Sue Lohse, Tony Goodman, Hannah Johnston among Gympie Australia Day award winners

The finest and brightest members of the Gympie community – young and old – are among an inspirational line-up of Australia Day award winners for our region this year. Read the full list and why they have been awarded:

Australia Day 2022 has been all about the twos with community stalwarts Sue Lohse and Tony Goodman named co-winners of Gympie’s Citizen of the Year award for 2022.

The pair was announced as the winners in front of a crowd of more than 300 who helped commemorate the day at a morning event in Memorial Park.

The Citizens of the Year were joined by Hannah Johnston, who was named Young Citizen of the Year, Justin Giles, who claimed the Sports Award, and Florence Penny who received the Creative Award.

The Rotary Quilt and Craft Spectacular received the Community Event Award and Gympie Medical Transport received the Community group Award.

Ms Lohse and Mr Goodman received their awards as a result of their immense efforts in driving and supporting the Gympie region and its residents.

Ms Lohse has been involved with the Widgee District Hall and Recreation Association for 26 years.

CONGRATULATIONS: Tony Goodman and Sue Lohse are Gympie’s Citizens of the Year for 2022.

Mr Goodman has been central to the ongoing success of the seasonal Mary St festivities and has helped support the region’s businesses as president of the Chamber of Commerce until his departure from the role at the end of 2021.

Miss Johnston’s community work included representing the region at the Australian Honours Ensemble Program and volunteering her time to perform free concerts as part of local string quartet Serenata Strings.

Mr Giles was recognised for his commitment to swimming both in and out of the pool as a member of the Gympie Gold Fins swimming club.

Miss Penny received the Creative award for her passion and dedication for all things acting, singing and dancing.

The Rotary Quilt and Craft Spectacular received the Community Event award for their devotion to raising valuable funds for local charitable organisations through the Quilt & Craft Spectacular, an increasingly significant regional event.

AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD: Hannah Johnston was named Young Citizen of the Year.

Volunteer organisation Gympie Medical Transport received the Community Group award for their hard work in providing medical transport services to Gympie residents.

“The Australia Day Awards is one of my favourite days every year because I get to share the stage with some of our region’s most talented and hardest working residents,” Mayor Glen Hartwig said.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the 41 new Australian citizens to our region.

“On behalf of Gympie Regional Council, congratulations to all the Australia Day award recipients and our newest citizens.”

CONGRATULATIONS: Florence Penny received the Creative Award.

Full winner bios

Citizen of the Year – Suzanne Lohse Sue Lohse has been the mainstay and driving force behind Widgee District Hall & Recreation Association for more than 26 years.

This organisation unites its small rural community by involving all local organisations, such as: Widgee P & C Association., Widgee District. Pony Club Association., Widgee Rural Fires, Widgee Catholic Church, Widgee Country Music Club, and Widgee ANZAC Committee.

Widgee District Hall & Recreation Association provides a volunteer-run community hub that offers meals and bar each Friday and Saturday night throughout the year, as well as for large events such as Widgee Campdraft, Widgee Bush Balladeers, Widgee Country Music Festivals, Ride for Angel Flight, ANZAC Day, and Working Dog Trials.

Sue is responsible for organising the rosters for each of these groups as well as planning and ordering all catering and bar supplies, required licences, cleaning staff, booking registers, maintenance, and everything else involved with running such a busy volunteer organisation.

She regularly volunteers 25 to 30 hours each week on her duties for the association, on top of her employment at Widgee State School and her family obligations.

Citizen of the Year – Tony Goodman

As president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr Goodman showed extraordinary dedication, energy and enthusiasm for keeping the heart of the community and Mary Street alive.

He initiated, organised and promoted the Mary Street festivals such as: Easter on Mary, Winter Trees on Mary, and Mary Christmas.

These are now established annual events that bring the community together in celebration.

In his role as president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr Goodman has led from the front in obtaining guest speakers for the regularly sold out Chamber Business Breakfasts.

His goal has always been to engage the most informed and stimulating speakers for the business community. He has always played a leading role in organising and staging the annual Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. He has been a driving force in the social and cultural life of the Gympie community, and is a business and community leader.

