Community Awards recipients announced

HUMBLED and “a bit surprised” is the way farmer John Drife describes discovering he’s this year’s Hepburn Shire Citizen of the Year.

At a civic event in Daylesford last Wednesday, the Hepburn Shire Council named John its Citizen of The Year, also announcing Daylesford’s Atticus Punt-Trethewey as its Young Citizen of the Year.

The Great Dividing Trail Association’s Reconciliation Walks took out Event of the Year as part of the shire’s 2023 Community Awards.

“I was a little bit surprised. It’s very humbling just to be nominated and I’d like to congratulate all the others who were nominated,” said Clunes farmer John Drife.

John and Billie Henderson-Drife farm sheep, cattle and crops in the Glendaruel-Mount Beckworth area just out of Clunes. Both of their families settled in the area back in the mid-1800s.

John paid special homage to his wife Billie, stating that he believed she deserved the award as well.

The farmer is a pivotal part of the community in and around Clunes. He’s on many committees and community groups including the CFA (a member for more than half a century), Waubra Wind Farm Community Fund Committee, Mt Bolton/ Beckworth Landcare Group, Clunes & District Agricultural Society Committee and many more.

John coordinated multiple fundraisers for individuals and groups, in particular playing a central role in Bushy’s Cutout fundraiser in 2018, which raised more than $85,000 to support local shearer Tony ‘Bushy’ Hill in his battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

Other Citizen of the Year nominees were Terry Bolton, Gayle Chappell, Michelle Clifford, Margaret Giles, Natasha Hall and Jennifer Hind.

The shire’s Young Citizen of The Year, Daylesford’s Atticus Punt-Trethewey, was similarly humble.

“It’s not something I ever would have expected,” he said.

The 21-year-old Australian College of the Arts music production student initiated and organised the free youth music event AltWave, held for the first time last year in the Daylesford Town Hall.

Atticus engaged a team of young musicians and entertainers and coordinated support of community groups and businesses to run the event that raised awareness and money for youth mental health.

“I guess more than anything I’m just grateful that the message we’re trying to spread with AltWave has cut through,” said Atticus, who is already busily planning the next AltWave event for later this year.

“The issues that young people face in the region are very important,” he said.

The other nominees for the shire’s Young Citizen award were Flossy Haughie, Lucinda Lowe and Sasha Taylor.

Meanwhile, president of The Great Dividing Trail Association, Daylesford’s Tim Bach, was keen to pay homage to others when the association’s Reconciliation Walks scooped the shire’s Event of the Year award.

“The driving force for this particular event was Barry Golding who did a lot of the research and got permission from landholders, because some of the walks cross onto private land, and he liaised with the Djarra people,” Tim said.

As part of its ongoing, wider guided walks and rides program, the Great Dividing Trail Association held educational guided walks to local sites where Aboriginal Protectorates had been established in the mid-1800s.

The walks highlighted the early post-contact history of First Nations peoples and emphasised the need to acknowledge their mistreatment as a step in the reconciliation process.

The Reconciliation Walks had strong support from Djarra people and have become a regular feature of the GDTA’s wider guided walk program.

“This year we are doing two more walks in significant Aboriginal areas – one to Mount Beckworth on Sunday, August 27 and one to Mount Tarrengower on Sunday, June 25,” Tim said.

“I’m honoured that we received this award. I’m surprised too because there were some really high quality nominations and I feel that we are only a little organisation.”

The other nominees for the shire’s Event of The Year award were AltWave Youth Music Event, CresFest and Wombat Trees Festive Project.

Above, from left, Tim Bach, John Drife and Atticus Punt-Trethewey

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Supplied