50 years of community service. |
| 2006 Joint Winners: |
| |
Mrs Marie Ducat - 50 years of service to Meals on Wheels and Mr Liberatore Allocca - contribution to the Italian community. |
Young Citizen of the Year
|
2012
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Ms Nene Manasseh - In recognition of her involvement in supporting young refugee students. |
| 2011 |
Ruby Johnston – Youth leader and ambassador – 2010 Make Poverty History Road Trip. |
| 2010 |
Eva Mackinley - Working with young people. |
| 2009 |
Alex Moores - Contribution as an advocate for young people. |
| 2008 |
Jacob Millier - Contribution to social issues affecting young people. |
| 2007 |
Johanna (Hanny) Allston - world champion orienteer. |
| 2006 |
Habte Weldemarian - support of Ethiopian refugees. |
Community Event of the Year
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2012
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2011 Fairer World Festival. |
| 2011 |
Mother’s Day Classic Fun Run and Walk. |
| 2010 |
Homeless Connect Hobart. |
| 2009 |
Friends of Soldiers Memorial Avenue - 90th Anniversary Event. |
| 2008 |
The Sustainable Living Expo. |
| 2007 |
The City to Casino Fun Run. |
| 2006 |
The Cancer Council's Relay for Life. |
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