Mieke Bell was named Lismore's Citizen of the Year at the Australia Day ceremony this morning held in the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre, where Mayor Steve Krieg alongside our Australia Day Ambassador Dr Clio Cresswell and Lismore City Council General Manager Jon Gibbons recognised Lismore’s Australia Day Award winners and new Australian Citizens. 

Every year the Lismore City Council holds this event to commemorate influential people in our community from different careers and walks of life, and their impact on the Lismore community. The final award in the ceremony was Lismore City Council’s 2024 Citizen of the Year, which this year was awarded to Mieke Bell. 

Mieke has run The Winsome and Lismore Soup Kitchen for over 30 years, where she has shown her constant compassion for the community and those around her through her meals. Her service to those less fortunate in our community has not gone unrecognised and her acts of kindness represent how she is deserving of being Citizen of the Year.

Mayor Krieg stated in his address “Across this country today, the 26th of January, thousands of people are participating in the very same ceremony that we're conducting here today. We’re welcoming our newest citizens and thank you for choosing to call Australia home."

"To every person who has been nominated in an award category. We all thank you for your selfless dedication to make our city the best it can be. Being nominated is recognition of the time and the effort put into making Lismore the greatest place in Australia and on behalf of all our residents. Thank you.”

Dr Clio Cresswell was Lismore’s 2024 Australia Day Ambassador. Born in England, later living in Greece and France then finally moving to Australia at 18, Clio is a PhD, mathematician, writer, media presenter and educator who is now a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at The University of Sydney. 

Rod Gibson was presented with the award for Individual Services in the Community.

(Rod Gibson with his Services in Community award. Photo: LCC)

Rod has been an integral part of the Clunes community for decades being the editor and organiser of the Clunes Clues Newsletter until recently, now offering mentorship and the history section on a monthly basis. He is one of the organisers of the Clunes meet and greet funday and is a member of the Clunes Old School Association. As well as this, he walks a kilometre every morning from his house, collecting rubbish. This was a well-deserved award for a man who serves his Clunes community every day. 

U3A Lismore was awarded for Group Services in the Community.

Despite losing their location in the Workers Club during the 2022 floods, they have continued to provide services, stimulate physical and mental activity and social inclusion for seniors in the area. 

16-year-old Daisy Smith was awarded Junior Sportsperson of the Year.

(Young Sports Person of the Year winner Daisy Smith with Dr Clio Cresswell and Mayor Steve Krieg)

Daisy has travelled and raced all around Australia only 3 seasons into her speedway career. Daisy has 38 podiums during this time and has travelled as far as Bundaberg in the north and Victoria in the south. She recently competed in Speedweek in December in Victoria. She was the feature winner in her division in Lismore in April 2023 where she was also the fastest racer of the night. You can always find her at Lismore’s racing events supporting young girls to get out on the track. 

Ned Cain was awarded Senior Sportsperson of the Year for his success in road racing.

(Ned Cain with his Sportsperson of the Year award senior. Photo: LCC)

He won the NSW Short Course Road Racing Championship, where he became the two-time champion of the NSW state titles. He also raced in the QLD Southern Downs Series in Formula 4, winning the championship in his first year of racing and also won several 4-hour endurance racing events at the Pheasantwood circuit in Marulan racing against 2 x World Superbike Champion Troy Corser. He dedicates time to volunteering and coaching junior racers and promoting the sport. 

In their absence, Arts Northern Rivers won the Arts award today, greatly supporting the industry in Lismore post-flood.

They have advocated for state and federal funding for infrastructure recovery to bring back the arts and are a small team who have done a tremendous amount in the community. Their projects included the My Place Is Your Place mural in the Lismore Base Hospital, temporary art projects in the Lismore CBD and providing workshops for local artists. They want to ensure that the arts are available to all in the community and work with individuals, organisations and government to generate, promote and advocate for the arts and creative industries in the Northern Rivers region of NSW

Douglas Blythe and Shaen Springall, the president and secretary of the Goonellabah Tucki Landcare Group won the environment award, where they have been carrying out care for the 2-kilometre Tucki Tucki Creek and surrounding areas over the last 10 years.

(Douglas Blythe and Shaen Springall. Photo: LCC)

The two have also planted 30,000 rainforest trees and raised over $50,000 in grant funding over the last three years. They have completely devoted themselves to the maintenance and improvement of the area and have formed strong connections with community groups and schools, inspiring many in the community to care for the environment and advocate for its needs. 

Alongside these awards, 20 new Australian Citizens were welcomed to our nation from 10 different countries all around the world from India, Fiji, the UK, the USA, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Turkey, Cambodia, Canada and New Zealand. Mayor Kreig and Senator Jenny McCallister who was representing Andrew Giles, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs of Australia, presented each with their citizen certificate. 

Mayor Krieg stated, “ Becoming an Australian citizen is a step that shows loyalty to Australia and the desire to share a common future."

"It is an honour to confirm Australian citizenship to these people who appreciate and value our society so much they wish to become one of us and to make Australia their home. We warmly congratulate our new citizens today for taking the final step in their journey to becoming an Australian citizen.”

(Lismore and Australia's newest citizens taking their vows. Photo: LCC)