Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin
Denmark’s Citizen of the Year Murray Brooker believes in always leaving a place better than he found it and continually improving and learning.
The former school principal and university lecturer in child psychology has served in emergency and fire services wherever he has lived but is thankful of all the support he receives.
He was appreciative to all the people who have worked with him who ‘make me seem better than I am’.
Murray was announced Citizen of the Year at a Volunteer Appreciation Sundower on May 18 for his 18-year service to the Mt Lindesay Bushfire Brigade and his role as a facilitator in bushfire readiness.
He has seen his local brigade go from a ‘fairly small but active’ group to 43 active members with a move to engaging with women.
These days, women hold more than half the leadership positions in the brigade.
Murray was a driving force behind the Denmark Bushfire Ready Weekend which has become the biggest bushfire readiness event in WA.
The event has empowered the Denmark community to be better-prepared and resilient in the face of bushfire-related challenges.
The Senior Citizen of the Year was presented to Louise Swan for her exceptional community service.
Louise serves as secretary/ volunteer coordinator for the Denmark Horsepower, which through horses inspires positive life changes to people with diverse abilities.
Her skills have been instrumental in the growth and success of Denmark Horsepower.
She also handles and records transcripts for the Denmark Historical Society and is an active member of the Probus Club.
The Youth Citizen of the Year was Lochlan Otway for his role in local sport which has included coaching the Denmark junior soccer club under-13-16 teams.
Lochlan has coached and trained the Albany District Cricket Association under-13 teams enabling the side to take part in the Bunbury tournament this year.
He led his Albany Junior Soccer Association to the grand final last year. Flynn Devenport was Junior Sportsperson of the Year (under 18) and Karis Aplin was Senior Sportsperson of the Year.
Flynn and Karis received their awards for their achievements in mountain biking.
Denmark Mountain Bike Club member Allister Dickson received the Service to Sport Award for his contribution to the club and the development of mountain biking in the Denmark region.
See all the pictures in the issue.
This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 30 May 2024.
