Far West community champions awarded for outstanding Crown land volunteer service

Twenty-three loyal volunteers from across the Far West region of NSW have been awarded Crown Lands Service Recognition Awards for over 10 years or more service on land manager boards, taking care of public land on behalf of their communities.

Crown land is public land set aside for public benefit and plays a vital role in supporting thriving communities across NSW. There are over 2,500 volunteers involved in Crown reserve management across the state, freely giving their time, skills and energy for the good of their local communities.

The award recipients are all volunteers who manage reserves from all corners of the Far West region, including Broken Hill, Walgett, Ivanhoe, Lightning Ridge and Wanaaring.

Recipients include stalwarts like Broken Hill’s Christine Adams, who received a Crown Lands Service Recognition Award for 14 years longstanding service managing and helping drive the success of the Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum. Ms Adams’ colleague Dennis Turley was also recognised earlier this year for over 30 years of volunteer service on the museum’s board.

Several land managers of the Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve, which is the city’s main racecourse, received awards for over 10 and 20 years of service, including the Chairperson Cheryl Krutli and Kevin Taylor who have both been acknowledged for over 20 years of service on the board.

Further north, Barbara Moritz received recognition for 31 years on the board of the Lightning Ridge Historical Society. Ms Moritz, alongside her fellow volunteers, has been instrumental in creating and maintaining this unique museum in the heart of NSW’s opal mining capital. Graeme Anderson was also acknowledged for 14 years’ service on the board.

The historical society building was formerly a 1930s opal miners hut and has an interior furnished with items from that era. The hut offers tourist information about the region’s opal mining industry and a tantalising glimpse into the area’s past. On the same lot is a relocated and restored 1915 nurses’ cottage honouring the essential outback medical support of nurses in the Lightning Ridge region.

More long-term Crown land volunteers will receive award certificates for their service over coming months. There are over 700 Crown reserves managed by volunteers whose efforts ensure public assets are taken care of and can be accessed by everyone.

Lightning Ridge Historical Society long term board member Barbara Moritz said: 

“I’m thrilled and very proud to receive this award recognising my volunteer work at our wonderful museum. It has become a life’s passion for me to help tell the story of our region’s opal miners.

“Lightning Ridge is a small but interesting community. While we are not the flashiest destination, we are rich in history and stories. The volunteer board has worked hard to ensure visitors feel like they are stepping back in time when they enter our museum.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“Crown land plays an important role protecting the environment and supporting communities with everything from green open space, parks and walking tracks to showgrounds, sporting ovals and community halls.

“Crown reserves rely on dedicated volunteer Crown land managers who keep public land maintained and upgraded for the good of all. I applaud award recipients for their long-term service for the benefit of their local communities and visitors to their region.”

Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:

“It takes a special kind of dedication on the part of these great volunteers to do what they do. It is a great thing to have Crown Land Reserves but they would not be able to exist without the efforts of the volunteers who look after them.

“They often go under the radar, but they deserve some recognition and these awards make sure that their significant contributions don’t go completely unnoticed.”

Crown Lands Service Recognition Award certificate recipients in the Far West region     

Over 30 years

• Barbara Moritz – Lightning Ridge Historical Society
• Dennis Turley – Sulphide Street Station Railway and Historical Museum in Broken Hill
• Clive Linnett – Ivanhoe Racecourse Reserve
• Brian Thomas – Ivanhoe Racecourse Reserve
• Raymond Longfellow – Ivanhoe Racecourse Reserve
• Timothy O’Halloran - Homebush Recreation Reserve
• Rex Scott – Hatfield Recreation Reserve in south western NSW

Over 20 years

• Raymond Longfellow – Ivanhoe Public Hall Reserve
• Cheryl Krutli – Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve
• Kevin Taylor – Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve
• Beryl Leigo – Lila Leigo Centre Reserve at Wanaaring

Over 10 years

• Christine Adams – Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum
• Wayne Krutli – Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve
• Barry King – Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve
• Selina Larovere–Nagas – Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve
• Peter Stewart – Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve
• Betty Taylor – Lila Leigo Centre Reserve
• Deborah Myors – Lila Leigo Centre Reserve
• Peter Jackson – Lila Leigo Centre Reserve
• John Pickering – Cumborah Recreation Reserve near Lightning Ridge
• James Warden – Cumborah Recreation Reserve
• Claire Butler – Hatfield Recreation Reserve
• David Smith – Walgett Pistol Club Reserve
• Graham Anderson - Lightning Ridge Historical Society