A community campaign to save a treasured live music venue, a refugee advocate, a young engineer and a hugely successful multicultural sporting festival have been recognised in the annual City of Adelaide Citizen of the Year awards.
Lord Mayor of Adelaide Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM today presented the awards at Adelaide Town Hall following a citizenship ceremony which welcomed 34 conferees from over 20 different countries including Bahrain, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Lithuania and Serbia.
Inner city resident Mij Tanith was named the 2025 Citizen of the Year in recognition of her tireless work as part of the Circle of Friends volunteer organisation to support refugees when they first arrived in Australia.
"It is a honour to recognise Mij for her leadership, compassion, tenacity and determination when it comes to helping those who in need," said the Lord Mayor.
Young engineer Julian Zheng was named Young Citizen of the Year while a community campaign to save the Crown and Anchor Hotel received the Active Citizenship of the Year award and the Australian Sikh Games held in Adelaide was named the Community Event of the Year.
The Lord Mayor said the annual City of Adelaide Citizen of the Year Awards were the traditional precursor for the Australia Day long weekend.
"As we have done in previous years, the City of Adelaide is a proud financial supporter of the Australia Day Council which will hold a number of events at Elder Park," said the Lord Mayor.
"These include a smoking ceremony, official ceremony, firework displays, a multicultural parade, a light show and a food hub."
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR - MIJ TANITH
Mij is an active citizen of the city, particularly in the South-West corner, and has contributed to supporting refugees in our community by ensuring they feel welcome, connected with neighbours and have access to services available to support refugees.
In addition, she has successfully worked with her neighbours and the City of Adelaide to increase garden space and greening of Hamilton Place.
As a member of Circle of Friends Australia Inc, Mij is well known for her long-standing commitment to supporting asylum seekers. This has involved being involved in supporting refugees in the former Baxter Detention Centre and Vietnamese refugee community.
Mij has helped many individuals and families obtain visas, gain permanent residency and escape from conflict, famine and poverty. Although never formally recognised, her work is deeply appreciated by the many people she has helped and supported, as well as the South West community.
YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE YEAR - JULIAN ZHENG
Julian's journey from a South Australian international student to a skilled engineer specialising in fire safety systems has uniquely positioned him to contribute to the Australian community in meaningful ways.
His personal experience of navigating the challenges faced by migrants has driven him to support others in similar situations.
Since 2019, Julian annually has mentored at least three migrant engineers, helping them overcome barriers in the Australian workforce.
An accomplished motivational speaker, Julian participates in workshops to encourage students to consider STEM careers.
By offering career guidance and emotional support, Julian has played a vital role in helping migrant engineers find their place in the community and contribute to Australian society.
COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR - AUSTRALIAN SIKH GAMES
The Australian Sikh Games are the premier sporting and cultural event held each Easter by Australia's Sikh community at capital cities and major regional areas.
The 2024 games were held within the Adelaide CBD, with 3500 athletes representing 120 Australian sporting clubs and 11 international sporting clubs.
The three-day event attracted over 100,000 spectators. Many were from interstate and overseas, in particular New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada and the UK. In accordance with the Sikh philosophy, free meals were provided to all spectators over the duration of the event.
The 2024 Australian Sikh Games were a truly multicultural event which brought the broader community together and contributed significant economic benefits to Adelaide and South Australia.
ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP OF THE YEAR - SAVE THE CRANKER
In 2024, the grassroots 'Save The Cranker' campaign successfully spearheaded community efforts to save the 171-year-old Crown & Anchor Hotel - affectionately known as 'The Cranker' - from demolition.
The campaign mobilised thousands of members of the community to successfully lobby the South Australian government for the conservation of the popular live music venue as part of a broader push for improved protection of cultural heritage within the Adelaide CBD.
Image: Citizen of the year 2025 Mij Tanith with Lord Mayor of Adelaide Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM
