Cardinia Shire's 2026 Australia Day Award nominees announced

Published: 15 January 2026

Cardinia Shire Council is proud to announce the nominees for the Cardinia Shire Australia Day Awards 2026.

The annual Australia Day Awards celebrate and recognise the exceptional contributions and achievements of individuals and groups within our community. 

Award categories include Citizen of the Year, Senior Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Event of the Year.

This year’s nominees have demonstrated outstanding dedication, leadership, and commitment to making a difference.

The nominees for 2026 are:

Citizen of the Year

  • Brijal Parikh
  • Caroline Roff
  • Coral Belrost
  • Kim Thomsen
  • Lisa Ann Hicks
  • Moira Eveleens
  • Queyea Tuazama
  • Renuka Vijayakumaran
  • Robb Evans
  • Stephen Paul Hicks
  • Sonya Boloski
  • Vanessa Kewish

Senior Citizen of the Year

  • Maureen Timms
  • Merle Mathisen
  • Ted Godwin

Young Citizen of the Year

  • Eliza Owen
  • Keilah Joy Dewar
  • Priyansh Parikh

Event of the Year

  • Emerald Arts Society Annual Art Exhibition
  • Officer Community ANZAC Day Dawn Service
  • Sing for Unity

Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Brett Owen extended his congratulations to this year’s nominees.

“Cardinia Shire Council is proud to recognise the efforts and contributions of all nominees for this year’s Australia Day Awards,” Mayor Owen said.

“Your hard work and commitment has made a positive impact on our community, and we thank you for your valuable contributions.

“Congratulations to all nominees, and we wish you all the best of luck.”

Mayor Owen thanked the community members who submitted nominations for this year’s awards and for highlighting the remarkable contributions of the nominees.

The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on Thursday 22 January. Councillors and former winners are invited to vote on the nominations received for each category. A unique link is provided to each person voting which only registers one vote and can only be used by the person voting. Prior to voting, each participant is required to complete a Conflict of Interest and confidentiality declaration. 

Council will also welcome 150 new Australian citizens to Cardinia Shire at a citizenship ceremony at the Cardinia Cultural Centre on Monday 26 January. 

For more information about the Australia Day awards, please visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/australiaday

Feeds from the web