Southern Highlands’ most influential people
From sports stars and wildlife warriors to philanthropists to RFS volunteers - your life and our region would be a different place without these pillars of the community.
The Bowral News
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The Southern Highlands is shaped by community leaders who use their influence and passion to make the community a better place.
From sports stars and widlife warriors to philanthropists to RFS volunteers, The Bowral News is celebrating the region’s most influential people and how they have made an impact in all walks of life.
These are the people shaping our lives and our community in the Southern Highlands.
1. STEVE HORTON
Steve Horton is the Chair of the Southern Highlands Chamber of Commerce and an avid community contributor. From being President of the Burrawang Community Hall to being Captain of the Burrawang brigade, Mr Horton has never shied away from being involved.
“I’ve always been a great believer in having community spirit, that’s why I’ve been involved in so many things over the years,” he said. “We love the place, that’s why we do what we do.”
This eagerness to help the community is what led to his role with the Chamber of Commerce, as he saw the chance to be able to positively influence the Southern Highlands.
“Businesses help shape the community. Businesses help create the culture within the region,” says the Burrawang local.
With the largest Southern Highlands Chamber of Commerce to date, Steve Horton is poised to make a difference in the region he loves.
2. CRESSIDA CAIRNS
Cressida Cains is the entrepreneurial businesswoman taking the dairy industry by a storm. Ms Cains and her husband run Pecora Dairy and jumped into action when they realised the shocking amount of small dairy farms shutting down around Australia.
Ms Cains crunched the numbers and found that 486 family-run dairy farms shut down in 2019, while demand for imported cheese increased by 4000 tonnes.
She decided to form Dairy Cocoon, a digital platform to help provide support to struggling dairy farmers to modernise their farms to meet the growing desire for local artisan produce.
“We want to be seen as leaders in the dairy industry but also we want to inspire other people,” said the Robertson local.
“We want to show the public that Australian dairy is an appropriate and exciting form of agriculture.”
She was awarded the 2020 NSW Rural Women’s Award for her innovative project. Ms Cains is currently working on turning the entire enterprise into a solar operation that will effectively make the dairy farm carbon neutral.
“We are excited to be moving in this sustainable direction,” she said.
3. KIM HILL
Selflessness is a way of life for Kim Hill, who has been volunteering since she was 14 years old. Last year Kim was awarded as the NSW Volunteer of the Year after a monumental effort in establishing and leading the Balmoral Recovery Hub to help people get on their feet following the Black Summer bushfires.
She was at the forefront of Buxton RFS’ response to the devastating fires using her logistical expterise to help coordinate the fight against the massive Green Wattle Creek fire.
She also had to evacuate her own family before helping put out spot fires while her husband worked with firefighters battle the blaze on mutiple fronts.
Mrs Hill also helped deliver the Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer Memorial Playground in Buxton – a place to commemorate the RFS volunteers who lost their lives fighting to save their community.
The Buxton Rural Fire Service volunteer said saw volunteering in the community as a necessity and hoped that one day it will be taught in schools.
“Your community is only as strong as the people in it,” said Ms Hill.
“So you need people to keep the wheels turning in the community in difficult times.”
The seventh generation Wollondilly resident has been an RFS member for six years and has recently taken a role with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency.
“Community involvement is a legacy of my upbringing,” Ms Hill said. Kim’s daughter recently joined the RFS so her legacy will continue.
4. JOHN KLEPCZAREK
It would be hard to find a police officer more passionate about his community than NSW Police Chief Inspector John Klepczarek. He loves the community in the region and he’s appreciative of the support that the public provides police.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to serve the community of the Southern Highlands. This has by far been the most enjoyable command I’ve had the pleasure of working in,” he said.
Chief Insp Klepczarek was invaluable to the bushfire efforts last year, taking an active role in discussion and planning, and ensuring smooth communication between government and non-government services.
He was awarded a NSW Community Service Award and an Australian Police Medal last year in recognition of his service to the community.
