Warwick’s 50 most influential people: Counting down from 50-31
From prominent business owners and community leaders to powerhouse athletes and volunteers, these are the first 20 of Warwick’s biggest movers and shakers making their mark.
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The Rose City is a thriving and rapidly evolving place to live, with a huge number of movers and shakers making an impact on our town’s future.
Whether they’re national stars putting Warwick on the map or the business owners, professionals, and public servants working each day to better their community, these are our town’s 50 most influential figures.
This is the first instalment of the series, counting down from 50 to 31:
50. Matilda Sly
The Warwick 2021 Showgirl made history earlier this year as Queensland’s first married woman with children to be crowned showgirl, and has become a voice for bringing agriculture into the future.
The 23-year-old said at the time she was thrilled to be “the face of a new generation” in the regional show scene, and has since represented Queensland Shows Next Gen at events across the state.
Growing up in Goondiwindi but now calling the Rose City home, Mrs Sly also made a name for herself in the business community by launching her Fitzroy Street salon Nude Beauty by Matilda in 2019.
49. Corina Graham
The Warwick artist and mental health advocate has dedicated countless hours and resources to creating a support network for members of the community struggling through tough times.
It led the Warwick artist to founding the Demented Artists Group, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping other members of the community struggling with mental health find support and solace in company.
48. John Skinner
Actively involved with the Warwick RSL sub-branch since 2005, the Vietnam War veteran was elected unopposed as president in 2012 and has continued to work tirelessly as a leading voice of the town’s ex-service community.
Mr Skinner has been a particularly vocal advocate for bringing younger generations of former Defence Force personnel into the fold, and was closely involved in organising Covid-safe memorial services on Anzac and Remembrance Days in 2020 and 2021.
Mr Skinner has also worked with the Daily News and Bush Telegraph teams as a rural journalist.
47. Fiori Cruz
Ms Cruz has spent more than 20 years helping vulnerable members of the Warwick community get their lives back on track after hardship, ranging from farmers battling drought to women experiencing domestic violence.
The dedicated volunteer has spent the past year working with the Queensland Justice Association to help victims of domestic violence from across the region, with Covid pressures exacerbating already difficult home lives.
She was last month nominated for the Queensland Community Achievement award for her efforts.
46. Helen Lewis
Picot’s Farm co-owner Helen Lewis has emerged as one of Warwick’s leading women in agriculture, with she and husband Ian fourth-generation farmers producing some of the area’s most sought-after beef.
Eager to champion the wider region’s prime produce, Mrs Lewis spearheaded the Southern Downs Food Map that was debuted at the Jumpers and Jazz Festival Celebration of Local Flavours event in 2019.
She is an accredited holistic management educator and regularly offers courses to help producers with both land management and running a profitable business.
Mrs Lewis is also a passionate member of the Condamine Headwaters Landcare Group.
45. Peter Stacy
Mr Stacy has long been a fierce advocate for improved accessibility and funding opportunities for members of the Warwick community with a disability.
Formerly the chairman of the Warwick and District Disability Support Group, Mr Stacy has fought to cut red tape on schemes such as NDIS and have public spaces made more accessible for those with physical or intellectual impairments.
When his son Leigh and dozens of other Endeavour Foundation employees were temporarily out of work at the height of the Covid pandemic last year, Mr Stacy stepped up to offer a voice in the community for those who might not be able to articulate needs for themselves.
44. Nancy De Prada
Whether it’s in community groups, sports, or events committees, the list of organisations given a helping hand by dedicated volunteer Nancy De Prada is undoubtedly an impressive one.
The current Warwick Netball Association president and Warwick Crime Stoppers chapter secretary, Mrs De Prada has also been heavily involved with the Jumpers and Jazz in July committee and local theatre productions.
Her tireless volunteer efforts saw her recognised as the 2019 Southern Downs Citizen of the Year, and she told the Daily News at the time that, “If someone needs help and I can help, I will help”.
43. Sally Edwards
She may only have been a member of the Warwick community for a few years, but Sally Edwards has already earned a place alongside some of the town’s most influential.
Ms Edwards became the secretary of the Southern Downs Water Relief Group and helped co-ordinate tens of thousands of litres of water at the height of the drought.
She is also the Rotary Warwick Sunrise Club community director.
Using her previous experience as a director of national organisations such as Horizon Housing, Ms Edwards was president of the Jumpers and Jazz in July committee in 2018 and proved instrumental in bringing thousands of visitors to the festival.
42. Bette Bonney
Another of Warwick’s most committed volunteers, Bette Bonney has become one of the town’s strongest advocates for improved domestic violence services in the region.
Leading the charge as Warwick Safehaven president, Mrs Bonney holds annual candlelit vigils to raise money for domestic violence charities and raise community awareness.
She is also a fierce campaigner for regional tourism and works year-round to boost the profile of Jumpers and Jazz in July as a committee member and event media co-ordinator.
41. Julie Unwin
Mrs Unwin is best known in the community as Warwick’s ‘Shero’ or leader of the town’s Share the Dignity campaign, fighting against period poverty and to shed the stigma around feminine hygiene products.
The dedicated community leader coordinates her volunteering around her regular work as a teacher at Glennie Heights State School and raising her own family.
40. Catherine Cazaly
Driven by her passion for helping those in need to chase a career in nursing, launching her own charity initiative seemed almost natural for Catherine Cazaly.
First inspired by the tough situations faced by some of her patients at Warwick Hospital and the wider effects of drought, Mrs Cazaly’s Community Van has now become a fixture of Leslie Park and the lives of residents in need.