Young Citizen of the Year – Hannah Johnston

Hannah represented St Patricks College and Gympie at the Australian Honours Ensemble Program held at the Griffith University Conservatorium in Brisbane.

At the St Patrick’s awards event for 2021, Hannah was awarded both the Gympie Regional Council Citizenship Award for her contribution to the community and the Long Tan Youth Leadership Award while completing Year 12.

Hannah received a RADF grant to support her attendance at AHEP to develop her individual musicianship skills, which have helped her provide 18 affordable private music lessons a week to local young student musicians learning viola, violin, cello and piano.

In addition to undertaking year 12 studies at St Patrick’s College, Hannah undertook two university subjects through the Headstart Program with the University of the Sunshine Coast. Hannah achieved a GPA of 6 for the Introduction to Bio Science and is awaiting her results for her Science Research Methods studies.

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: Sue Lohse was awarded for her decades of work as a member of the Widgee and Gympie communities. Photo Contributed

Hannah has somehow managed to undertake this massive workload while self-managing fluctuating sugar levels with her recent Type One Diabetes diagnoses. This is in addition to already existing lifelong heart and medical conditions.

Hannah has also received an early offer through the University of the Sunshine Coast to study an Associate Degree in Medical Laboratory Science in 2022.

Hannah performs as part of a local string quartet ‘Serenata Strings’ who regularly perform free concerts in the community for fundraising events for local community groups.

Hannah has also supported and mentored many of her student musicians to undertake AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) exams for their chosen instruments (including music theory), as well as providing piano accompaniment for a large number of performers at the Gympie Eisteddfod.

Hannah has also performed at the Gympie Eisteddfod for over 7 years, achieving amazing results across multiple instruments. She has entered in the Floral Art section of the Gympie District Show every year for the past 9 years, and last year’s show saw her competing for the first time in the Open Section where she received the Grand Champion Floral Art Exhibit for the entire Floral Art section.

Hannah finished year 12 and received an invitation from Griffith University to represent St Patricks College and Gympie at State Honours Ensemble Program.

Hannah has always given back to her community and school through programs such as: Clean Up Australia Day, the Reach Out Program, and being representative for the Rice House Sports Team for St Patricks College.

In the middle to end of last year, Hannah performed over ZOOM for the Gympie Region Volunteer Centres volunteer morning tea performing on violin, viola and piano. Hannah also performed as a soloist at the Gympie Quota‘s 60th Birthday celebrations.

Sports Award – Justin Giles

Justin lives in Gympie, is a 33-year-old father of two children and works as a full time plumber, drainer and A & B Type gasfitter.

On the way to work in 2017, Justin survived a very serious car accident and was airlifted to the PA Hospital where he worked extremely hard to rehabilitate his body. As part of this rehabilitation, Justin had to spend time in the pool as therapy. In 2020, he recommenced swimming training three times a week, returning to competitive swimming – a sport he retired from when he was 18 years old, some 14 years ago.

Justin now represents the Gympie region, swimming all over Queensland and Australia, in competitive swimming for the Gympie Gold Fins Swimming Club. He competes in the men’s 16 years and over events for Queensland & Australian Swimming Events.

Tony Goodman has been a driving force behind the thriving Mary St seasonal festivities. Photo: Ella Doyle

He also competitively swims for the newly formed Gympie Gold Fins Masters Swimming Club in the over 30s in the Queensland & Australian Masters Swimming Events and the Australian Masters Swim Series.

Justin is also a part of the Wide Bay Piranha’s representative swim team and was selected in the 2021/2022 team as both a mentor/coach for the younger team members and as a representative.

Justin was also selected in the Wide Bay Swimming men’s 15 years and over state relay performance team to represent our region at the Queensland State Swimming titles in early December 2021. He finished fourth in both the open men’s freestyle relay and individual medley relay. Justin also volunteers his time for Gympie Gold Fins Masters and Gympie Gold Fins Swimming Club, and is a part of the committee for the 2021/2022 season. He also volunteers at Gympie Gold Fins club nights, is an assistant coach and mentors athletes when he can.

In the 2021 Australia Masters Swim Series, Justin is currently ranked first in Australia for the men’s 30- to 34-year-old age group.