“Just to see how the community banded together during the fires, there was a clear message that ‘this is our town, these are our neighbours, and we’re all in it together’. That’s heartwarming,” the Bowral resident said.
5. DAVID STIMSON
A well-known face in the region, Inspector David Stimson is the current acting coordinator for the Southern Highlands Rural Fire Service NSW.
Last year during the bushfires, he was the community liaison officer instrumental in ensuring the community was prepared and aware of the locations and status of fires at all times as fires ravaged the area.
The Mittagong resident was recently awarded an NSW Government Community Service Award for saving many lives and homes in the Southern Highlands during the horror fire season last year, Goulburn state Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman said.
He continues to serve and inform the community and about fire safety matters.
6. JENNIFER BOTT
Jennifer Bott is the Chair of the Board of Bundanoon Trust and a Director of the Southern Highlands Foundation – and those are just her local leadership roles.
The former chief executive of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) has been instrumental in ensuring the arts continues to flourish, not only in the Southern Highlands but across the country.
She has been a part of every major arts board in Australia, including acting director of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, general manager of Musica Viva Australia, held senior management and Board positions at Opera Australia and the Arts Council of Australia, and was founding director of the Canberra Writers Festival.
As chair of the Board of Bundanoon Trust, Ms Bott help secure funding for a $30.6 million arts organisation development in the Southern Highlands region.
Ms Bott has been so integral to the development of arts in the media that she was awarded an Order of Australia for her service to the arts in leadership and executive roles.
7. MARK FREUND
The President of the Bowral Blacks Rugby Club has been a proud member for 22 years.
As president, Mr Freund was the driving force behind the million-dollar upgrade of the Bowral Rugby Club, which is an essential community facility for sports in the Highlands. In Mr Freund’s time as president, the Rugby Club have raised almost $300,000 for various charities.
Mr Freund has also been instrumental in creating the opportunity to host the Waratahs when they hold coaching clinics. A Super Rugby trial against the ACT Brumbies was originally planned for Bowral but had to be cancelled because of COVID restrictions.
8. BEN QUILTY
Ben Quilty is one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary artists and he is passionate about contributing to the Highlands.
The Robertson resident Mr Quilty has been the driving force behind the Southern Highlands Regional Art Gallery (otherwise known as Ngunungulla), a not-for-profit cultural initiative at Retford Park in Bowral.
It will be the first regional art gallery in the area and will contribute much to the community.
Quilty made international headlines when he travelled to Bali’s Kerobokan Prison to teach drug smuggler and Bali Nine ringleader Myuran Sukumaran to paint prior to his execution in 2015.
9. RINA HORE
Executive director of the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame Rina Hone is an institution around the Southern Highlands.
A talented sportswoman, she has been with the foundation for nearly 17 years and hasn’t lost any of her passion for the game.
The vice president of Women’s Cricket Australia, Ms Hore is passionate about the community of the Highlands.
She lists one of her many highlights as meeting the great Sir Donald Bradman and his wife Lady Jessie Bradman at the Bicentenary Test Match formal dinner.
10. WILL CLARKE
Will Clarke is a young autistic entrepreneur capitalising on the cricket history in the Southern Highlands.
Where There’s a Will is a charity established with the aim of fostering inclusivity of people with intellectual disability within their communities.
Willo, as it’s dubbed, is centred on Will Clarke’s creative combination of his loves for cricket and art.
The Robertson local carefully refurbishes cricket bats and uses the sale of these unique artworks to raise funds for worthwhile projects.
Since it’s inception, Willo has achieved national recognition and Will has held eight exhibitions around Australia.
11. KEN BARNETT
Ken Barnett is the general manager of the Bowral and District Hospital ensuring the community has state-of-the-art health services.
Mr Barnett has been instrumental in the execution of the $68.7 million Bowral and District Hospital redevelopment project.
The new clinical services building was officially opened at the end of last year and it has been praised by community and government alike.
