Hepburn Shire Councillor Don Henderson has been awarded the Mayor Emeritus title by the Municipal Association Victoria. The honour recognises his long-standing service and three terms as mayor. The award was presented at the 2026 Councillor Service Awards dinner in Melbourne on 22 October. Henderson said the award belonged to the many people who had supported positive change over the years. Current Mayor Tony Clark said Henderson had been the longest-serving councillor since the shire was formed in 1995.
Greek Cypriot community advocate Constantine Pagonis has received a Council on the Ageing Victoria Senior Achiever Award. The honour was presented on Tuesday, 20 October, as part of the 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards. Pagonis has spent more than 40 years as a volunteer, mentor and advocate for culturally diverse communities. He has served on the Welcoming Cities governance committee since 2015 and edited a newsletter for the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria. He also volunteers to digitise historical records at the Australian Jazz Museum.
Macedon Ranges local Gregory Snart has been recognised for his community service. He joined the CFA in 1997 and is now group officer for eight brigades in his local area. Snart also runs youth mental health first aid programs and delivers fire safety information to schools, Landcare groups and aged care facilities. He says he was humbled to be chosen for the Ageing Victorian Senior Achiever Award, but that recognition is not why he helps his community. He is proud of his brigade's mix of ages and genders.
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Kaniva resident Noel Austin received a Highly Commended award in the Premier's Award for Victorian Senior of the Year at Parliament House on Tuesday. West Wimmera Shire Council nominated him for his long-standing work with the Country Fire Authority and Rural Financial Counselling Victoria-Wimmera South West. Mayor Tim Meyer, who attended the ceremony, said Mr Austin's contribution spanned more than six decades. Mr Austin joined the CFA in 1964 and remains an active volunteer, mentoring generations of members and training about 600 volunteers in driving.
The Lions Club of Hamilton in western Victoria is recognised for a long list of community work, according to its president, Raelene Hadden. Its projects include fundraising for the Children's Hospital Appeal, school eye screenings, hospital patient driving, Meals on Wheels, and support for local events. Members also run raffles and a regional skin-check van, and have raised money for hearing dogs, bushfire appeals and disaster relief overseas. The club's Hamilton Showgrounds headquarters needs new roller doors, which members hope to fund through a budget bid with Southern Grampians Shire Council.
Bill Dowson, who built small businesses in hardware, self-storage and document management, now chairs The Cram Foundation. He advocates for people with disability across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions. Dowson joined the board in 2017, arguing that running a not-for-profit requires many of the same skills as running a business. He says the organisation has shifted from a clinical approach to a human rights approach, with people with disability entitled to the same freedoms and choices as anyone else. Dowson has been named a finalist for a 2026 social justice award.
The Bulli Hospital Auxiliary marked its centenary with a high tea on 8 September. Guests included the Minister for Health, Ryan Park, and Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown. The group, a branch of the United Hospital Auxiliaries of NSW, raises funds for patients and hospital services through donations, market stalls and raffles. Thirty-seven members and guests gathered at Corrimal RSL. Janice Puddle, the longest-serving member, remains vice-president alongside her granddaughter, Rosalie Lakalaka.
Graham Mulroney has been awarded the Melvin Jones Diamond Lapel Pin for 53 years of community support in Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. The Lions Club of Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads member and former president said the honour was a big surprise. He credited the achievements to teams working together. Mr Mulroney joined Lions in 1974 and took part in many community projects, including bushfire relief after the 2009 Victorian bushfires, which earned him an Australian Government Award.
