Australia Day in Somerset’s way

Somerset's top individuals, community groups and events have been recognised at this year’s Australia Day Awards Ceremony on January 24, at the Somerset Civic Centre.

Citizen of the Year winner, Denise Modistach, with Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt.

Kilcoy’s Denise Modistach took home the prestigious Citizen of the Year 2025 award, for her incredible community service and preservation efforts.

Being a longstanding resident and retired nurse of 40 years, Ms Modistach is involved in numerous community groups, such as the Kilcoy Hospital Auxiliary and Kilcoy District Progress Alliance, and puts a lot of effort into preserving the town’s rich history, through initiatives like Friends of the Kilcoy Cemetery.

Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt said Denise’s commitment to the history of Kilcoy is “unsurpassed”, as she helps keep the memory of the town and its people alive by sharing photos and stories.

“Through her work with Friends of the Kilcoy Cemetery, almost 200 graves have been cleaned and maintained on top of garden improvements.

Cr Wendt said Kilcoy is lucky to have Denise, with her work bringing people together through the Facebook community page Kilcoy Love my town, which has over 16,000 members and promotes businesses and community events, provides vital links to mental health and medical support, supports fundraisers, and advocates for the people of Kilcoy.

“Each committee and community group Denise has joined have benefitted from her dedication,” Cr Wendt said.

“Every town could use someone like Denise, and Kilcoy and the wider Somerset community are privileged to have her.”

Another stand-out award winner was Toogoolawah’s Grace Jardine, who took home the esteemed Sports Award.

Whether she’s in the pool, kicking the footy or racing the clock with her compass, the Toogoolawah State High School student shines in various sports on state and national levels, including swimming, AFL, netball, triathlon and orienteering.

“Grace loves sharing her knowledge and skills with others,” Cr Wendt said.

“She has represented Somerset incredibly at state and national levels, including as a Darling Downs rep for AFL in 2021, 2022 and 2023, making high level triathlon teams in 2023, 2024 and also going to states in 2025.

“Grace has also represented Queensland in 2023 and 2024 for orienteering, a challenging sport which requires athleticism, intelligence and navigation.”

Cr Wendt said Grace was an inspiration to young people and athletes in Somerset.

“Grace performs at such high skill levels without losing sight of her Somerset community, showing kindness and professionalism beyond her years,” Cr Wendt said.

“She proves our rural junior sportspeople can be great achievers, so long as they work hard and focus on their goals.”

The Kilcoy Christmas Carnival also stood out alongside Ms Modistach and Ms Jardine, for the hard work a dedicated community group has put into providing an ever improving event for the Kilcoy community.

The committee fundraises all year and seeks sponsorship to make sure “each year is better than the last, and they always deliver,” Cr Wendt said.

“Many families come home to Kilcoy just for this carnival, partly for the free rides and activities but mostly for the welcoming and inclusive environment.”

The Lowood Community Action Group also snagged a win, taking home the Community Group of the Year Award, while Donita Bundy took home the Arts and Culture award.

Congrats to all nominees and winners!