Sonia Cunning: Selfless Ultima woman a community icon
They don’t have drinking water and can’t expect a reasonable harvest, but Ultima locals have other things to celebrate thanks to one inexhaustible citizen.
WHEN Sonia Cunning discovered the surprise update to her town’s welcome signs last month, she was embarrassed at first. Then humbled.
An anonymous resident turned Ultima into “Soniaville”, recognising the 64-year-old’s dedication to the 170-person Mallee community.
“My husband said just take it in the manner it was meant … as an appreciation of what I do,” said Sonia, who was worried about what Swan Hill Rural City Council would think. The council named Sonia its 2019 Citizen of the Year, so it didn’t mind.
Sonia loves living in the tight-knit community.
As president of the Ultima Progress Association, she has flipped sausages at more than 60 Swan Hill Bunnings barbecues over the past two years to raise funds for Ultima’s cafe, rural transaction centre, golf club, community gardens and other public initiatives.
“In those 60-plus barbecues, we have brought more than $24,000 into this district,” Sonia said.
She is the brains behind an annual darts competition and a golf tournament that draws visitors from as far as Adelaide and Melbourne.
The drought has taken its toll on the dryland cropping region.
A reasonable harvest for local farmers looks doubtful and the town has to rely on water deliveries because its pipeline supply from the Murray River is not safe to drink.
Hardships motivate Sonia to redouble her efforts.
“I have only been here 17-odd years, there have been people who have been contributing out here for far longer than that,” Sonia said.
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