Eugowra's flood recovery committee, show society and museum were among those recognised in NSW Parliament in the past year.
MP Philip Donato has hosted the fourth annual Orange electorate Community Recognition Awards event at the Australian National Field Days Function Centre, presenting certificates acknowledging individuals and organisations who have contributed to their community or who have achieved remarkable personal or professional accomplishments.
“For me, recognising people from our community and celebrating their work, effort and accomplishments is one of the most rewarding parts of my job as the local Member of Parliament," Mr Donato said.
“We should all be proud of these people’s efforts, because their motivation and their values are what help to make our region bloom and such a great place to live."
Eugowra recipients were:
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Jodie Greenhalgh - Eugowra Harness Racing Club
The Canola Cup racing day is the signature event of the Eugowra Harness Racing Club and this year long-serving club secretary Jodie Greenhalgh was presented with a Harness Racing Australia Lifetime Achievement award for meritorious service on Canola Cup day. A timely honour considering the countless hours she has spent helping develop the day into a major date in western harness racing. Jodie joined the Eugowra Harness Racing Club as a 17-year-old and is now recognised as the driving force behind its two meetings each year. The almost two decades of experience she has gained were put to the test when Eugowra and nearby Forbes were heavily impacted by the November 2022 flood event. While Eugowra township was almost wiped off the map, its harness racing track was spared yet Forbes' facility was not as fortunate. Jodie set about working with the Forbes club to ensure its meetings could be run out of Eugowra, despite her own family losing almost everything.
Eugowra flood recovery committee
Eugowra Flood Recovery Committee was named Central West and then NSW Volunteer Team of the Year. This committee does an enormous job for its community after the devastation of the 2022 floods, which almost wiped Eugowra off the map. The Flood Recovery Committee helped guide Eugowra's recovery, working with Cabonne Council, the NSW Reconstruction Authority and other services to deliver support to the often-traumatised residents of the small township. Almost immediately after what has been described as an 'inland tsunami' surged through Eugowra, the committee members started working towards connecting those who lost everything with those that could help. Committee members Sean Haynes, Liz Mitchell, Kim Storey, Dave Herbert, Janet Moxey, Ash Wright and Tim Wright continue to work hard for their fellow Eugowra residents who still battle the flood's after-effects.
Eugowra Show represented by Janet Moxey
Eugowra Show Society was awarded the AgShows NSW 2023 Resilience Award and Mr Donato acknowledged he would be surprised if anyone came close to the Eugowra Show Society in the judging for this award. The foundation the Show Society provided to help pull the community back together after the trauma of the November 2022 flood event was critical from the outset. It started with opening the Eugowra Showground and transforming it into a vital hub with the pavilion and other facilities serving as an evacuation centre, providing shelter and accommodation. The grounds were also used for staging for government support agencies. Members of the Society provided a haven for flood victims and empathy for traumatised residents. In September 2023, the 108th Eugowra Show went ahead with free entry for residents. Its business-as-usual approach in getting the show off the ground 10 months after the flood set a wonderful example. As AgShows NSW stated in its award precis, 'The Eugowra Show Society exemplifies resilience and adaptation, putting community first'. I thank The Eugowra Show Society for its work and again congratulate them on the recognition from AgShows NSW.
Ray Agustin - Eugowra Historical Museum and Bushranger Centre
Eugowra continues to pass significant milestones on the road to recovery from the devastating floods of November 2022. This time it's the volunteers involved with the Historical Museum and Bushranger Centre further illustrating the township's resilience and sense of community. Led by chairperson Ray Agustin, the volunteers saved the bulk of the museum's collection, the majority of which was covered in mud during the floods. Their efforts have earned two highly-commended gongs in the Museums and Galleries of NSW IMAGinE 2023 awards, in the category of projects with a budget of $10,000, innovation and resilience. Following the flooding, a team of volunteers, some from out of town, and museum staff from nearby Orange and further afield, ventured into the mud and debris, spending two weeks finding, cleaning and packing items for safe storage. Mr Agustin was also recognised for his dedication during the flood, doing all he could to protect the museum and then coordinating its recovery, ensuring the safety of the collection and its survival. While reopening is some way off, the museum's future looks positive.
