Lismore gathered this morning at Southern Cross University to celebrate the 2026 Australia Day Awards, recognising the people and groups whose commitment continues to shape the life of the city and the wider Northern Rivers.

The ceremony brought together award recipients, families, councillors and community members, offering a moment to reflect on service, resilience and contribution - values that have taken on deeper meaning in a community that has faced and overcome enormous challenges.

This year’s Australia Day Ambassador was Catherine De Vye, a globally recognised author and keynote speaker whose life story of adversity, reinvention and hope resonated strongly with the audience. Introducing her, Mayor Steve Krieg highlighted her nine books, international career with IBM, and her belief that “the biggest challenge we all face is coping with change and remaining resilient on a daily basis”.

Catherine, Canadian by birth but “Australian by choice”, said she had been deeply moved hearing about Lismore’s recovery and the way the community had pulled together after the floods. She shared her own journey, growing up on “the wrong side of the tracks”, losing both parents to cancer, and arriving in Australia decades ago with a backpack, $200 and a one-way ticket.

“The biggest problem of my life turned into the biggest opportunity of my life,” she said. “And I believe those opportunities are there for each and every one of us in Australia, if we’re willing to have a go, to work hard, and to look towards the future.”

She also reflected on what it means to be Australian, pointing to the emu and kangaroo on the Australian passport as a powerful symbol. She explained, these are two of the only animals that cannot walk backwards - a reminder to learn from the past, live in the present and keep moving forward. Being a good Australian, she said, doesn’t come from a passport alone, but from the choices people make every day, especially in how they support one another.

Following her address, the 2026 Australia Day Award recipients were announced.

Citizen of the Year – Rebekka Battista

Rebekka has spent more than two decades strengthening paediatric health care across the Northern Rivers, working with Our Kids and Our House to ensure regional hospitals are equipped to deliver high-quality care and that families can stay close to home during some of the most challenging times of their lives.

Her work has helped fund essential medical equipment, improve local health services and provide practical, compassionate support for families navigating serious childhood illness.

Young Citizen of the Year – Charlie Murray

Charlie is a local young woman with agriculture and farming at the centre of her work and advocacy. She has represented the region through major awards programs and events, while also volunteering her time to support community causes.

Speaking after the ceremony, Charlie said the recognition came as a complete surprise.

“I only found out yesterday that I was nominated,” she said. “So it was a bit of a shock, but it was a good surprise to see everyone looks up to me in the community.”

Charlie volunteers with local show societies as a beef cattle steward and is passionate about encouraging other young people, particularly young women, to stay connected to agriculture.

“I help out with our local show societies as a steward in the beef cattle,” she said. “And then I encourage other young women and young people in the agriculture sector.”

She was also named Beef Week Queen for 2025, a milestone she described as a defining moment.

“That was a big moment,” she said. “I’ve always been born in agriculture and farming. I love my cattle, and it’s just a big passion of mine that I just don’t want to live down.”

Services in the Community (Individual) – Bruce Sheaffe

Bruce is recognised for a lifetime of achievement in Lismore’s transport industry and community service. He grew Sheaffe Motors into a key Northern Rivers heavy-vehicle service and inspection centre, rebuilding the business after the 2022 floods.

Alongside this, Bruce has devoted more than 40 years to the Lismore City Lions Club and has consistently supported local programs like Healthy Harold, helping them deliver lasting benefits to local kids.

Services in the Community (Group) – Rainbow Roos

Rainbow Roos is recognised for creating one of the Northern Rivers’ most inclusive community sport programs, giving children of all ages and abilities a safe, welcoming place to try sport.

With more than 60% of participants living with additional needs or disability, the program is designed so every child can experience confidence, belonging and success—without pressure or comparison.

Founded by local dad Brad Ambridge, Rainbow Roos has rapidly expanded to more than 25 sessions a week across the region, creating coaching jobs and building strong partnerships with schools, preschools, NDIS providers and community organisations.

Sportsperson (Junior) – Cooper Williams

Cooper is recognised for his outstanding rise in junior cricket, highlighted by his selection in the Australian Under-17 team after a standout national championships in Brisbane.

He scored 255 runs at an average of 42.5, including a dominant 118 against the Northern Territory, and has continued strong form at club level as one of the leading run scorers for Marist Brothers in the LJ Hooker League.

Cooper also plays Green Shield in Sydney for Gordon and delivered an exceptional 202 not out at the Australian Marist Schools Tournament in Lismore, showcasing both his talent and growing impact on the sport locally and beyond.

Sportsperson – Connor McCarthy

Connor is recognised for his achievements in baseball, earning selection in the NSW Country Under-18 team for the 2026 Australian Youth Baseball Championships in Victoria.

He continues to develop through high-level representative play while also competing locally in the Far North Coast competition for Norths, steadily building his profile and impact in the sport.

Sports Team – Marist Brothers Rugby League

Awarded after winning the 2025 Northern Rivers Rugby League premiership, defeating Murwillumbah 22–12 in the Grand Final. The nomination notes that the team overcame a disrupted season to win the club’s first Grade premiership in 22 years, led by a local coach and a squad made up largely of local players.

Environment – Ina Engermann

Ina is recognised for hands-on, front-line work protecting koalas in the Northern Rivers through her volunteer role with Friends of the Koala.

Since 2020, she has responded to hundreds of rescue call-outs, including vehicle strikes and dog attacks, and has done the unglamorous hours too, late-night monitoring, trapping, rehab support and release work. She also works closely with council staff, landholders and residents to improve koala safety, report habitat pressures, and build community awareness through talks and outreach.

Arts and Culture – Jacklyn Wagner

Jacklyn is recognised for a lifetime of photographic work that has shaped how the Northern Rivers sees itself. A former Chief Photographer at The Northern Star and Sydney 2000 Olympics sports photographer, she has built an award-winning career in people-focused photojournalism, documenting the region over decades.

Her work also includes major community contributions, from the long-running Our Kids calendar to powerful documentary projects like Through the Heart—a 100-household portrait record of the 2022 floods, exhibited at NSW Parliament and preserved as part of the region’s historical record.

Economic Excellence – Felicity Hyde

Felicity is being recognised for rebuilding Business Lismore and strengthening support for local businesses, including re-launching business awards, hosting workshops, improving business communication through a CBD WhatsApp group, and backing the local economy through expanded trading and investment.

Academic Excellence – Dr Chris Ingall

Dr Chris is recognised for a career of service that has changed the lives of countless local families, both through his work as a long-serving paediatrician and as the founding force behind the Our Kids charity. Since arriving in Lismore in 1987, he has helped lift the standard of paediatric care in a regional setting and helped build a community-backed model that funds vital children’s health equipment and support.

He is widely respected for clinical leadership and for creating something practical that outlasts any one person, a local institution that keeps helping the next family through the door.