A strong commitment to supporting veterans and remembering our fallen servicemen and women has earned Chris Colvin the Australia Day 2025 Citizen of the Year Award.
Mr Colvin received the award for his tireless dedication as President of the Orange RSL Sub-branch, ensuring events such as Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and commemoration ceremonies run as smoothly as possible, as well as his support of veterans and their families.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: Chris Colvin.
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto congratulated Mr Colvin and all the winners and nominees for the 2025 Australia Day Awards.
"Chris is a very deserving recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award and his contribution to Orange is an inspiration to the community," Cr Mileto said.
"There were 34 nominations across seven categories this year. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees whose commitment and dedication has been recognised and who have made a positive difference to other people's lives."
The Young Citizen of the Year award was presented to Annabelle van Wyk for her contribution to the arts and passion for encouraging young people in the region to participate in the performing arts.
The Orange Running Festival received the award for Community Event of the Year, which drew 2300 participants from across the state last year to participate in events from a two-kilometre dash to the marathon.
The award for Community Group of the Year was awarded to men's mental health support group Blue Moto, founded by Steven Doherty. Blue Moto runs various activities focusing on men's health such as morning teas, wellness walks, support groups and the Ride Blue Suicide Awareness Ride.
The Local Legend Award was presented to Merrilyn Mendham for her service to the Orange community through Scouts, Riding for the Disabled, Cantar Choir and fundraising for Huntington's Disease.
The award for Environmental Citizen/Group was presented to Neil Jones for his contribution to the local environment through the Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange group.
Lastly, West Orange Motors was awarded the Business Philanthropy Award for its generous support of many local community events and organisations without seeking anything in return.
The awards were presented this morning at Australia Day celebrations in Cook Park.
What the nominations said
Citizen of the Year - Chris Colvin
As President of the Orange RSL Sub-Branch, Chris Colvin puts his heart and soul into all the background work needed to ensure significant events such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, along with other Commemoration Services, are run as smoothly as possible for the Orange community.
He is a role model to younger veterans in the community and continues to support the Veteran PTSD clinic held monthly in Orange for all veterans and their families dealing with mental health issues. Chris is the first to be involved with projects that support veterans and their families, and to ensure those we have lost since the Boer War to present day are not forgotten.
Young Citizen of the Year - Annabelle van Wyk
Anabelle is being nominated for her contribution to the arts as she has exhibited a passion to encourage young regionally based creatives to pursue a future in the performing arts. She has demonstrated how important it is to her that younger children should be encouraged to participate in cultural opportunities and to help them succeed, regardless of their location or circumstances, and that the arts should be equally accessible to all. In Anabelle's spare time she has been helping a neurodiverse young student learn how to play a musical instrument.
She has also been part of her school's Intergen Wontama program, making monthly visits to the aged-care facility where she and other students would offer musical activities to the residents. For the past three years, Anabelle has also been volunteering at her school's junior band.
This year she has been one of four young artists from the Central West receiving mentorship through the Horizons youth career launchpad. Through participating in this program she has also been advocating for young creative people living in regional areas to participate as much as possible in the performing arts and to take every available opportunity. With her own extensive participation in the arts, she is an exemplary role model.
Community Event of the Year - Orange Running Festival
The Orange Running Festival takes place in March each year, and is currently in its 19th year, having grown into one of the premiere regional running events in NSW. In 2024, the event drew 2,300 participants including 1,000 visitors from across NSW and beyond. With nine races ranging from the Marathon to the 2K Dash events, there is truly an event for everyone. The Orange Running Festival prides itself on being an extremely welcoming and inclusive event. Each year, participant feedback cites the strong sense of community and friendly environment as a point of difference and key motivation for runners to return year after year. The Community Dash has further developed this sense of inclusiveness, as a two-kilometre timed but non-competitive event welcoming young and old, and runners and walkers of all abilities.
The festival is truly a community event, organised and hosted by the Orange Runners Club. Dozens of club members come out in force each year to fill roles ranging from on-course marshals, runner registration team members and several significant roles on the event committee. Multiple local organisations also contribute teams of volunteers including the Rural Fire Service, Cycling Without Age Orange, Scouts, Air Force Cadets and school P&C groups. The impact of the event can be measured by growth in the number of participants, on track to be even larger for 2025, as well as the estimated economic benefit of $250,000 to local tourism providers. Volunteer groups benefit through donations to recognise their efforts, and while talented local runners of all ages are recognised for their abilities and accomplishments on the day.
