Five Ipswich residents have been recognised for their unwavering dedication to the community in the 2025 Ipswich Australia Day Awards, with tireless veterans’ advocate Martin Shaw named Citizen of the Year.
Mr Shaw was recognised for his work as President of Wounded Heroes Australia, a crisis support group for Australian Defence Force members and their families based in Bundamba, which was also named 2025 Community Group of the Year at the awards on Wednesday.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding congratulated all the winners, which includes Senior Citizen of the Year Jan White, Young Citizen of the Year Ryan White, Cultural Award recipient John Martin Del Rosario Nieva, and Sport and Recreation Award winner Stephen Rogers.
“All of our winners have in common a selfless drive to improving the lives of others, whether it be through charitable efforts or a passion for community connectivity,” said Mayor Harding.
“The dedication shown by all of our winners to what they do for the people of Ipswich and beyond never ceases to amaze me.
“It’s my honour to also acknowledge the nine people and three organisations who were finalists but fell just short of an award on this occasion. The judges made it clear to me that selecting the winners was very difficult and any of the nominees would have been a worthy recipient.”
Economic and Cultural Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Pye Augustine said the Ipswich Australia Day Awards are an opportunity to highlight the efforts of people who give up so much of their own time and energy to benefit others.
“I’m proud and delighted that these awards give the community a chance to celebrate the people who work to improve, connect and inspire our city every day,” Cr Augustine said.
“They are unsung heroes – they don’t do it for awards and recognition – so it’s important we as a community take the opportunity to thank them.”
The winners were selected by a five-person judging panel.
The winners of this year’s Ipswich Australia Day Awards are:
Citizen of the Year Award: Martin Shaw
Martin has been at the helm of Wounded Heroes Australia since 2011, but long before that was working to improve the lives of returned service personnel. He is known for personally engaging with people who come the crisis centre in search of support, while also having the energy and professional nous to keep the organisation running. He has worked to create a positive working environment for volunteers and undertakes much of the organisation’s operational duties such as accounting, marketing, fundraising and sourcing items for donation. He also engages and builds relationships with government and other stakeholders advocate for veterans.
Senior Citizen of the Year Award: Jan White
A former nurse who worked at Ipswich Hospital, Jan has played a key role in the community-owned Ipswich Hospice Care. In her former role as a director, she ensured the hospice gained adequate funding and she continues to volunteer with the organisation.
She is an expert in palliative nursing and is a life member of Palliative Care Queensland.
Young Citizen of the Year Award: Ryan White
In his senior year of school while also undertaking the duties of being a house captain at St Edmund’s College in 2024, Ryan produced a superhuman effort to lead the way in the school’s yearly 115-kilometre charity bike ride, Skool 2 Schoolies. He raised $23,000 of the $60,000 total funds donated through the initiative to Ipswich Hospice Care and St Vincent de Paul.
Ryan has been involved in extra-curricular activities such as tennis, athletics and soccer, while also helping with homeless support initiative Signal Flare.
Cultural Award: John Martin Del Rosario Nieva
As a tireless advocate for multiculturalism, John or “Jomar” has helped add to the spirit and vibrancy of Ipswich through his organisation of multiple community events while he heads of the Philippines-Australia Multicultural Association (PAMA), such as the PAMA’s yearly Springfest festival.
He has also held multiple roles with the Catholic Church and has been a volunteer with the Cancer Council of Australia, raising thousands of dollars for the charity as an active participant during its annual March Charge.
Sport and Recreation Award: Stephen Rogers
Hot off his Official of the Year award at council’s 2024 Ipswich Sports Awards, Paris Olympics hockey umpire Steve’s nomination adds to an impressive list of accolades collected during his 30-year career.
After overseeing the men’s gold medal match in Paris, he was crowned the Federation International Hockey umpire of the year in 2024.
Community Group of the Year Award: Wounded Heroes Association Inc.
Wounded Heroes continues to run a crisis centre in Bundamba for veterans and other vulnerable members of the community, providing emotional and financial support, emergency housing, food and clothing on a daily basis. The organisation’s doors are open to anyone, whether they are experiencing homelessness, poverty, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction or mental health issues.