39. Kyle Thompson
Stepping in as Scots PGC College principal at the beginning of 2018, Kyle Thompson has already guided the prestigious boarding school through some difficult periods in his tenure.
Handling all students being forced to learn from home at the beginning of the Covid crisis was tough enough for any school leader, but especially for Scots PGC where dozens of boarders were stranded in a different town or even state to their families.
Mr Thompson was one of nine school principals to petition the State Government to grant border exemptions to students in need, and has continued to advocate for his students’ education and mental health throughout Covid.
Scots PGC remains one of the largest schools in Warwick with about 450 students from Prep to Year 12.
38. Julia Keogh
The Warwick Chamber of Commerce president and former vice-president has been at the forefront of the region’s business and tourism expansion in recent years.
Leading the push to market Warwick’s identity as the Horsepower Capital of Australia, Ms Keogh was also one of the creative minds behind the Legend’s Laneway memorialising 12 of the town’s biggest business and community identities.
She was part of the CoC committee that launched the Shop Local ‘Messages of Love and Hope’ campaign last year to encourage residents to rally around small businesses and boost a local economy shattered by Covid.
Ms Keogh is also a team member of the Women of Warwick panel and a co-founder of both the Community and Business Networks of Warwick.
37. Melissa Chalmers
A proud Githabul woman and fierce indigenous rights advocate, Melissa Chalmers has led the way in her tribe’s claim for native title across Warwick and much of the Southern Downs.
She is one of 10 applicants representing her tribe during the claims process, and spent years prior researching her family history to prove the Githabul People’s connection to the land.
Undeterred by the long road ahead and passionate about creating change, Ms Chalmers has also co-ordinated several NAIDOC events and is fast becoming one to watch in the community.
36. Sue and Clint Hoffman
Known across town as the dynamic mother-son duo behind the ever-popular Warwick’s Gardens Galore, this pair have quickly made a name for themselves in the business community.
The combined cafe and nursery has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with the Hoffmans overcoming Covid pressures to add a fashion boutique and gelato shop to their repertoire in late 2020.
Gardens Galore was voted as Warwick’s best cafe by Daily News readers earlier this year, and the business has been one of the leaders in campaigning for small business support through the drought and Covid crises.
The Hoffman family also own the neighbouring Warwick Motor Inn, which frequently proves a favourite with visitors.
35. Fr Franco Filipetto
Growing up in Stanthorpe with an evident connection to the Southern Downs, Father Franco Filipetto was appointed to St Mary’s Catholic Church in 2011.
After studying in Rome and travelling to Brazil on a volunteer mission, he returned to his roots in regional Queensland and served at parishes including Toowoomba, Texas, Roma, Oakey, and Brisbane.
Father Franco was a core member of the team carrying out restoration works after fire tore through the historic St Mary’s Church in 2017, and has spent the years since finding ways to bring young people into the religious community.
The Warwick church leader was also at the forefront of bringing religious services back to the wider community amid Covid restrictions.
34. Ross Bartley
Deputy Mayor Ross Bartley has long been an outspoken advocate for rural residents across the Southern Downs, especially since his re-election to the council.
Currently pushing for Southern Downs Regional Council to address its unsealed road network and its impact on residents outside the major townships, Cr Bartley has previously voted in favour of controversial projects such as Emu Swamp Dam and the low-budget Warwick Saleyards upgrades.
The irrigation farmer and keen clay shooter ran in the 2020 local government election on a campaign of council transparency, an issue that has remained at the core of multiple debates in the past 18 months.
33. Diba Heinrich
Making the leap from kindergarten teaching to running a gym may seem too bold a move for some, but it’s a risk that’s paid off in spades for Ironside Industry owner Diba Heinrich.
First opening the Parmalat precinct venture in November, 2019, Mrs Heinrich has quickly cultivated a tight-knit and supportive community for gym goers of all ages and skill levels.
She is also a vocal advocate for the mental and often social benefits of exercise alongside the physical, and even offered to lease the gym’s equipment during Covid lockdowns to give members access to their regular “gym therapy”.
32. David Kemp
David Kemp is one of Warwick’s most well-known faces as a leader in both business and community initiatives.
Building B & K Motors on Albion Street from the ground up and with more than 40 years’ experience, the prominent business owner has gone on to earn the seat of Queensland director on member-based automotive industry cooperative Capricorn.
The cooperative has more than 22,000 members and turns over more than $1 billion a year.
Mr Kemp is also one of the community’s leading road safety advocates and is a long-term member of the Warwick District Road Safety Advisory Committee, a group vocal in campaigning for upgrades to the Eight Mile intersection and other black spots.
He is also the former president and current member of the Rotary Warwick Sunrise Club, showing he’ll always go the extra mile to put his community first.
31. Harriet Hudson
The Warwick rowing prodigy, 23, soared to international stardom when she made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
She and her Aussie teammates cemented their place in sporting history when they clinched the bronze medal in the women’s quad sculls, but certainly no one was more proud than parents Drs Lynton and Louise Hudson and the rest of the Warwick community.
Harriet was eager to give back to her hometown as soon as she returned, with one of her first stops former primary school Wheatvale State School to help inspire the next generation to believe kids from small towns can achieve big things.
The Warwick athlete is studying occupational therapy part-time alongside her intense training schedule, but says she hasn’t ruled out gunning for a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic squad – and from what we’ve seen so far, there may be no stopping her success.
Stay tuned for the next instalment revealing rankings 30 to 11 in the coming days!
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