2024 Australia Day award winners announced
Published on 30 January 2024
Srey Kang has been awarded Fairfield City community’s top Australia Day honour, being named the 2024 Fairfield City Citizen of The Year at today’s award ceremony.
Srey has given dedicated service to the local community through her volunteering and community work. She played a significant role in communicating about COVID-19 to the Khmer community in Fairfield City and South-West Sydney. She is known for her selflessness and has been a voice for the vulnerable. Srey is a palliative care nurse from Cabramatta West who would spend her lunch breaks filming her own news bulletins and broadcasting live on Facebook, ensuring messages about COVID-19 were heard by the community. She also provides cooked food and comforting support to people in need.
Fairfield City Mayor Frank Carbone presented four major awards in various categories to outstanding community members at the annual Australia Day Community Awards ceremony today at Aquatopia at Prairiewood Leisure Centre.
The winners were:
- Srey Kang – Fairfield Citizen of The Year;
- Erica Chau – Young Citizen of The Year;
- Pearl Jameson and the Wetherill Park Crochet and Knitting Group – Joint winners of Volunteer of The Year; and
- Munib Smajic – Sports Achiever of the Year
Also recognised were medallion and certificate recipients in honour of their contribution to the community.
Medallion recipients were:
- Citizen of the Year: James Elliott
- Volunteer of the Year: Ben Stewart
- Sports Achiever of the Year: Oliver Facer.
Certificate recipients were:
- Citizen of the Year: Barrie Craig, Michael Foulkes, Robert Gaspari and Scott Symons.
- Young Citizen of the Year: Sabrina Bizhn, Asteer Saleem and Sapphire Truong.
- Volunteer of the Year: Alba Arias, Robert Conte, Allan Grant, Gilbert Shamuel and Marlin Shawool.
- Sports Achiever of the Year Certificate recipients: James Haong, Zak Marsh and Jayden Nguyen.
Fairfield City Mayor Frank Carbone said the Australia Day Community Awards are held each year to recognise and pay tribute to all those who dedicate their time and effort into making Fairfield City a better community for all.
“Their dedication and commitment is an example to us all,” Mayor Carbone said.
“Our winners often go about their business quietly, but I’d like to publicly thank all these community achievers, and recognise their tireless efforts on our special national day.
“I congratulate Srey Kang, Erica Chau, Pearl Jameson, the Wetherill Park Crochet and Knitting Group and Munib Smajic on their wonderful achievements.”
2024 Citizen of the Year: Srey Kang
Srey has given dedicated service to the local community through her volunteering and community work. She played a significant role in communicating about COVID-19 to the Khmer community in Fairfield City and South-West Sydney. She is known for her selflessness and has been a voice for the vulnerable. Srey is a palliative care nurse from Cabramatta West who would spend her lunch breaks filming her own news bulletins and broadcasting live on Facebook. She provides cooked food and comforting support to people in need.
2024 Young Citizen of the Year: Erica Chau
Erica was awarded the NSW Youth Community Service Award 2023 recognising her service to the community. She has volunteered her time generously, through her volunteer work with Project Compassion, the Winter Appeal, Caritas, Big Sister and Share the Dignity program and the White Ribbon Appeal. Erica has also raised funds for the Leukaemia Foundation World’s Greatest Shave and donated her own hair.
Erica has unwavering determination supporting and donating to various fundraising events and campaigns.
2024 Volunteer of the Year joint winners: Pearl Jameson and the Wetherill Park Crochet and Knitting Group
Pearl Jameson
95-year-old Pearl has been a Fairfield City resident for more than 70 years and has always been dedicated to serving the community. Over the years, Pearl has volunteered at local schools and raised money for Motor Neurone Disease by making crafts, jams and biscuits and selling them at various markets. She still attends Westacott Cottage weekly to sell her crafts with all profits raised being donated to charity. In her spare time, Pearl joins the Spinners and Weavers group, attends aged care facilities and schools demonstrating her craft skills and looks after her garden of flowers and home-grown vegetables.
The Wetherill Park Crochet and Knitting Group
The Wetherill Park Crochet and Knitting Group are a dedicated group who volunteer their time and effort to support the community. The group meets twice a month at Wetherill Park Library knitting teddies and donating them to hospitals, local ambulance, fire and rescue and community services that deal with children affected by trauma or stress. Since 2022, the knitting group have made 300 trauma teddies for the Australian Red Cross.
2024 Sports Achiever of the Year: Munib Smajic
Munib is an exceptional young athlete and student who attends Bossley Park High School and is part of the school’s highly regarded Talented Football Program.
He was recently selected to play for Sydney FC u18’s for the upcoming season at the age of 16 years. Munib is currently touring the UK and Ireland for the 2023 u16 Australian Schoolboys Squad.
2023 was a successful year for Munib being selected in the Australian Schoolboys Squad, Football NSW, NSW All Schools and Sydney FC u18s.