Wangaratta’s Australia Day Award Winners Announced
Published on 26 January 2026
The Rural City of Wangaratta Australia Day Award winners have been announced. These awards recognise local heroes who have made significant contributions to community and were presented as part of the official Australia Day ceremony at the Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre today.
The Awards were presented by Mayor Irene Grant, and Australia Day Ambassador Faryal Khan in the following categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Project or Event of the Year.
Citizen of the Year
Bevan Tremellen, President of Wangaratta Woodworkers Inc., is a humble and dedicated community leader who has revitalised the organisation into an inclusive, supportive hub for all.
He established the transformative Women’s Program, empowering women to gain skills, confidence, and connection. Bevan also led a deeply compassionate partnership with Northeast Health Wangaratta Base Hospital to create personalised coffins for babies born sleeping, offering comfort to grieving families.
His leadership has delivered major community projects, including the restoration of the historic Wangaratta Gates. With kindness, reliability and unwavering service, Bevan continues to strengthen community wellbeing and exemplifies the spirit of the Citizen of the Year Award.
Young Citizen of the Year
Edward (Ed) Browne is a dedicated young leader whose contributions span education, arts, sport, volunteering, and community advocacy. A student at Cathedral College Wangaratta, he balances study, parttime work, and volunteering with enthusiasm.
Active in swimming and skiing, he also embraces creative pursuits, from writing competitions to school productions, where he has held roles performing and supporting.
His commitment to youth wellbeing in regional communities is reflected through roles on the Rural City of Wangaratta Youth Advisory Committee, the Disaster Recovery Youth group (DRY), Youth Strategy co‑design crew, the Youth Affairs Council Victoria and the Victorian Student Representative Council. Ed embodies inclusivity, integrity, compassion, and leadership.
Project of the Year
The North East Multicultural Association (NEMA) has demonstrated exceptional leadership in strengthening community safety and inclusion for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities across North East Victoria.
Following the 2019 bushfires and COVID‑19, NEMA identified a critical gap in accessible emergency information and, in partnership with Emergency Recovery Victoria, produced multilingual preparedness resources in nine languages.
In 2025, working with the Burnet Institute, they expanded this impact through a multilingual YouTube channel delivering translated emergency updates. NEMA’s commitment to inclusive communication has empowered CALD communities, set a new standard for culturally responsive emergency planning, and created a model now recognised across regional Victoria.