Australia Day Award Winners

Citizen of the Year Christine Keys is president of the Dandenong and District Historical Society and has been recognised for her ongoing commitment to the preservation, promotion and sharing of local history of Greater Dandenong to our diverse community.

Young Leaders of the Year (joint winners) Jemma Leeson has been a member of the Noble Park Girl Guides for eight years and has shown amazing growth as a leader among her peers. She has also been a junior volunteer with the CFA for one year, and has acted in a coaching role for school sporting teams.

Young Leaders of the Year (joint winners) Tanishka Sharma was a passionate member of Council’s Young Leaders program in 2018 and helped plan and deliver key projects for local youth. She is a positive role model and mentor for her peers who now volunteers with the FReeZA committee and has been a positive representation of Greater Dandenong’s young people at many local events.

Volunteer of the Year Agnes Kean is a founding member and the current president of the Interfaith Network of Greater Dandenong. She has also worked in a voluntary capacity for other community groups since the 1980s.

Community Group of the Year The Greater Dandenong Environmental Group has been conducting environmental and sustainability related activities for Greater Dandenong residents since 1990. Activities include native tree planting, Water Watch, Frog Watch, Clean Up Australia Day and bat nightwalks.

Sustainability Award Bryan Hunter is an environmental education specialist at Athol Road Primary School, and has established a full scale urban farm providing fresh fruit and vegetables for school cooking programs and to sell to the school community.

Sportsperson of the Year Dean Jones has expanded the junior ranks at the Silverton Cricket Club from just 15 in 2016-17 to almost 100 in 2019-20. He created a multicultural program and has raised money to help underprivileged children take part in sport.

Corporate Citizen of the Year Julie Busch is the Chairman and Non-Executive Director at the Dandenong Market and Deputy Chair and Non-Executive director at Interact Australia. She uses her platform to benefit the wider community and consistently reaches out to others to find ways to positively impact others.

Living Treasure Award Robert ‘Bob’ Malcolm has been a community advocate in Greater Dandenong since the 1960s. He started a residents’ association that ran for more than 20 years, and drove the building of two local primary schools and a kindergarten. He has continued to advocate for community health and safety issues, particularly in Keysborough.

Living Treasure Award Ian McDonald has contributed significantly to the lives of many Greater Dandenong residents through his role as a councillor and two-time mayor of the City of Dandenong. A keen advocate for sport and the arts, he is a life member of both the City of Greater Dandenong Band and the Dandenong and District Cricket Association. He has also served on the board of many local and statewide charities.

Living Treasure Award Margo Hartley co-founded Hilton Manufacturing 40 years ago. She was inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2008 and was awarded an OAM in 2016. She has been heavily involve din local scouting groups, Dandenong Primary School, Dandenong Hospital and Mercy Ships, and continues to sponsor Brand New Day a community house in Dandenong.

Living Treasure Award Josephine De Lange actively supports the Greater Dandenong community through various volunteer roles. Her contribution to seniors clubs and groups has enhanced the health and wellbeing of many local seniors. She is a volunteer with Council and the Southern Migrant Refugee Centre and amazes others with her commitment and care to those she is supporting.