As part of the Australia Day celebrations the 2021 Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and the winner of the Mitchell Brady Encouragement Award were announced at the Town Hall on Wednesday morning.

The 2021 Citizen of the Year was awarded to Tamworth Powerstation Museum volunteer, Ian Hobbs.

Having volunteered at the museum for 24 years, Mr Hobbs was recognised as an extremely valued and dedicated member of the community.

His passion for the museum shines through in many aspects, whether it's building display cases or welcoming and mentoring new volunteers.

In the Young Citizen of the Year category Isla Farr took out the crown.

Ms Farr, who lives with cerebral palsy, was recognised as a strong advocate for those living with a disability.

This commitment is apparent in Ms Farr's life everyday, she is currently a member of the Tamworth Disability Action Working Group and is serving her second term on the Tamworth Regional Youth Council.

The dedicated youngster is also a much-loved member of her school community and is the Vice Captain of Oxley High School.

The Mitchell Brady Encouragement Award was given to 13-year-old Abbie Peet.

Despite living with cerebral palsy Ms Peet doesn't let that stop her and she has had an incredible year competing in the Australian Para Athletic Events where she currently holds three records. And all of this is done with a smile on her face.

Beyond her incredible athletic abilities, Ms Peet takes the time to encourage others to get involved with community activities, and is a role model for those with special needs.

Read more: Australia Day 2022: Celebrations in Tamworth kick off as community gathers for a shared breakfast | Photos

The RSL Memorial Hall hosted Australia Day celebrations in Barraba, where the awards event included a community lunch and free community access to local pool.

Tamworth Region Mayor Russell Webb said that after another challenging twelve months, it was important that we all came together to celebrate our achievements.

"I would like to thank each and every individual who won and was nominated for an award. Your ongoing commitment helps make our community a better place," he said.

For her work in the Barraba sporting community, Amie Middlemiss was awarded 2021 Barraba Citizen of the Year.

The RSL Memorial Hall hosted Australia Day celebrations in Barraba, where the awards event included a community lunch and free community access to local pool.

Tamworth Region Mayor Russell Webb said that after another challenging twelve months, it was important that we all came together to celebrate our achievements.

"I would like to thank each and every individual who won and was nominated for an award. Your ongoing commitment helps make our community a better place," he said.

For her work in the Barraba sporting community, Amie Middlemiss was awarded 2021 Barraba Citizen of the Year.

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Over the past twelve months she has provided a voice for both men's and women's Rugby Union teams locally and region-wide and has been the driving force for the Barraba Women's Rugby 7's team that competed in the Central North competition.

Ms Middlemiss is also a strong supporter of the Barraba Netball and Tennis associations.

The 2021 Frank Darlington Young Achiever of the Year was awarded to Zahlie Cabot.

Ms Cabot had an academic scholarship at The New England Girls School in Armidale, and topped her class in PDHPE, English, Science, Christian Studies and Technology.

Outside of school, she competed in the Da Vinci Academic Decathlon competition, and excelled in her touch football and rugby union at a representative level.

Even with a busy schedule, Ms Cabot played a big role in helping her younger siblings through home-schooling during lockdown.

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The 2021 Community Event of the Year was a tie between Nandewar Historical Society Museum for hosting the Annual Barraba Markets, and the Barraba Lions Club for hosting the Christmas Tree event.

Despite all the challenges of COVID-19, the Lions Club put on a fantastic free event which helped ignite the spirit of Christmas.

The Nandewar Historical Museum Annual Markets held a successful COVID-safe event in 2021. Jenny Botha was recognised for her tireless work behind the scenes in making this happen.

The annual market bought the community together through locally made products, a community BBQ and wonderful entertainment from local musicians.

In Manilla, Pioneer Park was the focus of celebrations for Australia Day so22.

A community breakfast and damper competitions were high on the agenda, while participants were also encourage to wear an Australia Day-themed hat to mark the occasion.

Tamworth Region Mayor Russell Webb said he is pleased to see the community's spirit as strong as ever following a challenging twelve months.

On the awards front: the Manilla 2021 Citizen of the Year was named as Ross Knight.

Described as a quiet achiever, Mr Knight has volunteered at the Manilla Heritage Museum for the past 15 years. And as part of his role as supervisor with the Department of Correctional Services, he has been able to organise additional labour through community service and the Working for the Dole program. Also a talented builder, Mr Knight has helped out with a number of renovations around the museum.

The Manilla 2021 Young Citizen of the Year is Rayah Fletcher. She recently represented the Manilla community at the Lions Youth of the Year competition. Described as an outstanding role model at school, Ms Fletcher completed her school-based traineeship in Human Services Certificate Assistance III at Manilla Health One. For her efforts, she received a Highly Commended award for School Based Trainees in the New England Region.

The 2021 Community Event of the Year award went to Manilla Fire and Rescue for their efforts in planning the Annual Christmas Run event. The crew commended for their dedication towards the event outside of their responsibilities in protecting the community.

Jake Davey was named as 2021 Manilla Achiever of the Year. Well known for his determination and hard work, he can be found most days at the RSM Rifle Club in Inverell, where he has a passion for metallic silhouette shooting. His dream is to shoot for Australia and in 2019, he was extremely close to making the National Team. A loving husband and proud father, he is also member of the Manilla Fire and Rescue Group.

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