The Sunshine Coast Australia Day Community Awards have honoured a remarkable group of local heroes, whose dedication, creativity and compassion strengthen our community every day.
The prestigious awards attracted 113 nominations from across the entire region, spanning areas from Kenilworth to Caloundra and Beerwah to Buderim – making it a tough job for the judging panel to decide.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the collective impact of this year’s nominees was profoundly inspiring.
“These awards pay tribute to the volunteers, groups and quiet achievers whose kindness, resilience and vision make our community a better place,” Mayor Natoli said.
“I offer sincere thanks and congratulations to all our 2026 recipients.
“Your efforts embody the true values of our community and you, in turn, inspire others to take action across our community.”
An academic, philanthropist and visionary founder of Hair Aid, Selina Tomasich has been named Citizen of the Year for her sustained, lifechanging impact across the Sunshine Coast and around the world.
Citizen of the Year: Selina Tomasich
In 2010, having witnessed extremes of poverty in the Philippines, Selina decided to do something about it.
She founded Hair Aid to help those families break free.
Embodying the adage “give a man a fish he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime”, Selina mobilised a team of volunteer hairdressers to teach one universal skill – haircutting.
Through five-day training programs delivered in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines and Guatemala, graduates receive professional tools, mentoring and the skills to start microbusinesses that feed families, send children to school and break cycles of poverty.
Today, more than 7,000 people have been trained through Hair Aid.
To ensure lasting impact, Selina has formalised Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with each partner country, works directly with international governments and agencies, and leads project teams herself.
Notably, Hair Aid is the only charity invited into Indonesia’s women’s and men’s prisons to provide training, and in 2024, signed a landmark MOU with the Filipino government to establish permanent training salons.
Here at home, Hair Aid Community Cuts operates at nearly 100 locations nationally, gifting more than 25,000 free haircuts each year to Australians experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and hardship – restoring dignity, confidence and connection.
Selina and Hair Aid have been recognised globally, receiving two Gold and four Silver Stevie Awards (including Gold: Social Organisation of the World), placements in the Telstra Business Awards Top 3 (out of 21,000 entrants), and personal honours such as Female Innovator of the Year, Female Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Woman of the Year, and Federal Government Australia Day Ambassador.
In 2022, Selina was named Central Queensland University Alumnus of the Year for Social Impact.
Her leadership motivates more than 1,500 volunteer hairdressers, showing how everyday Australians can drive extraordinary change.
Celebrating our 2026 recipients
Senior Citizen of the Year: Phil and Di Wilson
For over three decades, Phil and Di have welcomed more than 200 foster children into their home – many with complex needs – and have adopted 10 children, some with disabilities.
Their unwavering, compassionate care has transformed countless lives and inspired others to step forward.
Young Citizen of the Year: Jessica Cronin
A passionate youth leader, Jessica has driven local and global initiatives – from care packs supporting families escaping domestic violence to the “2030 in Focus” project championing the UN Global Goals, school-based Book Buddies, and major stationery drives (270 kg donated).
Her efforts have earned national and international recognition, including placement at the Future Problem Solving International Conference.
Community Group or Organisation: Lookout07
Founded by Dr Leon Stensholm, Lookout07 is a purpose-built youth sanctuary offering free recreation, counselling, psychology and mentoring.
Since 2023, the centre has welcomed more than 15,000 young people and delivered more than 20,000 free counselling sessions, with Lookout Flexi School launching in 2026 to provide alternative education pathways.
Creative Arts: Tie – Kenilworth Arts Council and Gretchen Keelty
Kenilworth Arts Council (est. 1988) has expanded arts participation “west of the range” through festivals, workshops, performances and awards – including the Kenilworth Art Award – and sustained decades of volunteer led cultural programming.
Gretchen Keelty has united the arts community through inclusive programming and landmark projects such as Sculpture on the Edge and the Buddina Ocean Chair mosaic mural (over 20,000 handmade tiles and more than 450 collaborators), foregrounding First Nations inclusion and accessibility.
Healthy and Active: Tie – Bamboo Projects and The Parkinson’s Centre
Bamboo Projects delivers inclusive, nature-based programs – waterway cleanups, community walks and supported recreation – that strengthen mental health, reduce isolation and build confidence; all activities are delivered entirely by volunteers.
The Parkinson’s Centre® (“The Park”) is the region’s first dedicated allied health hub for Parkinson’s, guided by the Parkinson’s Alive® protocol. Each week, at least 400 people engage in condition specific therapy and movement programs; the centre also leads major community events such as Step Out for Parkinson’s® (raising over $150,000) and the Parkinson’s Conference Sunshine Coast® (at least 400 attendees).
Posthumous Award: June Upton
Affectionately known as the “Sunshine Coast Charity Queen”, June dedicated a lifetime to fundraising and volunteer service, helping raise more than $4 million for local causes, championing women’s participation in community life, and tirelessly advocating for families in need.
You can read the inspirational stories of our Sunshine Coast Australia Day Community Award nominees and recipients on Council’s website.
