And the nominees are... Australia Day 2024 awards

Published on 11 January 2024

Congratulations to our Australia Day 2024 nominees for Citizen of the Year and Young Achiever of the Year!

Winners of these awards will be announced at our official Australia Day proceedings at Singleton Civic Centre on Friday 26 January.

The ceremony will include an address by special guest Brian Doyle and a citizenship ceremony where 19 new Australian citizens will be welcomed. The traditional BBQ breakfast for a gold coin donation will kick off at 8am, followed by the official ceremony at 9.30am. The ceremony will be live streamed on Council’s Facebook page and website.

The Australia Day celebrations will begin with Twilight, our Australia Day eve community event, in the Townhead Park precinct on Thursday 25 January. There will be free family fun and entertainment on offer from 5.30-9.30pm. Read more on Twilight HERE.

2024 Australia Day nominees

Young Achiever of the Year

Joss Davies

Joss Davies is a role model for young people living with disabilities, like herself, in the Singleton community. In 2017 Joss joined Singleton PCYC’s Friday Afternoon Fun Disability Sport and Support Program. At the time, she was a shy teenager with low self-esteem. Fast forward to now, Joss has grown into a confident young woman with a passion for helping others.

In 2020 Joss began volunteering at Singleton PCYC and attends every day during school holiday activities. Joss is punctual, hardworking, professional and displays a maturity beyond her years when working with youths. Joss is also at the forefront of the PCYC fundraising activities including selling raffle tickets and making sausage sandwiches at Bunnings BBQs.

The same year she completed her Higher School Certificate in 2022, Joss was named a finalist in the One to Watch category of the NSW Young Women of the Year Awards.

Joss is a member of the Singleton Disability Advisory Committee and was a participant of Singleton Council’s Our Inclusion video campaign, sharing her story about living with disabilities and thriving in the Singleton community.

Citizen of the Year 

Alex Tigani

Alex Tigani is a passionate member and supporter of the Singleton community.

A past Singleton Young Achiever of the Year nominee, Alex is a dedicated citizen providing services to our community through his work as a youth leader, a former journalist at the Singleton Argus and deputy editor of the Hunter River Times, a member of the Rotary Club of Singleton Sunrise and the Singleton Roosters AFL Club.

As a survivor of the June 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash, Alex has selflessly committed himself to doing what he can to help the health and wellbeing of other surviving passengers. This has included going for daily walks with survivors. In the wake of this tragedy that has touched the lives of so many in the Singleton community, Alex has also shown incredible resilience and fortitude through his ongoing advocacy to the State Government, campaigning for changes to bus safety regulations.

Kaye Atfield

Kaye Atfield has spent 42 years providing childcare services to children in the Hunter Valley both as a director of an established childcare facility in Muswellbrook and her own childcare facility, Kaye Care, in Jerrys Plains.

Kaye’s services are invaluable to the small community of Jerrys Plains and its local primary school and extend beyond childcare but also to supporting families through trauma, hardships, marriage breakdowns, sickness and death. Kaye has taken children into her care when parents and caregivers have needed extra support during difficult times. She has not only provided children with a safe environment to grow in but understood their developing needs and talents to help them thrive.

Kaye is an active member of the Jerrys Plains School of Arts Hall Committee and has previously assisted the Singleton Neighbourhood Centre as part of the outreach service at Christmas time. Kaye is a much loved and respected member of her community.

Diana Thorning

Diana Thorning has shared her kind-heartedness and talents to many individuals and organisations in the Singleton community for many decades.

Diana has been a foster carer to 15 children and has provided emergency respite to countless children in need since 1997. She has been a member of the Uniting Elizabeth Gates Village auxiliary for over 30 years, provided care services to residents since 2001 and has been the secretary since 2011. Diana has also been the secretary of the Singleton Branch of the Australian Red Cross since 2003 and the vice president of Singleton Tidy Towns since 2009.

