The Barraba Community came together at Barraba Golf Club to recognise and celebrate Barraba’s Australia Day Award winners.
Australia Day Ambassador MR John Lee OAM, PHF, BS0cSci founder of ‘You Have a Friend charity’ presented the awards along with Councillor Stephen Mears.
Councillor Mears said the awards were an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of winners and nominees and celebrate the thriving community spirit of Barraba.
“Our community is what it is because of the efforts of our residents. I would like to thank every individual and community group who won and or was nominated for an award,” he said.
Described as extra-ordinary humans, the Barraba 2023 Citizen of the Year was awarded to Nick and Kim Peake. When they tragically and unexpectedly lost their 4-year-old daughter (Ruby) in April 2022 they created Ruby Mae’s Wish in her honor. The initiative has achieved so much in a little over a year including delivering over 50 Ruby Mae’s Wish Care Packages to John Hunter Hospital for parents and carers with children from rural hospitals, donated over $8,970 worth of equipment to the John Hunter Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, launched a website selling purple work shirts and scrubs, as well as walked 60km in less than 18 hours raising $21,790.
Frost Over Barraba were awarded the 2023 Community Event of the Year for their efforts in reinvigorating the event after a hiatus of 2 years caused by Covid 19. The Frost Over Barraba Arts Festival has run for nearly 50 years and has grown into a community celebration of visual arts including paintings, pottery, sculptures, photography, textile and much more. The volunteers were commended for all their hard work in bringing the event back to life.
The celebrations continued with music from Jarred Taylor and band at the Barraba Golf Club.
The Barraba events were assisted by the Australian Government through the National Australia Day Council.
