2025 Australia Day Award Winners Announced
Published on 26 January 2025
Today’s Australia Day Awards ceremony includes the announcement of this year’s Citizen of the Year, Living Legends, Youth Arts Awards, Event of the Year, Jo Ross Memorial Award Greening Bathurst and the National Trust Award.
Karla McDiarmid has proudly been named Bathurst’s Citizen of the Year, and the four Living Legends for 2025 have been announced as Garth Christopher Dean, Paul Gerard Vincent Hennessy, Nola Maureen Therese Ryan and Carol Smith.
Biographies for the Citizen of the Year/Living Legends are below.
Mayor of Bathurst, Cr Robert Taylor, congratulated all recipients on their Awards.
“The commitment and dedication of our award winners across each category today is just remarkable; that we have so many individuals who give up their time and energy for others and work to make our region a better place is a brilliant testament to our community.
“This morning, I was privileged to present Karla McDiarmid with the 2025 Citizen of the Year award.
“Karla’s ambition and perseverance is exceptional; the recognition she has received for her work not only locally, but also on a national level, is a tremendous feat and her involvement in local and global charitable causes is highly honourable.
“Similarly, our 2025 Living Legends each have had a terrific impact on our community over many years and this award provides a chance to put their significant efforts into a well-deserved spotlight.
“On behalf of Bathurst Regional Council, congratulations to those recognised at today’s ceremony. Thank you for the excellent contributions you have made to our community,” he commented.
Jo Ross Memorial Award Greening Bathurst
2025 Bathurst Citizen of the Year
Karla is the owner of Macquarie Medi Spa which she started over 22 years ago in Bathurst when she was only 21 years of age. After leaving school at age 16, Karla is now recognised as one of the skin care industry leaders not only locally but also nationally. She has represented Bathurst through business on a national and international level and was named global winner Best Spa Manager of the Year in 2023/24, twice named the Bathurst Business of the year and has previously won the Youth Bathurst Business Leader Award. Her business has also won Australian Beauty Salon of the Year multiple times. Karla is a Co-founder of the Australian Beauty Industry Council, Dermalogica Australian Ambassador and is a positive role model for both men and women in the beauty industry. She is a qualified trainer and assessor who has personally taught over 30 beauty therapists.
Karla was named the 2024 Humanitarian of the Year at the Australian Beauty Industry Awards for her volunteering and charitable work. Karla regularly volunteers at schools educating young people about skin health, careers and wellbeing whilst also being a business mentor to other business owners.
Karla has donated her time organising the last four Fashions on the Field at the Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing Club major meetings held twice a year. She also volunteers for many charities including Wires, Lifeline, Lions and supports events and charities such as Ronald McDonald house, CEO sleepout, Streetheart, Share the Dignity, Daffodil Cottage, Girl Guides, local schools and charity auctions.
2025 Living Legends Awards
Garth started the business Calare Civil in Bathurst in 1990 as a young structural engineer and has built the business to now employ 25 staff including CSU graduates. Garth and his team have undertaken approximately 37,500 projects in his 34 years as the principal and was invited to become a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers, Australia in 2021. Garth is an active member of the cricket community in Bathurst. Since the mid-1990s, Garth has been coaching junior cricket in Bathurst including the Junior Club Cricket, Mitchell Cricket, Western Zone including Kookaburra Cup teams for 10 years, Western Zone Colts and was a Zone Academy Coach/Cricket NSW Academy Coach for 5 years. Garth has coached various school teams and coached State youth teams from 2017 onwards and was awarded NSW Country Coach of the Year in 2023 for his contribution to the cricket community.
Paul Gerard Vincent Hennessy
Paul has been an integral part of the Scouting community for over 50 years. The 3rd Bathurst (All Saints Cathedral) Scout Group and Rover Scout Unit have thrived under Paul’s leadership as a mentor and leader. Over the years, Paul has run many barbeques and fundraisers at various community events for the Scouting community. In 2013, Paul received the Papal Service Blessing 30 years certificate (from Pope Francis 1) and won the WestFund Health Fund Community Service Award in 2015, donating the prize money to Scouts. In 2019, Paul won the NSW Premier Outstanding Community Service Award for service to the Bathurst Community and awarded the Silver Kangaroo in 2020 which is the highest Scouting award for a leader in Australia awarded by the Governor General. Paul was also awarded the Stan Bales Award in 2020 for Rover Section scouting. Paul assisted with the organisation of Operation Digger which sent 100 Christmas packs to ADF members serving overseas and started the SOCKS-Scouts Outback Community Kids Support which obtains second hand uniforms for kids who cannot afford to buy their own.
Paul has volunteered at the All Saints Cathedral Parish Office for over 5 years. Through Scouts, Paul also volunteers at the ANZAC dawn service and march and organises the Scouts selling ANZAC Day badges and Legacy Badges. Paul has been a Director of the Bathurst RSL Club for approximately 10 years and is a longstanding member of the Justice of the Peace. Paul also started the group ‘Dinner with Friends’ after COVID-19 to support community members who were lonely and needed support.
Nola Maureen Therese Ryan
Nola is a proud Bathurstian and during her time here of more than 80 years, has supported local schools and ran a local used car sale business for many years. Nola is an active member of the Macquarie View Tennis Club for over 55 years and has been the Secretary of the Club for over 24 years. Nola has also held the positions of Treasurer and President. At age 90, Nola still plays tennis twice a week and continues to encourage everyone including older people in the community to stay active and play for exercise.
Nola has been a member of the Legion of Mary for over 42 years caring for people in the Bathurst Community and visits members of the Catholic community who are unwell or doing it tough. This year, Nola was honoured with a Papal Blessing for her dedication to the Legion of Mary and for her work with those less fortunate in the Bathurst Region by Pope Francis.
Carol is a dedicated advocate for empowering individuals of all abilities, committed to creating inclusive opportunities within her community. Her community impacts include being the Founder of Café on Corporation in 2019, which offers employment and social opportunities for those living with a disability. Since Café on Corporation’s opening, people of all abilities have been able to gather, thrive and participate in the Bathurst Community in a supportive and inclusive environment. Carol's dedication to this cause is deeply personal, driven by her desire to create opportunities for her son Mitch and others living with disabilities. Her selflessness and perseverance have fostered a supportive and inclusive environment within the Bathurst community. From this platform, Carol has been able to offer fellow NDIS Nominees and Participants encouragement and support in the journey of navigating the NDIS system. Carol values her charitable contributions and volunteer work serving a combined 15 years on various not-for-profit boards, including Carenne Support Ltd and Generocity Church Ltd. Alongside her husband Steve, Carol has also participated in volunteer work abroad, demonstrating her commitment to wider global community contributions.
Media contact: Genevieve Green Media and Communications Officer