Australia Day Ambassador Peter Herbert, Citizen of The Year recipients Mark and Anne Ward with Andrew Gee MP and Mayor of Cabonne Council Kevin Beatty.
Mark and Anne Ward from Canowindra who have devoted themselves to working for an array of organisations for more than 50 years have been named the town’s Citizens of the Year for 2020.
Mark and Anne Ward received their awards during Australia Day celebrations in Canowindra, which also featured a citizenship ceremony where seven new Australian citizens were welcomed to Cabonne Shire.
Mark Ward has been involved with and held executive positions for at least 40 years in organisations such as Apex, the Canowindra Showground Trust Committee, Jockey Club Committee, St Kevin’s Men’s Hostel in the 1980s, the Rivers Fire Brigade, Canowindra Squash Club, Canowindra Pre-School and the Belubula Landholder’ Association. He spent 25 years as a board member with the Lyndon House Drug and Rehabilitation Service, 10 as chairman.
Anne has held various positions with the Canowindra Swimming Club, volunteered with St Vincent De Paul Society, Meals on Wheels and the 100-Mile Dinner, as well as being a founding member of the Canowindra Garden Club. Anne was the director of the Canowindra Pre-School in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The Ward’s were founding members of the Read Triplet Trust, which was formed to assist a local family build an accessible house for their three wheelchair-bound children.
The Young Citizen of the Year award went to Jamie Austin and Community Group of the Year to the CWA Canowindra Branch.