Tuesday, 27 January, 2026
Loved Monbulk cafe calls time
Crash leaves two dead in Ferntree Gully
Kallista-The Patch CFA open day
Real estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
L-R: Montrose Township Group members Mandy Tichelaar, Denise Rash, Simone Richie and Eddie Tichelaar. (Supplied)
Coen Pearson is Yarra Ranges Council’s Young Environmental Achiever of the Year.
Community heroes Ferntree Gully
fill and fostering inclusion through community meals. Thirteen-year-old Ferny Creek resident Coen Pearson earned Young Environmental Achiever of the Year for his citizen science work, wildlife advocacy, and co-founding the NextGen Hills Naturalists podcast, inspiring peers and the wider community. Heath Pawley was acknowledged for his role in fostering wellbeing and inclusion through Mountain Men, creating supportive networks, father-focused programs, and collaborative community initiatives. Read the inspiring individual stories on pages 7 to 23
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wider biodiversity. Meanwhile, Mt Evelyn’s Terence Dunn received an OAM for lifelong service to community sport, inspiring generations of students, athletes, and local sports clubs through his teaching, mentoring, and veteran cricket involvement. Yarra Ranges Council awards also highlighted community and environmental achievement. The Montrose Township Group was named Community Group of the Year for connecting residents through events, historical programs, and recovery initiatives, while Montrose Community Cupboard co-founder Patrick Natoli was recognised as Environmental Achiever of the Year for diverting hundreds of tonnes of food from land-
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the Burrinja Gallery, promoted Aboriginal and international art, and authored more than 65 books, despite recently losing much of his collection in a house fire. O’Shannassy Ward councillor Jim Child was honoured for his dedication to local government, guiding the Yarra Ranges through the 2021 storms, Covid-19 recovery, and numerous community infrastructure projects that have strengthened local services and resilience. Conservationist Alan David Clayton of Macclesfield was recognised for his leadership in habitat restoration and endangered species recovery, particularly through community-led initiatives supporting Victoria’s helmeted honeyeater and
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The 2026 Australia Day and Yarra Ranges Council Civic Awards have celebrated a remarkable array of individuals and groups who have made lasting contributions to their communities, the environment, arts, and sport, highlighting both the dedication and diversity of talent across the region. Among the Medal of the Order of Australia recipients, Upwey horticulturist Paul Jonathon Birch was recognised for decades of conservation work, including his lifelong stewardship of the 1855 tower clock at St Andrew’s Gardiner Uniting Church, as well as his passionate advocacy for native plants and endangered species. Belgrave’s Neil McLeod received an OAM for his service to the visual arts, having co-founded