The recipients of the Hindmarsh Shire Australia Day Awards were announced today with Jack Kalms named Young Citizen of the Year.

Pictured above - Hindmarsh Shire Mayor Ron Ismay announced Jack as the recipient of this award while at Dimboola this morning.

“On behalf of Council, I am honoured to be presenting the Hindmarsh Shire Young Citizen of the Year Award to Jack Kalms.

“Jack is an outstanding young man who represents great leadership skills, and I wish him all of the best for his studies in year 12 this year and his future endeavours,” Mayor Ismay said.
Jack is well known as a positive, active and outgoing person who is always thinking of ways to help the community and people in need.

His contributions within the community have been acknowledged through several other awards, including the 2019 runners up Best and Fairest in Under 17s for the Dimboola Football Netball Club. He received a Merit Award at the DMSC for completing his Certificate II in Building and Construction in the same year.

The following year Jack received a Student Citizenship Award presented by The Order of Australia Association, Central Highlands Wimmera Regional Group.

In 2020 he was a member of the Hindmarsh Shire Youth Council.

He is also looking forward to filling the role as one of the School Captains at Dimboola Memorial Secondary College this year, alongside Macey Laverty, where they intend to undertake some of the activities that the 2020 Captains were unable to achieve due to the restrictions last year.

In his spare time, Jack enjoys spending time with his friends and family, water skiing, gardening, and he is a keen member of the local football club where his contribution extends beyond playing, to roles such as umpiring and supporting other players and members.

At the age of 13, Jack started up his own gardening business which he still works on in his spare time, offering services such as garden maintenance, mowing lawns, trimming plants, and tending his customer’s gardens when they are away.
At the Australia Day ceremony in Nhill, Pauline McCracken was announced as the Citizen of the Year for 2021.
Pauline has been a tireless volunteer worker within the Nhill community for many years and has fulfilled many roles.

Pauline has been the driving force behind Nhill’s summer festival, “Fiesta Fridays in February” for the past six years. Currently Vice Chairperson of the Nhill Town Committee, and an active member for more than a decade, Pauline has been working diligently on landscaping and planting at the truck bay in Nhill. Pauline has also been a past member of the Horsham Rock and Roll Club and is currently a Wimmera Mental Health Promotion Network member.

In her professional role, Pauline has worked as a counsellor throughout the Wimmera region for 24 years. At her business, Lola’s Garage, Pauline has offered an open market table for the past eight years that is a distribution point for recyclables that have been saved from going into direct landfill.
“Hindmarsh Shire Council sincerely thanks everyone who took the time to submit nominations for the 2021 Australia Day Awards and congratulates everyone on their nominations across all categories,” Mayor Ismay said.