Whittlesea community members shine once again at this year’s Australia Day awards. In particular, the dedication of local volunteers has been celebrated, with a few tireless locals hailed as heroes for their commitment to the area.

Gillian Borrack was awarded Whittlesea’s Citizen of the Year. A Mernda historian, Ms Borrack was honoured for her work with the Friends of Westgarthtown over the last 20 years. She successfully campaigned for museum accreditation for Ziebell’s Farmhouse and Garden, receiving the classification from Museums Australia Victoria last year. Her dedication to the community has spanned some 40 years, devoting much time to cultural programs in Whittlesea.

Whittlesea’s Young Citizen of the Year was Epping CFA volunteer Liam Gallagher – no relation to the Oasis lead singer. Mr Gallagher has volunteered with the CFA since 2016 and was recently named Epping’s 2018 firefighter of the year.

South Morang’s Brian Crowley was awarded Senior Citizen of the Year, honouring his career as a model aeroplane teacher, which has spanned more than a decade.

The Whittlesea community has achieved some remarkable things in the past year, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings.