Wakefield’s Australia Day Awards winners announced
COUNCIL’s Australia Day Awards for 2026 have been announced with Citizen of the Year awarded to Kathleen Tiller and Event of the Year awarded to the 150 Years of Blyth Celebration.
Mrs Tiller has been a stalwart of Balaklava, volunteering her time to Mill Court (Walara) Nursing Home, Balaklava Museum and the Uniting Church.
Across these organisations Mrs Tiller has helped foster strong relationships throughout Balaklava connecting community members and volunteers with one another to strengthen the community.
For 30 years Mrs Tiller has volunteered at Balaklava’s Mill Court Nursing Home offering companionship and care to residents.
Throughout her time volunteering at Mill Court, Mrs Tiller has visited residents who were sick, lonely or in need of encouragement, often leaving a card or flowers to brighten a resident’s day.
Her empathy and presence have supported many elderly residents and their families through end-of-life moments in Mill Court.
Beyond her extensive service to Mill Court, Mrs Tiller is a keen volunteer at the Balaklava Museum. With a love of preserving local history, taking joy in assisting with exhibits, tours and engaging with visitors to the museum – ensuring the museum is an active and accessible resource for the community and its visitors.
Mrs Tiller’s deep commitment to the Balaklava Uniting Church has seen her dedicated to both her community and faith supporting the senior ministry and church outreach programs.
The 150 Years of Blyth celebration was hosted on 2nd of November 2025, bringing past and current residents together to celebrate Blyth’s extensive history.
At the heart of the event was the celebration of civic and community spirit which has been fostered in Blyth through extensive volunteering over 150 years.
The day supported the unveiling of a mosaic mural and the release of a new history book which detailed Blyth from 1875 to 2025.
Past and present residents were brought together to share their experiences and time living in Blyth at the ‘On the Couch’ Q&A sessions, giving locals a perspective of Blyth’s history.
Mayor Rodney Reid said both Australia Day Award winners demonstrated incredible community spirit for the Wakefield region.
“Both Mrs Tiller and the 150 years of Blyth celebration are a testament to the role our volunteers play within Wakefield,” Mayor Reid said.
“Mrs Tiller has supported so many people through tough times within our region and it’s excellent to see her recognised with the Citizen of the Year award.
“She has brightened the day of countless residents in Mill Court and supported such fantastic initiatives through the Uniting Church and the Balaklava Museum.
“It was amazing to see the way the Blyth Community came together for their 150th celebrations and the dedication from volunteers to truly create such a memorable event.
“Uniting volunteers from across organisations such as churches, sporting clubs, schools and community organisations I’m sure was no easy feat, as they all joined together to offer volunteers to support the celebration.
“The community banded together to demonstrate their mantra of ‘Small community – big spirit’, which is certainly the truth for Blyth,” Mayor Reid said.