News

Helen’s Australia Day honour

By Jared Loughnan

Jan 26, 2023

Yarrawonga’s Citizen of the Year Helen White pictured with guest speaker Ross Mulquiney and Moira Shire Councillor Peter Mansfield.

Wilby’s tireless community volunteer Helen White is Yarrawonga’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.

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The Yarrawonga Australia Day awards ceremony was hosted at Kennedy Park this morning by the Yarrawonga Mulwala Rotary Club in front of a large crowd who listened to a stirring speech from guest speaker Ross Mulquiney.

For decades, Helen White has been secretary of the Wilby Hall Committee and secretary of the Reserve Committee, which encompasses the tennis courts, the camp draft area, the race course and the cemetery

Helen was a leading force in the recent renovation of the Wilby Hall and sits on other committees in Yarrawonga such as the Yarrawonga Community Action Group and is secretary of the newly formed Lake Mulwala Lions Club.

**Yarrawonga SES (State Emergency Service) claimed the Community Organisation of the Year.**

For 2023 there were no Young Citizen of the Year or Community Event nominations, however Yarrawonga SES (State Emergency Service) claimed the Community Organisation of the Year.

The Yarrawonga SES is ably led by Jason Forber and consists of approximately 20 members who train weekly and actively provide emergency assistance to hundreds of locals and visitors every year, often unseen.

In last three years in a row the local SES team have broken records for the amount of call outs they have attended to in a 12 month period.

More about the awards, guest speaker Ross Mulquiney’s speech and the winners will appear in next week’s edition of the Yarrawonga Chronicle.