Community Recognition Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2026 City of Launceston Community Recognition Awards.
Community Recognition Awards aim to recognise Australian citizens who have made a significant contribution to the Launceston municipal area through volunteer work.
Do you know a person within your organisation who has contributed significantly through their work in our community? Or has your organisation staged a successful community event during the year? If so, we encourage you to submit a Community Recognition Award nomination.
Award categories
Past recipients have been awarded across four categories:
- Citizen Award
- Sports Award
- Community Event of the Year Award
- Young Citizen Award
Guidelines and criteria
Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year Awards
- The award should be given to a person who has made a significant contribution in the Launceston area.
- The nominee must reside in the Launceston municipal area and be an Australian citizen.
- A person can only receive one Citizen/Young Citizen Award during his/her lifetime.
- A person must be 27 years of age or older (Citizen Award) or under 27 years of age (Young Citizen Award) on the 1st of January.
Criteria for Citizen Award
All nominations received will be assessed against the following criteria:
- The impact of the person’s contribution to either a particular field, locality, group, community or humanity at large.
- The period of time that the person has made a major commitment.
- Whether the person’s contribution has been recognised elsewhere (eg in the media, by other awards, interest groups or local councils).
- The level of excellence that the person has demonstrated in their chosen field.
- Level of voluntary contribution beyond paid employment
- The person has contributed service that is worthy of recognition.
Sports Award
Persons can be nominated for a Sports Award for any of the following criteria:
- Persons who have a noteworthy record of achievement in sport
- Persons who have made a significant contribution to sport as a coach, official or administrator
- A person can only receive one Sports Award during his/her lifetime.
- Please note: it is not necessary for the nominee for the Sports Award to reside in the Launceston Municipality, but he/she should reside in Northern Tasmania and have contributed to sport in the city of Launceston.
Community Event of the Year Award
Consideration is given, but not limited to the following selection criteria:
- The event must be held in the Launceston municipality.
- Benefit to the community, i.e. how the event "gave back" to the community;
- The amount of hours spent organising and running the event;
- The number of community volunteers who assisted with organising and/or running the event;
- Number of attendees at the event;
- Where were the proceeds (if any) allocated;
- Accessibility to the event;
- Cost to enter the event;
- An event can only receive an award once
Community Recognition Awards Nomination Form
Nominations close 5pm on 23 January 2026.
For further information please contact 6323 3101 or email communityrecognitionawards@launceston.tas.gov.au
Community Recognition Awards recipients
Since 1986 the City of Launceston has called for nominations to recognise members of our community who have made a significant contribution to the Launceston municipal area through volunteer work or have gone above and beyond without recompense in their paid work.
From 1986 to 2018 the program was the Australia Day Awards. Following a Council decision in 2019 the awards were renamed to the Community Recognition Awards.
View past recipients from 1986 - 2024 by downloading the PDF(PDF, 373KB).
Below are the names of those who received recognition for their work in the community over the years.
(Note: some years are missing as there were no nominations or recipients)
Citizen Award
| 2024 |
Aunty Judith-Rose Thomas
|
|
2023
|
Jill Dearing
|
|
2022
|
Darren Papworth
Pooja Joshi
|
|
2021
|
Janine Healey
|
|
2020
|
Carol Fuller
|
|
2019
|
Denise Delphin OAM
|
|
2017
|
Alan and Win Gray
Pearl and Keith Treasure
|
|
2016
|
Kristen Desmond
|
|
2015
|
Roger Valentine OAM
Group "Bounty": Graham and June Walford, Wayne Walford, John Byers,
Esala Sakita
|
|
2014
|
Mervyn Whybrow
Joan Green OAM
|
|
2013
|
Rosalind Lewis
|
|
2012
|
Diane Hayes
|
|
2011
|
Margaret Hanstein
Anthony Roper
|
|
2010
|
Marlene Williams
Maurice Lowe OAM
Kenneth Bassett
Donald Macdonald
|
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2009
|
Kim Schneiders
Ray Willis
Harold Williams
|
|
2008
|
Pamela Watkins
Peter Dunphy
|
|
2007
|
Hazel Dawe
Martin Edward O’Bryan OAM
Janise Main
|
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2006
|
James Byrne
Heather Barker
Stanlin Laughlin
|
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2005
|
Beverley Jackson
Lex Van Dongen
Errol Rossiter
Dianna Baker
|
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2004
|
Lilah Fitzallen
Cheryl Shuttleworth
Barry Triffitt
George Viney
|
|
2003
|
Barry Birtwistle
