The outstanding Amy Salisbury and Nimita Bagadia are the 2024 Kingston Women of the Year.
Kingston Mayor Jenna Davey-Burns presented the awards at the annual International Women's Day (IWD) event at Kingston City Hall, which was hosted and led by Kingston's female councillors, junior councillors, and senior staff.
Cr Davey-Burns praised the remarkable work of all 29 of this year's nominees.
"We know that women are doing exceptional things every day and they deserve to be recognised and celebrated, each of them makes such remarkable contributions to our city and further afield and I have been personally touched and inspired by their leadership, dedication and personal stories," Cr Davey-Burns said.
"Holding the awards on International Women's Day – a global celebration of the achievements of women – is fitting. Beyond today, we celebrate women and girls every day in our city.
"I am deeply honoured to be part of Kingston's first all-women leadership team, with Councillor Tracey Davies as Deputy Mayor, and I'd love to think that one of our nominees will be next.
"Representation really matters. That is why we host these awards. We shine a light on the ways women in differing roles, from all backgrounds and with a myriad of talents and passions, contribute so positively to our communities.
"We want to inspire all women and girls to know their talents count, and we are a city that puts our values into action. We will also continue to drive gender equity so that all women and girls can live free of violence and lead flourishing lives to the fullest of their potential."
Longbeach Ward Councillor Georgina Oxley said our Women of the Year Awards is one of her favourite events on the Kingston calendar.
"Kingston City Hall is filled with people celebrating the achievements of incredible women across our city and it's fantastic," Cr Oxley said.
"When we first started our International Women's Day events many years ago, we had around 25 people attend and now there are hundreds of people coming along to celebrate the wonderful women in our community and empower each other."
The annual event, now in its sixth year, celebrated the remarkable contribution of women across Kingston and commitment to the United Nations IWD theme of Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress, with this year's campaign focused on highlighting how women's economic empowerment is central to a gender equal world.
With such a strong group of nominees, award winners were also honoured across four categories: Courageous Commitment, Excelling in Art & Sport, Inspiring Innovation, Success in STEM.
2024 Kingston Women of the Year (joint winners): Amy Salisbury and Nimita Bagadia
Amy is the founder of Mordi Sea Dippers, an inclusive community group bringing together a diverse range of people to explore the benefits of cold-water therapy. Through this program, members have built connections and friendships, creating a lasting positive impact on their lives.
Amy also founded PMDD Wellness Warrior, providing support and coaching to women with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
She recently gifted this business to focus on her new passion, Seasoul Sauna, which aims to bring the benefits of traditional sauna and cold-water immersion together in a business focused on connection, self-care, and community. Additionally, Amy mobilises community resources for volunteer initiatives domestically and internationally.
Nimita has demonstrated excellence throughout her decade long tenure at Telstra. Beginning as a graduate engineer, Nimita actively addressed gender biases and became a champion for diversity and inclusion.
Her project management skills and contributions to energy efficiency and water billing initiatives garnered recognition, earning her prestigious awards.
Nimita extends her impact through motivational speaking, mentoring programs, and community engagement, emphasising her commitment to inspiring others and fostering positive change in STEM.
Courageous Commitment (joint winners): Evelyn Townley and Gwyn Nichols
Evelyn has led a local patchwork group at Chelsea Heights Community Centre for 23 years. Despite limited funds over the past 6 years, the group has passionately created quilts, teddies, and other items for babies and children in need.
These handcrafted donations, distributed to Neonatal Intensive Care Units across Australia, become cherished heirlooms.
Evelyn's enduring commitment serves as an inspiration to the community, where she also supports charities, such as Backpack 4 Kids. Additionally, she teaches line dancing.
Notably, her leadership has resulted in significant contributions to hospitals nationwide.
Gwyn is a Director at Community First Responders Australia. She channels her professional life into empowering communities and saving lives. Focused on breaking barriers to emergency care for diverse groups, she equips them with tailored skills and knowledge.
During her time as the Emergency Communications and Marketing Manager, Gwyn's relentless fundraising efforts led to a 400% increase in charity donations. She played a crucial role in COVID-19 initiatives, ensuring responder safety, conducting testing, and fostering community resilience. Recognised with the Public Safety Excellence Award from Zoll, her advocacy extends to promoting public access to defibrillators and education.
Excelling in Art and Sport: Kerrie Waworis
Kerrie is a coach at the Peninsula Dragonfly's Dragonboat Club. Her motivational leadership propelled her crew to victory at the 2023 Australian Championships, a testament to her ability to guide members toward collaborative success.
Her infectious passion has driven the Club's recent 300% membership surge. At 66, she is a role model for women over 40 in sports.
Kerrie's dedication to dragon-boating was recently recognised by her appointment as President of Dragon Boat Victoria and being awarded the sport's Dragon Spirit Award.
Inspiring Innovation: Dr Carolyn Beaumont
Carolyn embodies entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, transitioning from a piano teacher to a medical doctor and establishing ground-breaking initiatives in tobacco harm reduction.
Carolyn founded 'MedicalNicotine' in 2020, and in 2023 she launched 'SmokerHealth Telehealth', a national service providing preventive care for smokers, especially in disadvantaged areas.
Carolyn advocates for reducing smoking harm and pioneers efforts to extend the research and education initiative 'RAISE Australia', which aims to establish an Indigenous community pilot program to reduce smoking inequity. Her achievements span international presentations, media contributions, and educational initiatives for schools and health professionals.
Success in STEM: Dr Kate Robb
Kate is the Executive Director and Head of Research at the Marine Mammal Foundation, a global leader in marine conservation renowned for discovering and naming the Burrunan Dolphin.
Her impactful contributions include legislative development, listing the Burrunan Dolphin as Critically Endangered, and educating communities through the award-winning Marine Litter Project.
With over 17 years of dolphin research, a Ph.D. in Genetics, and numerous scientific publications, she mentors future marine scientists through school programs and the Marine Champions initiative.
Kate's influence extends globally, engaging over 50,000 individuals, and she has collaborated with major media outlets, including the BBC and National Geographic.
To find out more about our winners and all the nominees, visit kingston.vic.gov.au/community/events/upcoming-events/kingston-women-of-the-year-awards.
