Australia Day WA Community Citizen of the Year Awards

In 2017 the Australia Day Citizenship Awards was relaunched to recognise a wider range of community champions and renamed the Citizen of the Year Awards.

Jeff Munn was awarded the Senior Citizen of the Year Award at a special ceremony hosted by the City as part of its Australia Day celebrations on Thursday 26 January.

Jeff has been involved with the Armadale community for 50 years, and was recognised for his unstinting service to the community as a Councillor for over 30 years. He also represented the local government industry with the Swan River Trust and other environmental groups.

Armadale Mayor Henry Zelones OAM, JP presented this year’s winners with framed certificates and said the awards recognise outstanding contributions to the community by individuals, groups and community events within the local community.

“The winners are individuals and groups that make a difference in our community and deserve to be recognised and I congratulate all the worthy recipients,” he said.

Ben Boekholt, winner of the Citizen of the Year category, is well known throughout the community and is a great role model for youth. He was acknowledged for his active involvement in the Salvation Army Fire Emergency and Relief, the Armadale Lions Club, Foodbank, Armadale Police Rangers, Neighbourhood Watch, Armadale Rotary and is also a P&C Member.

The City awarded brothers Brody and Jake Galipo the Citizen of the Year – Youth, for their extraordinary efforts in turning their lives around. Brody and Jake participated in a program run by the Armadale Youth Intervention Partnership and are now role models and mentors for children at risk. Having completed a TAFE Cert II in Leadership they now dedicate Saturday nights to the Ignite Basketball program, helping young people with many of the issues and challenges they themselves experienced.

Rachel John, a member of the Classic Sounds Orchestra Association, accepted the Active Citizenship Award for the group’s contributions to the community. The Association provide a weekly forum for people of all ages and abilities to participate in music and the group play at festivals, aged care facilities, school fetes and many other community events.