Media Release: Australia Day 2025 Winners Announced
Congratulations to the following 2025 Australia Day Recipients:
Citizen of the Year – John Mannion
Community Event of the Year – Rural Women’s Day
Presentation of the Awards will be made at the Australia Day Breakfast held at the Lions Park, Orroroo on
Sunday 26th January 2025 from 8am.
Free Entertainment & Breakfast assisted by the Australian Government through the National Australia Day Council.
Citizen of the Year: John Mannion
John Mannion of Pekina has been awarded the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton Citizen of the Year for 2025 in recognition of his service to the community.
John’s contribution to the collection and preservation of all aspects of the local history has been outstanding for numerous years. He has been involved in campaigns to save historic sites and building including the Orroroo Railway goods shed, the ‘Red Bridge’ railway bridge at Orroroo and the gravediggers shed at cemetery, some of which have been successful.
John has also been a roving reporter, attending social events in the area, compiling reports and photographic documentary of them in the local paper, the Goyder’s Line Gazette, and regularly providing pages of Looking Back on certain topics within the Gazette.
John was a member of the Carrieton and Peterborough Rodeo Committees, attending working bees and acting as the onsite electrician, photographer and journalist.
He collaborated on the 60th anniversary Carrieton book in 2012, which covered the Jubilee year of the Carrieton Rodeo and Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee.
John was also the Master of Ceremonies for the Orroroo Christmas Pageant for a few years and Councillor with the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton from 2000 to 2006. Other contributions have included the Black Rock Kalamazoo Races and the Orroroo Half Marathon.
His involvement with the Pekina community has also been recognised: President of the Pekina Community Association, member of the Pekina CFS, Pekina Landcare and active member of the Pekina 150th celebrations in 2024. He also was co-author of ‘No Place Like Pekina’, a history book published in 1999 and coordinator for the staging of the South Australian State History Conference at Pekina in 2001, the only time this event has ever been held in such a small settlement.
John was recognised for his historical work in 2015 when he was awarded the History Council of South Australia ‘South Australian Regional History Award’. He has also been a frequent ABC radio correspondent.
Congratulations John!
Community Event of the Year: Rural Women’s Day
The Community Event of the Year Award has been awarded to the Rural Women’s Day.
The Rural Women’s Day, held on Saturday 12th October 2024, was a fantastic event with 250 women attending from all regions of the state travelling hours to attend 54 31 Collective organised event.
Women were treated to a packed day which included media personality Rebecca Morse and influencer Kaitie Nash, the ‘First Time Farmer’.
After more than a year of planning led a vibrant, inclusive community celebration for Rural Women’s Day which was officially the host location of the biggest Rural Women’s Day celebration in Australia.
Showcasing local produce and businesses, the event was affordable and accessible for all and provided an event to uplift peoples spirits and aid in their wellbeing
Guest Speaker Kaitie Nash was delighted with the day ‘The Orroroo community and what the 5431 Collective Team has created is pure magic” Ms Nash said. “What a town, what a bunch of great people- really epitomises what rural communities are all about!”
Congratulations to the 54 31 Collective on Rural Women’s Day 2024!