Cr Tiemens described joint Senior of the Year winner Mr Eather as ‘a silent force within the community, a leader whose contributions to various community groups are so extensive that enumerating them becomes a challenging task”.
Mr Eather now lives in the Turrawan district and is well-known for supporting the communities of Boggabri and Baan Baa, near where he used to live.
“Steve’s reliability is unwavering, and the community extends heartfelt gratitude for his enduring dedication.
“What sets Steve apart is not only his leadership roles but the profound impact he has had on numerous fronts.
“Sporting groups, parent-teacher associations (P and Cs), and various church groups have all been recipients of Steve’s insightful contributions over the years.
“His involvement has not only supported these organisations but has also fostered a sense of unity, collaboration, and community spirit.
“His impact extends far beyond the roles he holds, leaving an enduring legacy that has touched the lives of many within the community.”
Mr Eather told the The Courier he was “a bit stunned” when his name was read out as a joint winner.
“I thought all the nominees were so good that I wouldn’t have a chance.”
Mr Eather described his co-winner Mrs Whitton as ‘a wonderful lady’.
And said he would particularly like to thank his wife Berice who ‘has been a support all my life, nearly 50 years – she’s been by my side all those years’.
“I’d like to thank the mayor and the council for the support.”
Like his fellow nominees, Mr Eather doesn’t donate his time to win awards, but he understands volunteers are the backbone of rural communities and are vital to keeping tiny town’s ticking.
“We’re brought up in the country just to volunteer: our parents were the same and so we hope we’ve passed it on to our kids,” said Mr Eather.
“But in small communities, volunteering is just part of being there.”
When asked about the rewarding aspects of volunteering and why people should do it, Mr Eather responded: “We often whinge about the price of everything and I think with volunteers, it takes that wage cost out of doing things in the country, and you feel good, and you meet a lot of people doing it – you make some lifetime mates.”
The Courier’s Boggabri correspondent Noreen Boehm described Mr Eather as ‘a caring, thoughtful person who is one of the first to lend a hand in any situation’.
“He has as a wonderful relationship with the Boggabri and Baan Baa district veterans and their families.
“As president of the Boggabri RSL Sub-Branch, he is highly visible on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day but it is the work and commitment to the Boggabri and Baan Baa communities that he carries out behind the scenes that make a huge difference.
“When a comment was made in 2016 that it was a shame that nobody knew the words to the New Zealand anthem – he organised for the words of the New Zealand national anthem to be printed on the 2017 program to enable the crowd to sing both the Australian and the New Zealand anthems on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day,” said Mrs Boehm.
“It’s a pleasure to see him interact with the residents at the John Prior Multi-Purpose Service as well as the young school students who participate in the Anzac and Remembrances Day commemorations.
“Baan Baa Hall committee and Baan Baa community have greatly benefited from his community and voluntary work. He has a sense of humour and an eye for detail. One year when I turned up dressed in a blue dress and a poppy scarf and a poppy hat for Remembrance Day, he called me over and said, ‘Noreen I am very disappointed … you haven’t got your poppy dress on, you always wear your poppy dress’ I said, ‘it’s a bit tight so I thought I would wear this instead’.
‘Doesn’t matter if it’s tight,’ he said, ‘we are used to seeing you in your poppy dress and it’s just not the same’.
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