Every week, Diana attends the Uniting Elizabeth Gates Village where she volunteers with the hand care program, massaging residents’ hands and painting their nails. In addition to being the village’s auxiliary secretary, Diana actively participates in fundraising to improve the comfort of the residents. At the auxiliary’s fete in 2023, Diana made 200 jars of jam and pickles - and of which all sold and raised vital funds for the village. Also in 2023, Diana instigated a glass jar recycling program where collection points around town allow people to donate jars that she then sterilises before filing with her beloved recipes.

Diana coordinates the Red Cross Trauma Teddy program in Singleton. She helps to stitch together, stuff and embroider bears before delivering them to emergency services, the hospital and doctors’ surgeries to give to young patients.

Diana was heavily involved when Singleton Tidy Towns hosted the NSW Tidy Towns Awards in March 2023, which brought around 200 visitors to Singleton. Diana made jars of pickles and jams for the welcome gift bags, helped to cater lunch for the visitors and coordinated a display of services from up to 20 community groups at the awards dinner.

Ronald Stokes

Ronald Stokes has contributed to the Singleton community in many ways over many years. He was involved in Singleton Anglican Church’s marriage preparation classes from 1978 to 1983, was the editor of the church’s contact magazine from 1976 to 1985 and was the secretary of the Gouldsville Agricultural Bureau from 1957 to 1961.

For over 55 years, Ron was involved in the Singleton Farmers District Cattle judging, ‘Nioka’ Gouldsville AIS Stud and ‘Recluse’ Long Point Friesian Stud. He has been a volunteer of the Singleton Hospital Auxiliary since 2003 and an official visitor of the hospital for the same period.

Ron has researched and published three books between 2010-2020 that document the community’s history. Titles include A Time to Remember, a history of farming in the Gouldsville area, The Lamp, a history of Singleton Hospital, its auxiliary and Pink Ladies service, and A Bygone Era, a tribute to the milk and cream carriers who delivered to the Dairy Company.

All books sold out and proceeds were donated to the hospital to purchase equipment. Book four is expected to be publish in 2024. Titled A Place in Time, it traces the history of the Singleton Co-Operative Dairy Company from 1900 to 1970.

Bronwyn Dunston

Bronwyn Dunston is passionate about her community. She is an active participant of the Jerrys Plains community, the Country Women’s Association (CWA), a board member of Ourcare Services and the Northern Agricultural Association (NAA) Show Committee. Over the years, Bronwyn has been involved in local football and athletics whilst also juggling her family and grandchildren with disabilities.

Bronwyn joined the Jerrys Plains CWA branch in 1998 and transferred to Singleton in 2003. She held the position of secretary of Jerrys Plains CWA from 1998-2002 and treasurer of the Singleton branch 2003-2005 and 2008-2011. Bronwyn became Singleton branch president 2005-2011, secretary 2016-2018 and president again from 2016-present. In addition to supporting her local branch, Bronwyn has held the roles of secretary, treasurer, international officer and president for the CWA Hunter River Group from 2002-present.

She has been involved with the CWA State Executive in various roles since 2016 and in 2022, Bronwyn had the honour of being the first Singleton CWA member to be elected to the State Executive as vice president.

Bronwyn has held positions on the CWA’s The Land Cookery competition committee and assists with Local Land Services within the Hunter. Bronwyn is a founding member of the Singleton Sundowners CWA Evening Branch for young women who cannot attend a day meeting. This group currently has 16 members and is going strong. 

Bronwyn brings a great deal of knowledge and commitment to Ourcare, of which she has been on the board of directors since 2006. With the NAA, Bronwyn is a steward within the cookery pavilion where for many years she has assisted on the committee in the judging of preserves and supporting the NAA in other areas. 

Bronwyn is a well-respected member of the community and as such, was featured in photographer Edwina Richards’ We Are Singleton: Portrait of a Town exhibition at Singleton Arts and Cultural Centre.