The increased capacity and improved services will only serve to help this community meet its population potential.
12. HUW KINGSTON
A Bundanoon local, Huw Kingston is passionate about everything he turns his hand to – he’s an adventurer, athlete, environmentalist, speaker, writer and entrepreneur.
In March, he set up a free service in Bundanoon to help local businesses supply their produce to residents who weren’t able to leave their homes or shop for themselves.
Mr Kingston is an avid environmentalist and put Bundanoon at the forefront of the single-use plastics debate in 2009 when he campaigned for the town to be rid of all bottled water.
He has been highly awarded and praised for his leadership in environmental conservation, so his place on this list should come as no surprise.
13. JENNIFER BOWE
Professional volunteer and staunch Southern Highlands advocate Jennifer Bowe is deeply invested in the region Highlands and has given much of her time and effort to ensure the success of the community.
The Burradoo was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019 for her service to the community of the region and has a been a driving force in bettering the community in a range of issues.
Ms Bowe is currently president of the Moss Vale Country Women’s Association and coordinator of the International Woman’s Day events in the area.
14. SAM TAIT
Sam Tait is an Australian Paralympic skier who represented Australia at the 2018 Paralympics in Pyeongchang.
At the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Slovenia, Tait finished sixth in Men’s Downhill Sitting and tenth in Men’s Giant Slalom Sitting.
A driven athlete, Mr Tait has said he’s next aiming for gold.
Recently, the Mittagong local became the first paraplegic to summit Mt Kosciusko self-powered.
15. JOHN CREIGHTON
John Creighton (or Wombat John as he is affectionately known) is the founder of Wombat Care Bundanoon, a local wildlife sanctuary for rehabilitation of native animals.
Mr Creighton was particularly active in campaigning and caring for wombats during the bushfires.
He has received an Australian Wildlife Society award for this efforts.
The Bundanoon local is a member of the Wildlife Rescue South Coast and the Wombat Protection Society.
16. ANN CARR-BOYD
Ann Carr-Boyd is an internationally renowned classical composer who also teaches, broadcasts, and writes music.
The Moss Vale resident is passionate about Australian and European music and was a co-founder of the Lane Cove Symphony Orchestra.
She has made such an indelible impact on the Australian music landscape that the Australian Music Examinations syllabus have included her instrumental music for over two decades.
17. PAUL BERKELOUW
Paul Berkelouw is the clever mind behind the massively popular Bendooley Estate. The Berrima local and his wife transformed the iconic Book Barn into a magnificent hospitality venue.
They planted a vineyard and capitalised on the natural beauty of the 200 acre property to establish one of the most popular wedding destinations in the state.
Paul is certainly making his mark on the Berkelouw legacy.
18. DR NICK HARTNELL
Dr Nick Hartnell is an renowned orthopaedic surgeon with over two decades of experience. His start-up company BLT gained publicity in 2018 when it announced a joint project with Allegra Orthopaedics to develop Dr Hartnell’s revolutionary idea to use a kangaroo tendon xenograft as an alternative to ligament reconstruction.
The Bowral local is also helping to mould the minds of future doctors in his role as clinical senior lecturer at the University of Wollongong.
19. FATHER CHRIS RILEY
Father Chris Riley is the unflinching charitable campaigner for young people facing homelessness and drug and alcohol issues.
He founded the Youth Off The Streets community organisation in 1991 to bring empathy into the discussion of youth issues.
Father Riley has worked with disadvantaged youth for over 40 years and has saved the lives of many.
He used the Southern Highlands as an area to help homeless kids, and his Father Riley Op Shop remains in Bowral.
20. DREW LINDSAY
In a region famous for its oppulent properties and celeb owners, Drew Lindsay knows a thing or two about real estate.
The realtor has an impressive real estate pedigree, inheriting more than five generations and 80 years of local knowledge from his family of agents in the Highlands.
Mr Linsday is well regarded as the authority on Southern Highlands properties and has seen many a house change hands.
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