Two community champions have been named Fremantle Citizen of the Year, with the selection committee unable to split the top nominees.
Christian Mauri, who runs ‘Politics in the Pub’ events and the Fremantle Chess Club and Sarah Booth, a passionate advocate for the creative use of underused spaces in Fremantle were jointly presented with the honour by Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge at an awards ceremony at Walyalup Civic Centre on Tuesday evening.
Mayor Fitzhardinge noted that the calibre of nominees was extremely high this year.
“Beyond the more formal ways in which Christian is engaged in the community, it’s his small acts of generosity and kindness that should also be celebrated, like dropping in on elderly people to see if they’re OK,” Mayor Fitzhardinge added.
As well as convening community discussions on topics from international geopolitics to local issues, Christian also volunteers his time as a guide at St John’s Anglican Church.
“A lot of the work that I do is not just by myself, but with a lot of people who are extremely dedicated to the city. I wouldn’t be able to do half of what I do if it wasn’t for all those amazing people,” Mr Mauri said.
Through her role with Spacemarket, Sarah Booth has worked to find places for small businesses, creatives, not for profits and entrepreneurs to base themselves in Fremantle.
“She has also been a keen supporter of initiatives such as the Street Gallery project, using empty shopfronts to showcase the work of local artists,” Mayor Fitzhardinge added.
“I am so honoured and so thrilled that I get to be a part of the ecosystem. Spacemarket is just one part of a rich ecosystem of people that are all working to make Fremantle the place we all want it to be,” Ms Booth said.
The Active Citizenship Award went to Friends of Clontarf Hill which has been maintaining and enhancing the conservation values of a remnant tuart woodland for more than 25 years.
“As a volunteer group, Friends of Clontarf Hill have demonstrated resilience and commitment over the years, staring down scheme amendments, fighting weeds and invasive species, uncovering the historical remnants of settlement and war, all while planting more than 30,000 new native plants, with the help of over 1,000 volunteers,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
“The group is really happy to be recognised for their work, because the site has had some issues over the years and people have worked really hard,” representative Christine Duckham said.
Fremantle’s most prolific blogger, Roel Loopers, was awarded Senior Citizen of the Year for capturing everyday moments of Fremantle life through his photojournalism, and for being an advocate for positive change in the city.
“As the winner of the Citizen of the Year Award back in 2012, I hope he doesn’t mind being recognised in the ‘Senior’ category 12 years later!” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
“It’s extremely special. I feel very honoured,” Mr Loopers said.
Kate Raston received the Young Citizen of the Year Award for her work as the co-founder of We Are Womxn. Kate’s story is one of triumph over adversity, where her personal experience of sexual assault has shaped her into an advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of young women across Western Australia.
“Kate was one of the finalists for 2024 WA Young Australian of the Year. We are honoured to be able to celebrate her achievements in her hometown of Fremantle,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
“I feel so honoured to have won this award. I think it speaks to the importance of the work that we’re doing at We Are Womxn and the impact that we’ve made. We work with 15,000 young women in this state and it’s nice for that to be recognised,” Ms Raston said.
“These awards are a great opportunity for us to thank our local heroes for the important role they play in our community and for making Freo an even better place to live, work and visit,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.
Image above: Fremantle’s Citizens of the Year (L-R): Christian Mauri, Roel Loopers, Roma Sharp and Christine Duckham from Friends of Clontarf Hill, Sarah Booth, Kate Raston with Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.