Business Philanthropy - West Orange Motors
From sponsoring Central West Inspired Women events as overall sponsor, to donating $10k to give Orange residents the opportunity to hear from Ben Crowe, West Orange Motors have made an impact. They heeded the call for funding of the Central West Anti Bullying Summit, Grace Brennan luncheon and so much more they don't promote their involvement in, such as organising and paying for Robbie Mortimer to sing at Anson Street School, community barbecues, giving 300+ students the chance to be coached by cricketer Phoebe Litchfield at Moulder Park and supporting the local business chamber to bring Steve Vamos to Orange.
WOM have never enforced nor asked for any tangible return on investment in any donation or sponsorship, truly portraying a business that cares about the community in which they live. Leading the charge are WOM's Sophie Maley and owner Blair Blashki who deserve every recognition for their dedication and love for giving back and getting involved. All of the above mentioned events would not have been possible without WOMs generosity and our community would not have had the chance to experience them.
Community Group of the Year - Blue Moto
Steven Doherty founder and chair of Blue MOTO inc has been voluntarily running men's health groups, suicide servivor support groups and community events for the last five. Years below is some of the work Steven does through Blue Moto. Blue Moto runs a free men's group on the second and fourth Thursday of the month, meeting for morning tea at Eat Botanic, as well as community wellness walks at the Orange Botanic Gardens on the first and third Thursday of the month. All are welcome, men, women, children and pets.
Blue Moto also operates a suicide survivor support group, which is a closed Facebook group where each member supports each other. There is also the Ride Blue suicide awareness ride, which raises awareness and funds for Lifeline Central West. Then there is the Wellbeing Collective, a Facebook page sharing mental health activities and information from non-government organisations and community groups, as well as the Wellness Tree Program where a tree, tree guard and a plaque outlining adolescent helpline numbers is donated to high schools. Thesee are grown and guards are made by Blue Moto.
Local Legend - Merrilyn Mendham
Merrilyn Mendham has a lifetime of volunteer service in the Orange community and is the epitome of the true Australian spirit. Merrilyn has clocked up more than 20 years with Orange Scout groups, as a Scout Leader, Venturer Leader and Rover leader, bringing the unit back to life and guiding many of her charges towards a lifetime of service. She organised adventurous trips that people still talk about. She took young people from Orange and surrounding areas skiing, mountaineering, abseiling, bushwalking and caving. This dynamo used Scouting principles to guide by example and help our young people see the benefits of being a community member and contributing to others.
Approaching a time in life when we were all ready to take it easy, Merrilyn shifted gears and took on the local RDA – Riding for the Disabled centre where she became qualified as a Coach and for over 15 years continues to provide safe and structured enjoyment to our local children who are struggling with their disabilities. To Merrilyn, they all have abilities and she makes sure that they get to use and appreciate them. Its not just a one day a week running classes with RDA for Merrilyn, as she also organises and supervises regular farrier visits and horse health checks, arranges local school participants, keeps up the legal paperwork and ensures her continuous quality training is up to date. Further, she provides structure for the Volunteer team, introduces new volunteers to RDA and ensures that they are all inducted and correctly trained including their working with children checks.
It doesn't end there with Merrilyn though as she is a major carer for her brother, a very active fundraiser for Huntington's Disease, a singer in the Cantar Choir, plays her Ukelele and speaks to students about disabilities. A truly inspirational and deserved person.
Environmental Citizen/Group - Neil Jones
Neil Jones founded the Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange (ECCO) in 2006 and has played an inspirational role as President for 10 of ECCO's 18 years. ECCO is the leading environmental group in Orange with a broad program of environmental education, awareness raising and activism. ECCO liaises with Orange City Council and many community groups on environmental issues such as urban planning, protection of habitat and biodiversity, water management and climate change. Neil was an Orange Councillor for two terms (2008-2017) and has been a member of the Council's Parks, Trees and Waterways Committee and Companion Animals Committee for many years. His work on the Companion Animals Committee has had a focus on dog and cat containment strategies so their environmental impact is reduced. Prior to becoming a Councillor, Neil led a successful community campaign against development on public green space and parks. He now leads the Ploughman's Wetlands Care Group, which regularly holds working bees, tree plantings and collects rubbish others have left, including discarded fishing lines, lures and hooks.
Neil is very approachable and is always willing to be contacted by community members and take action on the environmental issues they raise. He writes submissions, organises rallies, attends community consultations, speaks at Council meetings and meets with politicians at all levels on environmental issues. Neil also volunteers at the ECCO Farmers Market stall, Sustainable Living Week, Clean Up Australia Day, National Tree Day, World Wetlands Day and renewable energy events. Neil has made a significant contribution to Orange over many years. increasing awareness of environmental issues and achieving better environmental outcomes. He is a great collaborator and widely recognized community leader. His efforts and advocacy highlight what individuals and organisations can do to make a real difference to create a better and more liveable community for all.