Patricia Coward
Irving Fong
Ray Norman
|
|
2002
|
Ronald Barber
Michael Morrison
Jack Munting
|
|
2001
|
Gus Green OAM
Rex McLean
Elaine Piggott
Bill Tann
|
|
2000
|
Mollie Campbell-Smith
MBE AM
Beck Harwood
Jeff Hockley
Helen Moir
|
|
1999
|
Eileen Digney
Margaret East
Henry Harris
Brian Maple
|
|
1998
|
Marjory Walker
|
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1997
|
May Milner
Jean Baulis
Kenneth Dickinson
|
|
1996
|
Ruth Mainsbridge OAM
Margaret Moore AM
Winifred Price
|
|
1995
|
John Dunn
Robin Elkerton
|
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1994
|
Aileen Atkins
Ross Game
Lynne Neep
Jan Siejka OAM
|
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1993
|
Claire Clarke
Betty Mayhead
Colin Smith
|
|
1992
|
Hugh Coull
Nita Neil
Jean Peck
Aileen Smith
|
|
1991
|
Allan Gittus
Errol Cooper
Pat Igoe AM
|
|
1990
|
Dr Lachlan Hardy-Wilson
Frances Poxon
Hazel Chatwin
Gwen Walsh
|
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1989
|
Inspector Laurie Leaver
Reg Leslie
Verna Willis
|
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1988
|
The Very Reverend
Dean Edwin Lloyd
Kathleen Lee
Bert & Pat Howard
|
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1987
|
Morton Jones
Hazel Lambert
Dr Geraldine Archer
Bruce Watling
Angela Bradley
|
|
1986
|
Gweyneth Targett
Lindsay Powell
Jean Neilson
|
Young Citizen Award
|
2018
|
Carey-Lee Richards
|
|
2016
|
Chloe Cunningham
|
|
2014
|
Adam Mostogl
|
|
2012
|
Fiona Miller
|
|
2011
|
Fiona Abernethy
|
|
2010
|
Danny Gibson
|
|
2009
|
Elana Andrews
|
|
2008
|
Belinda Hanson
|
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2007
|
Jaime-Lee Bailey
|
|
1999
|
Natasha Chokilat
Symon Tanton
|
|
1997
|
Clint Freeman
John Gregory
|
|
1995
|
Elizabeth Tasker
|
|
1994
|
Tony Chapman
|
|
1990
|
Lynn Tanner
Rhonda Goiser
|
|
1987
|
Joanne Sinclair-Burke
|
|
1986
|
Jocelyn Millar-Cubit
|
Sports Award
|
2016
|
Leonard Potter
Sheryl Burnie
|
|
2014
|
Max O'Toole
Mark Brown
|
|
2012
|
Adam Sanders
David Brasher
|
|
2011
|
Charmaine Colbeck
Judith Casey
Narelle Cameron
|
|
2009
|
Wim Vaessen
|
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2008
|
Geoffrey Lyons
Andrew Willis
|
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2007
|
Kerry Dawkins
Kim Gillard
|
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2006
|
James Witheford
|
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2005
|
Luke Vaessen
Matthew Goss
Rebecca Quail
|
|
2004
|
Patrick Coleman
Brandan Long
Tiah Simmons
Louise Yaxley
|
|
2003
|
Belinda Goss
Emily Williams
Stephanie Williams
|
|
2002
|
Deon Birtwistle
Mark Strochnetter
Naomi Williams
|
|
2001
|
Daniel Geale
|
|
2000
|
David
Brickhill-Jones
Kristy Moore
|
|
1999
|
Jayne Badcock
Samuel Wright
|
|
1998
|
Louise Daveron
Sean Sullivan
|
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1997
|
Jo-anne Hoare
Georgina Hardwick
|
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1996
|
Carmen Miller
North Launceston Football Club
Tornadoes (Women’s Basketball)
|
|
1995
|
Brendon Allanby
Roger Barns
|
|
1994
|
Amanda Inman
Fiona Morse
Ricky Ponting
|
|
1993
|
Greg Crick
Simon Youl
Michael Siggins
|
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1992
|
Leigh Bryan
Louise Fairfax
|
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1991
|
Mark Matthews
Matthew Gilmour
|
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1990
|
Greg Campbell
Sarah Gregg
Jan Walley
|
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1989
|
David Boon
|
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1988
|
Malcolm Campbell
Shirley Brasher
Dr Harold Roberts-Thomson
Belinda Barrett
Michael Cheney
|
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1987
|
Gino Fratangelo
|
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1986
|
Lisa Ruffin
Fiona Bardenhagen
|
Community Event of the Year (special category in 1993 and added as a category in 2013)
| 2024 |
2023 Launceston Gem and Mineral Show
|
|
2023
|
Veterans Cricket over 70s National Championships
|
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2022
|
Launceston Connect
Launceston Community Harmony Day
|
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2021
|
REMADE 2020
Harvest Launceston
Soggy Bottom Regatta
Minds Do Matter
Mt Barrow Challenge
|
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2020
|
Harmony Day Launceston
|
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2019
|
Tamar Valley Peace Festival
|
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2018
|
2017 Australian National Band Championships
|
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2017
|
Community Kitchen (Migrant Resource Centre and Inveresk Tavern)
|
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2014
|
Simon's Ball
|
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2013
|
Under 18 National Bowls Championships hosted by North Launceston Bowls Club
Jesus Christ Superstar presented by Encore Theatre Company
|
|
1993
|
Festivale
|
RSL Award (special category 2007)
Design Award (special category 2004)