With just one week left, Rockhampton Regional Council is calling on residents to recognise a local legend by submitting their nominations for the 2026 Australia Day Awards.
Deputy Mayor and Communities, Culture and Heritage Councillor Drew Wickerson said that while some incredible nominations have already been received, it's vital the community continues to step forward to nominate those who deserve acknowledgement.
"Nominations close next Sunday 14 December, and with eight award categories there's ample opportunity to shine a spotlight on the local legends who shape, uplift and connect our communities," Cr Wickerson said.
"We've received some outstanding nominations so far, but a number of categories are currently underrepresented including the Young Citizen of the Year, and the Arts and Culture Award."
Parks, Sport and Public Spaces Councillor Cherie Rutherford said that simply being nominated is often special acknowledgement for someone who has achieved amazing feats during the year or given of their time.
"Please take the time to nominate a remarkable cultural or sporting achiever or the unsung hero in your community, so we can recognise them in our Australia Day celebrations in 2026," Cr Rutherford said.
"We ask you to let the person know you are nominating them prior to submitting your form and remind the community we can only accept nominees who have contributed via unpaid, voluntary service."
The 2025 Community Service Award recipient Mr David Grenfell OAM was recognised for dedicating over three decades to the Rockhampton community, working tirelessly to support training, upskilling and housing initiatives.
A retired construction industry professional, David was a founding executive member and is current Chair of The Shelter Collective, playing a pivotal role in creating affordable housing solutions during a time of great need.
The Shelter Collective's ARC-20 project, now a tangible symbol of hope in Rockhampton, provides stable, safe housing for women and families facing homelessness and domestic violence.
"It's very humbling to be recognised but it's not just about the recognition of the Award, it's about the community that have supported the programs we're running," Mr Grenfell said.
"My motivation goes back to when I was a child, I was three years old, my mother was an escapee from domestic violence.
"In those years there was no support for women who were escaping or fleeing domestic violence.
"And here we are, 66 years later, and we've still got women suffering and not having anywhere to go, we've got a real emergency housing problem at the moment as well as an affordable rental crisis.
"So that's motivated me, when I stopped working full-time to give back to the community and that's the area I've been concentrating on."
Mr Grenfell said the Australia Day Awards not only highlighted the volunteers within the Rockhampton Region, it also promoted the idea of giving back to the community.
"The more we highlight and recognise those people that out there, the more opportunity we have to promote it and get younger people involved in volunteering," Mr Grenfell said.
"Without our volunteers, our community would be in a fair bit of trouble."
Nominations close on Sunday 14 December 2025 with nominations considered across the following categories:
- Citizen of the Year
- Young Citizen of the Year
- Community Service Award
- Arts and Culture Award
- Sportsperson of the Year
- Junior Sportsperson of the Year
- Sports Official of the Year
- Community Initiative/Event.
For selection criteria, conditions of entry and nomination forms visit https://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/CommunityEvents/Australia-Day-Awards
