Katanning recognises community heroes with Citizen of the Year awards at annual Australia Day breakfast

The Shire of Katanning named their 2026 citizen of the year at their annual Australia Day breakfast on Monday and celebrated a host of other community champions, as well as welcoming new Australian citizens. Shire president Kristy D’Aprile said the Australia Day festivities were a great opportunity to celebrate the best of the Katanning community. “It’s always a privilege to present citizenships at the citizenship ceremony, and to follow that up celebrating our champions, it’s always a really special day, and those awards really encapsulate the very best of Katanning,” she said. “It was a lovely day, it always is when the community has the opportunity to come together and celebrate the people who are doing good amongst us.” Serena Sandwell was named Katanning’s citizen of the year, for her “tireless” contribution to multiple clubs and committees in the town. Ms Sandwell served as a councillor in Katanning for eight years, stepping down in 2023, and Ms D’Aprile said it was an honour to present her former fellow councillor with the town’s top award. “I served alongside Serena on the Katanning council for years, which made today’s ceremony all the more special,” she said. “She is such a selfless giver to her community, I honestly don’t know how she does it all. “It was a very well-deserved award and recognition for her.” Ms Sandwell is also a teacher at Katanning Senior High School and is well-known in Katanning’s sporting circles, running both Great Southern GymSports and Katanning Aquatic Centre. She was not born in Katanning but has lived there for most of her life, and says she could not be more proud of her community. “I was so grateful for the nomination for citizen of the year, and was just blown away when I won, I did not expect it at all.” Ms Sandwell headed up the Katanning Aquatic Sports committee, a group of Katanning residents who wanted to encourage more people to utilise the local pool, and the group took over management of the centre from Belgravia Leisure in 2022, returning the centre to local management after seven years. She also runs Great Southern Gymsports, providing gymnastics classes for Katanning youth of all ages and levels at the KLC, an organisation she has been part of for almost 20 years. “One of my favourite, and probably the most rewarding parts of being involved in GymSports is bringing through our young coaches,” she said. “A lot of our Katanning kids go off to Perth for school or jobs or uni, so if I can give them something, a life skill or a passion or an accreditation that can get them a job once they leave town, giving them that opportunity for success is what it’s all about for me.” Jayde Wolfe won her second young citizen of the year award for her continued work and passion for Katanning’s sporting community, after she first won the award in 2022. Kenneth Quartermaine was awarded senior citizen of the year, recognising decades of work promoting and volunteering in country football in Katanning. Ms Wolfe and Mr Quartermaine were both absent from Monday’s ceremony. The Katanning Tennis Club was presented with the active citizen group award by Roe MLA and former club president Peter Rundle, with club president Katrina Kowald gratefully accepting on behalf of the club.