Salamander Bay father Luke Noble has been named Volunteer of the Year at the Nelson Bay Netball Association presentation night. The 44-year-old helps maintain courts at the Tomaree Sporting Complex, runs the weekly barbecue and scores matches on match days. He said he felt a little embarrassed but honoured to receive the award. His daughters Emily and Abigail both play netball, and his wife Mel is a team coach and manager. Noble said he simply enjoys the game and helps keep the courts safe for players.
High school student Harold Kay has been named the 2026 Central Coast Volunteer of the Year. He is recognised for his ongoing work in beach safety and support for young people with disabilities.
Colin Jacka has volunteered for 12 years at Balranald’s Southern Cross Museum, driven by a childhood fascination with Charles Kingsford Smith. He secured replica aircraft, including the Southern Cross and Lady Southern Cross, housed in a venue donated by local resident Allan Ferguson. The museum also showcases unpatented local inventions alongside national history. Jacka is the great-nephew of Albert Jacka, the first Australian awarded the Victoria Cross for Gallipoli.
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The Manly Fig, a volunteer-run live music night, has been running since March 2009. Founder Robbie Elliot and her husband Steve started it to give singer-songwriters a place where audiences would actually listen. Each month, three acts of different genres perform, with audiences of up to 200 people. Entry costs $25, which pays the musicians and covers expenses, and no profit is made. Each show is recorded and broadcast on RNB Live on Sunday nights.
Surf Coast Suns president Claire Sadler has won the Volunteer of the Year award at the Netball Victoria awards night on Sunday 18 October. Sadler has devoted more than seven years to improving opportunities for players at Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club. She has pushed for resurfaced courts, player benches, shelters, spectator seating and accessible change rooms. Piper Stephens, aged 16, shared the Under 23 MVP award with Millie Hogg of Melbourne University Lightning. Eliza Dunell of Newtown & Chilwell won the Under 23 Hot Shots award.
Longtime volunteer Ron Chittick has been awarded Life Membership of the North Coast National A & I Society, the highest honour the society can give. The presentation was made during the 2026 Lismore Show. Chittick first helped with show jumping in 1969 and has since judged, designed courses and organised events across the region. Society president John Gibson said Chittick has shown exceptional dedication over more than 55 years. Chittick also spent 50 years as a livestock auctioneer and has given more than 30 years to Rotary.
Mel Kypri, founder of MoWaNa Safe Space, has been named Northern Beaches Volunteer of the Year. The Warringah local is also a finalist for a $20,000 grant to expand her peer-led mental health support service. MoWaNa operates four nights a week, offering a drop-in space for people experiencing loneliness, homelessness, or emotional distress, including suicidal thoughts. Kypri created the service after her own mental health struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
