PHOTO GALLERY: Australia Day(s) in Byron Shire

FOUNDER of local homeless women's charity named Byron's Citizen of the Year.

AUSTRALIA DAY: Australia Day ambassador Joel Pilgrim (left) presented various awards to Anne Goslett, Tanja Branson, Mark Ward and Ken Ryan, Nerida Dean, Chris Layland, Sybil Johnston, Lynn Smith and Will Gammon. Picture: Christian Morrow

BYRON Shire Council's Australia Day Awards was an intimate affair held on Friday evening at the Cavanbah Centre ahead of the citizenship ceremony on at the Council Chambers in Mullumbimby and other community gatherings across the shire held on Saturday January 26.

Photo Gallery 28-01-2019 09.33

VIEW GALLERY

Byron Shire's Citizen of the Year is Anne Goslett, founder of the SHIFT Project, a residential transitional program for women.

The SHIFT Project Byron supports women through the challenges from homelessness to independence providing educational programs within a supported stable housing environment to develop confidence and motivation for well being.

"SHIFT started as a dream we had walking along the beach thinking something had to change because we were losing too many valuable people in the community to homelessness,” Ms Goslett said.

"The main features of homelessness are that we miss connection- connection to country, connection to each other and particularly connection to ourselves.

"I feel incredibly honoured to have been given the citizen of the year award- there are just so many other people from this brilliant community who have made this program possible.

Ms Goslett also expressed her appreciation of council's decision to hold the award ceremony on Friday night.

"I do appreciate being presented this award on the 25th of January,” Ms Goslett said.

"I honour my own elders, the Pitjantjatjara women of Central Australia, and I really do believe we need to discuss what it means to be Australian and what it means to have the first nation people present amongst us.

Other Australia Day Awards went to: Community Event of the Year- Mullumbimby Agricultural Show; Volunteer of the Year- Lynn Smith from the Bangalow Parklands Group; Senior Citizen of the Year- Sybil Johnston from Bangalow CWA; Sportsperson of the Year- Chris Layland, from the Byron Bay Rams Football Club; Environmental Project of the Year- Rotary Club of Mullumbimby Rainforest Park; and Creative Artist of the Year- Will Gammon from Cumulus VFX Studios.

This year's Australia Day address was delivered by Susan Tsicalis from the Mullumbimby Museum and the Australia Day Ambassador was Joel Pilgrim, founder and CEO of mental health and surf therapy charity Waves of Wellness.