Baradine resident, Ted Hayman has been awarded Warrumbungle Shire Council Citizen of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the community.

Ted has been a proactive member of the Baradine and District Progress Association for more than 20 years. During that time, he has been the key driver of many beneficial community economic development projects. However, his primary focus over the past few years has been to selflessly dedicate his time, skills and passion to preserving and revitalizing the community's 100-year-old iconic memorial hall.

ln 2015 the hall came under threat of closure due to the run-down state of the venue. Recognizing the hall's historical and cultural importance to Baradine, Ted became a driving force behind its transformation, ensuring it was returned to its former glory as a visible tribute to the local servicemen and women from Baradine who sacrificed so much in WWI and WWII and that it remains a vibrant and functional space for generations to come.

As a result of all these improvement works, the Baradine Memorial Hall is now generally acknowledged to be the best hall in the Warrumbungle Shire. Even with little else to be done to the venue, Ted has not stopped contributing to its viability by always being available to set up the hall for events and functions and being 'on call' for people renting chair and tables.  

Over the years, Ted has breathed new life into the local historic landmark and generated pride in community.

In his acceptance speech, Ted said he was humbled and privileged to receive the Citizen of the Year award.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award and grateful to be part of such a supportive community,” he said.  "Our memorial hall is an iconic landmark in our main street and it has always been a special place and it has been a privilege to contribute to its future in our town through the improvement projects.

"This isn’t just recognition of my work; it’s a reflection of the support and teamwork from everyone in our community who has pitched in over the years. The upgrades to the hall are a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together.

"Volunteering has always been about giving back and seeing the hall come to life again with events, gatherings, and celebrations makes every hour spent working on its restoration worthwhile.

“It’s a joy to see the building restored back to its former glory so that it will serve future generations and continue to be a pride of place in our town.”   

Australia Day Awards

On Australia Day 2025, communities across the Warrumbungle local government area came together to “Reflect, Respect and Celebrate.”

Councillors joined community members and the visiting Australia Day Ambassadors at events across the local government area. Warrumbungle Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Kathryn Rindfleish, attended events in Binnaway, Baradine and Coolah. 

“It was great to attend some of the local events and celebrate Australia Day with so many people in our communities”, said Cr Rindfleish. “As part of the celebrations, I and the other councillors, were pleased to present some very worthy recipients with Warrumbungle Shire Council Australia Day Awards for 2025.” 

Cr Rindfleish said, “we had many high-quality nominations for this year’s awards and the Australia Day Selection Committee was challenged in making the final choices.” 

The recipients of the 2025 Warrumbungle Shire Council Australia Day Awards were: 

Citizen of the Year  

Ted Hayman (Baradine) 

Senior Citizen of the Year  

Geoffrey Gasior (Coonabarabran) 

Environmental Citizen of the Year 

Malcom and Laura Hartley (Coonabarabran) 

Cultural Achievement Award  

Coonabarabran High School Musical Production Team for ‘Legally Blonde’ Musical (Coonabarabran) Young Citizen of the Year  

Kurt Rutter (Coonabarabran) 

Young Sportsperson of the Year  

Evie Matthews (Baradine) 

Community Event of the Year  

Coolah Veteran Touch Football Carnival (Coolah) 

Young Environmental Citizen of the Year 

Ava Harley (Coonabarabran) 

“These awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the things we most value about our local communities and recognise people for their outstanding achievements and contributions. I would like to take this opportunity to again congratulate not only the award recipients, but all the nominees,” said Cr Rindfleish.