A brilliant Scottish piper who has been performing at Macarthur community events for 35 years is the 2017 Campbelltown Australia Day citizen of the year.
Pipe major Peter Jakobsson, along with Ingleburn RSL and Campbelltown Pipes and Drums, has played at almost every citizenship ceremony held by Campbelltown City Council for more than 20 years.
They also perform at many other local events.
Many locals will know Peter Jakobsson from his mesmerising performances at Anzac Day ceremonies in Mawson Park every year.
He joins an illustrious list of winners since the awards started in 1988 as part of Australia’s Bicentennial celebrations.
Ron Anderson was the first winner, while others have included hardware man Ron Moore (1993), Pat Farmer (1996), Vickie Meadows (1990) and Julie Luke (2008).
Mayor of Campbelltown George Brticevic presented Jakobsson with his award at this morning’s Australia Day ceremony at Koshigaya Park.
Campbelltown’s 2017 Australia Day Ambassador, popular opera singer Amelia Farrugia, who revealed her family started out in Menangle Road, Campbelltown, sang a beautiful rendition of Advance Australia Fair to get proceedings under way from 8am this morning.
The other nominees for citizen of the year were Bruce Bland, who provides support to intellectually disadvantaged people who come into contact with the legal system, Maureen Loveday for her work with Macarthur Retirement Village community, Dr Malcolm Nearn, MD Ashiqur Rahman and Jody Scott.
In the other award categories, Adam Herman was named young citizen of the year, Cameron Nonemacher sportsperson of the year and Campbelltown Lost, Found and Injured Pets took out the community group initiative of the year.
♦ Young citizen of the year Adam Herman is an active member of the Campbelltown Youth Network, has volunteered at the 2016 NAIDOC Week activities, Adopt a Digger Anzac Day commemorations and was the master of ceremonies for Fisher’s Gig 2015 and 2016 and the Fisher’s Ghost Street Fair in 2016.
He has also achieved outstanding HSC results at Hurlstone Agricultural High School and has been
offered early entry into a double Bachelor of Law degree at Macquarie University in 2017 in its global leadership program.
The other nominees for young person of the year were Tia Brennan, Astrid Graham and Eli Uluibau.
♦ Sportsperson of the year Cameron Nonemacher is a good all round young sportsman, from little athletics to Oz Tag and rugby league with East Campbelltown.
He won the Campbelltown PSSA athletics champion title and went on to compete at state level.
Cameron was awarded the Wests Sports Council under 12s junior sportsperson of the month in 2015 and he also won the Woodland Road Public School NSW Premier’s sporting challenge award in April last year.
The other nominee for this award was Wayne Southwell from the South West Sydney Academy of Sport.
♦ Jody Scott is behind Lost Found and Injured Pets (CLFIP), which was named community group initiative of the year.
Ms Scott was also nominated for the citizen of the year award for her efforts with CLFIP, which started when she recognised the need for an after hours service in Campbelltown to reunite lost pets with their families when the Animal Care Facility and associated vets were closed.
The other nominee for this award was Tell Tia for Charity – Recycled Bikes for Kids and Community projects, which was established by 10 year old Tia Brennan, who was also nominated for young citizen of the year.
Peter is actually a Swede