Devoted mother driven to honour daughter named Wagga's Citizen of the Year

When Annette St Clair lost her 23-year-old daughter Amie to melanoma in 2009 she made it her mission to do her bit to prevent anyone else from having to go through the same heartbreak.

In 2010, Mrs St Clair formed the Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust in memory of her daughter and has been a skin check advocate.

Mrs St Clair has been an active volunteer with the Cancer Council for more than 10 years and has dedicated her time to participating in, and organising, many community initiatives.

From Free Community Skin Check Day, Student Ambassador Day, the 'Saturday Morning All Abilities Bowling' league program, Relay for Life, St Paul's Youth Group, and the highly successful 'Living Well After Cancer' workshops and survivors, she has played a huge role in many of those initiatives.

On Thursday night, Mrs St Clair's hard work was recognised when she was named 2024 Citizen of the Year at the Australia Day Awards ceremony held at the Wagga Civic Theatre.

This year there were four inspiring nominees for the award which included Mrs St Clair, Bill Lane, Dawn Haddon and Judy Heard.

During the ceremony, Angus Smith was named the 2024 Young Citizen of the Year for his contribution to the community.

Mr Smith has pulled from his passion for human rights, politics and the role of youth in democracy to make a name for himself across Wagga.

In 2023 he was selected as YNSW's 2023 Youth Parliamentarian and was named Youth Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure representing the Wagga electorate.

At the ceremony Mr Smith was described as being a reliable, considerate and compassionate individual who serves as an inspiration for other young people.

Local organisation Demonstration Gardens Wagga received the Environmental Citizen of the Year Award.

Co-founders Jim Rees and Canny Kinloch have been instrumental figures in the formation and growth of the gardens, which is a place locals can visit, connect with and learn.

During the ceremony late Wagga teacher Peter Cox, who died in September, was inducted into the 2024 Walk of Honour.

Mr Cox, a renowned member of the arts community, dedicated more than 30 years to supporting, encouraging and providing opportunities for countless individuals.

His prolific work in film, stage and the teaching profession has nurtured countless talents and fostered a thriving arts scene across the Riverina.

Feature films Backyard Ashes and The Merger have displayed the essence of Wagga to audiences worldwide.

On stage, Mr Cox directed and produced many musical tribute acts, stage productions and interactive performances that nourished the talents of many local performers.