Creative Award – Florence Penny

Florence performed for the last 5 years at the Gympie Show and Gold Festival. She presented a 5 minute speech at the AWETISM expo online to encourage other children with autism to follow their dreams.

Florence has entered the Gympie Eisteddfod since she was 6 years old and has excelled in the speech and drama section, winning most promising performer 12 years and under, 4 years in a row.

She has just recently been offered a creative arts scholarship at James Nash where she starts in Grade 7 this year. She also attends local classes for acting, singing and dancing.

Florence has been involved in local theatre productions for the past 5 years with the Gympie Theatre Association, in both the children’s and adult shows. She sings, dances and acts and hopes one day to make it her career. Florence is also a member of her school choir and concert band where she plays the drums and tuned percussion.

Florence was one of the 11 junior feature vocalists chosen for the Qld Education annual production of Creative Generation 2021. She was very excited to be cast as Matilda in the broadway medley, attending rehearsals every weekend in Brisbane for 3 months and then performed in all 4 shows, which were recorded for Channel 10, to be aired in November.

Community Event – The Rotary Quilt and Craft Spectacular

The Rotary Club of Gympie has for many years been proudly presenting its prestigious biennial Quilt & Craft Spectacular, an increasingly significant and impactful regional event which raises valuable funds for local charitable organisations and also raises the profile of the Gympie region in general. Little Haven Palliative Care has been the grateful recipient of some of the funds raised through distributions from the Rotary Club – this year receiving over $20,000 for our community palliative care service.

Over 3000 visitors enjoyed the fantastic weekend activities, providing excellent feedback of their experience. Exhibitors and artisans came from throughout Queensland – from the Gold Coast through Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast and north to Maryborough, Childers and Hervey Bay. The event has developed the reputation as one of the biggest quilters/crafting events in South East Queensland.

Some of the comments from visitors included “Congratulations to everyone involved in making the weekend such an amazing event”, ”Really GREAT display of SPECTACULAR Quilting, WELL DONE to all involved”. Patchwork on Pallas said ”Hearty congrats to all of the Gympie Rotarians and volunteers. This is in my opinion, the best quilt show run in Queensland. Far better than even the Brisbane shows. As a retailer, I thank you for supporting our small businesses and industry. Job well done”.

The 2021 event was particularly spectacular depicting Queensland and local history through some very special feature quilts. The Rotary Club of Gympie was granted permission to show the ABC Landline ’Quilt of Memories’ at this year’s Quilt and Craft Spectacular. Sewers, knitters and felters came from across the country to help create the quilt, which will be celebrated on Landline in March this year.

Another feature of this year‘s event was a 128-year-old relic of Gympie’s history. Considered lost for many years, the organisers were thrilled to be able to present this large commemorative vintage quilt, from 1893, measuring 1.7m sq, created to mark the occasion of the First Queensland Wesleyan Conference at the Methodist Church.

The entire event is totally organised and run by volunteers. Co-ordinated by Kathy Kane and Gympie Rotarians, many other service clubs and local volunteers also pitched in to help, including a travelling Lions Club who made Gympie their home for the event. It is amazing to see the generosity of so many community-minded individuals who add to the fabric of our society.

The camaraderie throughout the entire event was on display for all to see and they could not have been better ambassadors for our region. Funds raised were distributed to a number of local charities including Little Haven Palliative Care and Cancer Support, and CWA Imbil,

Community Group – Gympie Medical Transport

Gympie Medical Transport is a 100 per cent volunteer-run organisation that provides transport services to residents in Gympie to non-urgent medical appointments outside of the Gympie Regional Council area. The demand for service has rapidly increased since February and the continual growth is a reflection on the service Gympie Medical Transport are offering this great community.

Through this transport service, Gympie Medical Transport is assisting the rapid growth of the region by making it possible for people with medical conditions requiring regular access to hospital and specialist services, to stay within the Gympie region community. Ultimately, the availability of the Gympie Medical Transport services in this community continues to strengthen the fabric of regional communities, allowing residents to have a peace of mind while they enjoy all that the region has to offer all the way through to their later years.

Originally published as Sue Lohse, Tony Goodman, Hannah Johnston among Gympie Australia Day award winners