Community & Business
31 January, 2024
Nadine is Oakey’s Citizen
Oakey resident Nadine Taylor has been named the 2024 Citizen of the Year thanks to her countless hours of volunteer work across many of Oakey’s community groups.
She was presented the award at Oakey’s Australia Day Awards Ceremony.
A mother of eight children, Nadine’s foray into the world of volunteering began when she joined the committee at Oakey Junior Rugby League club
Her reasoning - “Well, someone has to do it and the kids want to play footy.”
When the footy season finished, Nadine found herself on the Oakey Junior Cricket Club.
She has been actively involved with the Oakey Swimming Club, Oakey Pony Club, Oakey Show Society and the Oakey State School P&C, with a term spent as President.
Nadine also serves as a foster parent, sometimes getting kids at almost no notice with nothing but what they were wearing.
In 2021, Nadine and Nigel took 12 foster children on a 5,500 kilometre trip out to Western Queensland for the school holidays.
Nadine has been described as a classic example of “If you need something done in a hurry, ask a busy person.”
Meanwhile, twins Jessica and Sasha Lee created history by being jointly awarded Oakey Young Citizen of the Year for the many charity fundraising drives they had helped run and their initiative in the arts and cultural scene at Oakey State High School (OSHS), from which they graduated last year.
Along with student Sharmekha Young, the pair also took out the Community Event Award for a leukemia fundraiser “Rhythm for a Reason.”
Fellow 2023 OSHS graduate Jorja Charles won Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Citizen of the Year for her work as one of the school’s Indigenous co-leaders, with a strong interest in her culture, and reconciliation.
Local musician and school chaplain Raquel Doudle-Waters won the Cultural Award.
Raquel was actively involved at OSHS, graduating in 2022 where she was the Cultural Chair.
Raquel uses music in her role as school chaplain for Quinalow and Kulpi State Schools.
Oakey’s Senior Sports Award was given to long time Oakey Golf Club Secretary and Ladies Captain Marlene Deans, who regularly submits golf reports to the Champion and other media outlets.
Oakey’s Junior Sports Award winner was Oakey Junior Rugby League club captain Hayden Waddell, who was a touch judge at the two matches the 2023 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League Grand Final Day.
After initially being disappointed when his age group was not able to field a team, Hayden threw himself into refereeing and spent a day in Brisbane with the QRL High Performance Unit.
Oakey’s Community Group of the Year was awarded to clear standout, Oakey Lions Club, which goes above and beyond to support the town through events such as the Lions Markets, held each Sunday on the third month, bingo, morning tea, and more.
