2025 Citizens of the Year Award Winners
The City of Victor Harbor’s top citizens have been announced, reflecting a strong community-mindedness and tireless work ethic in our region.
Mayor Moira Jenkins said she was very impressed with the calibre of recipients.
“Each year, I am consistently awed by our Citizens of the Year and their ethics, values and care they pour into our Victor Harbor community,” she said.
“Our 2025 recipients are no different, being highly engaged and active citizens working tirelessly to improve their corner of the world.”
The City of Victor Harbor 2025 Citizen of the Year Awards recipients
- Citizen of the Year – Dennis Williams
- Award for Active Citizenship – Ann Wright
- Young Citizen of the Year – Zahrna Manley
- Community Event of the Year – Victor Harbor Rock n Roll Festival 2024
About the 2025 Citizen of the Year Award recipients
- Citizen of the Year, Dennis Williams
Dennis Williams is an active member and former chairperson of the Victor Harbor Men’s Shed, highlighting a strong commitment to men’s men health and combatting social isolation for men of retirement age and beyond. Dennis has focussed on the needs of others, building self-esteem and pride amongst men as they learn skills from each other and put those skills to use through projects that benefit the community.
He is a talented bowler and leader at the Victor Harbor Bowling Club, where he currently serves as Vice President. Through the Club, Dennis has created opportunities for people to remain active and to share in both team and individual sports. His ability to motivate, collaborate with others and his associated planning and organisational skills have led to harmonious bowling for some 200 people.
Award for Active Citizenship, Ann Wright
As an instigator of the formation of the Friends of Hindmarsh River Estuary (FoHRE), Ann Wright has been instrumental in improving the health of the much-loved river estuary.
In her role with FoHRE, Ann remains an important conduit between the group, the City of Victor Harbor’s Open Space team and other stakeholders, showing exemplary leadership and initiative. She engages on a technical level with the council's biodiversity team, forward planning and rallying the community to participate in projects from weed management to seedling propagation, planting and seedling management.
Ann's active citizenship has also included 23 years of commitment to supporting young people through Scouting.
Young Citizen of the Year, Zahrna Manley
Victor Harbor’s Young Citizen of the Year is Zahrna Manley. She is deeply dedicated to the well-being and development of young people in her community. As the school chaplain at Victor Harbor High School (VHHS), she goes beyond the role of mentor, offering emotional support, guidance, and a listening ear to students, often well after school hours. Her genuine care for students fosters an environment where they feel safe, heard, and encouraged to engage with both their studies and each other. Zahrna’s commitment to nurturing the next generation is evident in her efforts to make VHHS a place where every student can thrive.
In addition to her work at VHHS, Zahrna serves as the volunteer Youth Coordinator at Exalt Church. There, she leads a small, dedicated team in organising a weekly Friday night program for young people of our community, creating a space for them to connect, grow and build meaningful relationships.
Community Event of the Year, 2024 Rock N Roll Festival
The Victor Harbor Rock 'n' Roll Festival made a triumphant return in 2024, drawing over 9,000 visitors to Victor Harbor, offering significant social and economic benefits to the township.
With more than 300 classic and vintage vehicles on display, live bands across two stages and plenty of market stalls, the festival delighted locals, day-trippers and interstate visitors, many of whom extended their stay for three to four nights. Feedback from locals and visitors alike was overwhelmingly positive, with the whole township getting involved in the festivities.
For more details on Citizen of the Year Awards or Australia Day, please visit www.victor.sa.gov.au/australiaday