2025 Australia Day Award winners

Gavin Morrow receives the Horsham Rural City Council, Australia Day 2025 Citizen of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding community involvement and contributions over many years. 

Gavin’s involvement in the community includes:

• Established Healthy Minds Group in Horsham (2009), a small community group that works to reduce the stigma of mental health, educating people that controlling stress helps control depression and anxiety
• Deputy Commissioner of Wimmera Football League
• Organised the Wimmera and Horsham District Football League CheckMate Round in July 2024, which aimed to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health issues across both leagues and provide education for players and spectators
• Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute Board Member
• Chair of the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute Fundraising Committee
• Foster Carer along with wife Jodie
• Dealer Principal of Morrow Motor Group
• Sponsored and supported a vast range of community events and activities with the company being recognised in 2023 as regional Victoria’s best large
  automotive business
• Provide sponsorship to six football clubs, four bowling clubs, five golf clubs and local schools
• Sponsor of community events - Carols by Candlelight, Horsham Arts Council, Warracknabeal Christmas Promotion, The Rainbow, Nhill and Warracknabeal
  Agricultural Shows
• Rotary Club from age 18 to 30.

Membership:

• Healthy Minds Horsham—Co-founder in 2009 to present
• Wimmera Football and Netball League—former Deputy Commissioner and Welfare Officer

Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute—Current Deputy Chair, support research of Honorary Director, Professor George Kannourakis.

Julia Hastings receives the 2025 Young Citizen of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership qualities and being a ready volunteer.

Julia is an invaluable member of the leadership team at Girl Guides Horsham. Known for her initiative in planning and organising a wide range of activities, she always enters the hall with a smile and is ready to lend a hand wherever needed. The 16-year-old has a positive influence on the other girls who attend, encouraging them to give things a try, do their best, think independently, be mindful and kind to others, and take on new leadership opportunities.

In her leadership role at Girl Guides, Julia has attended planning meetings, sleepovers and camps and organised and ran Unit meetings. 

In addition to her leadership contributions, Julia has volunteered many hours of her time at Vinnies in Horsham, where she assisted with pricing and presenting secondhand items for sale, greeted customers, and processed transactions.

The Love Your Mum afternoon high tea was held on Sunday 12 May 2024 at the Horsham Town Hall, organised by five community minded women Mary Marchesini, Teresa Marchesini, Helen Fisher, Lee Elliot and Robyn Lardner. 

The group self-funded the event to pay tribute to Horsham local, Susan Schilling, who passed away in November 2021 from heart disease and offer an opportunity to educate guests about heart disease symptoms and the early signs of heart attack.

Cardiac disease significantly impacts regional Australia, where residents often face higher rates of heart problems compared to urban areas.  This is largely due to limited access to healthcare services as well as lifestyle factors and socioeconomic challenges.

Horsham business owner Judy Carter told her heart disease story at the ‘Love Your Mum’ event to honour and remember the Horsham mum and Captain Tom Ryan of the Royal Flying Doctors Service lead a four-piece band (Shrewd Brass) to entertain the gathering.

A fundraising auction took place that day, featuring a variety of items available for bidding. Among the items, homemade yo-yo biscuits were auctioned off for an impressive $450.

More than 50 businesses and 150 guests supported the event and an anonymous single donation of $10,000 enabled the organisers to donate $16,000 to Grampians Health, Horsham Cardiac Rehabilitation and $10,000 to the Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria.