Last Thursday, the Boggabri Lions Club organised the Senior of the Year awards ceremony, which ended up being a joint award for two special locals.
Noreen Boehm and Sally Bates were both awarded Senior of the Year for their selfless contributions to the Boggabri community over many years.
MC on the day was Geoff Eather with the Lions president Craig Devine being unavailable.
Narrabri Shire Council mayor Darrell Tiemens presented the certificates and gift boxes to the winners.
Fifty people attended the morning tea, which was kindly catered for by host of the event, Boggabri HACC.
It was a lovely morning, as the Boggabri community got together to commemorate and celebrate the efforts of Noreen and Sally.
Noreen has been involved in advocating for and sourcing new playground equipment in Vickery Park, Girl Guides, Scouts, netball, basketball, soccer, swimming, Boggabri Urban Area Committee and Ooranga FMRU, just to name a few. She was also Miss Boggabri in 1970.
She has liaised with council to keep the Boggabri Court House crest. She was also honoured to cut the ribbon at the launch of the Explorer train in Boggabri.
In recognition of her community involvement, she has been recognised with life membership of the Boggabri Public School P & C, New England and Northwest Swimming Association and NSW Meals on Wheels.
Noreen is well known for converting the local Meals on Wheels Service in 1997 into the HACC Multi Service Outlet including community transport, centre-based day care and respite care.
Yes, Noreen was paid for 10 hours per week but contributed many more volunteer hours working with the volunteers to get the services up and running!
Noreen filled a vacancy on the NSW Meals on Wheels board of governors and over the next 11 years held the position of president seven times, was vice president twice, secretary for one term, and treasurer for one term as well as being elected to the Australian board of Meals on Wheels for two years. She also emceed the bi-annual NSW MOW State Conference in 2014.
The seniors in Boggabri and the north west can thank Noreen for working with the NSW Fire Brigade to set up the SABRE program, the first area outside Sydney to host the program.
In 2003 Noreen started presenting the Boggabri Community News on Radio 2MO each Wednesday. She is still filling this voluntary position 22 years later.
Noreen has been a Justice of the Peace since 2006.
Since 2015 Noreen has spent one day a week, and sometimes more than one day helping with the diversional therapy activities for the residents, writing residents life stories, knitting and sewing speciality items and doing one on-one activities with the dementia residents at the Boggabri MPS. She was also appointed to the Boggabri Hospital board in 2015.
Noreen is also well-known to many in the region for reporting on Boggabri matters through The Courier and its sister publication the Gunnedah Times, however, she also puts in a massive number of voluntary hours to cover events in Boggabri and to keep Boggabri on the map.
Noreen was delighted and honoured to be appointed to carry the Queens Baton for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
In her spare time, she sews items for the NICU at John Hunter and Liverpool hospitals. Noreen is an active member of the Australia wide knit4charities, as well as alters, mends, takes up hems, is a contact on several Medi-alarms, and fills out forms for no remuneration for many senior members in Boggabri. She donated and helped pack items for the Lismore floods.
Noreen has survived cancer twice and has proudly supported local fundraisers, including serving on the fundraising committee for ‘Looking out for Laura 2019’ and ‘Pink Angels’ for McGrath foundation 2021 raising more than $30,000.
In 2022, Noreen took on the position of secretary of the Boggabri United Hospital Auxiliary and was instrumental in the UHA working closely with the Boggabri Op-Shop’s very successful and enjoyable Melbourne Cup Day fashion parade.
Noreen is a member of the Women’s Shed where she has helped organise workshops and share her skills.
In 2024, Noreen was an official at the Rotary Small School Public Speaking competition and most recently she oversaw the organisation and emceed the 2025 Boggabri Australia Day committee and celebrations.
What an incredible resume of achievements. Your story is truly inspirational, well done Noreen!
Sally has been a very active member in the community, involving herself in school, community and health organisations for a number of years.
With her efforts in Girl Guides, Parish and Sacred Heart P & F, Boggabri HACC, the museum and men’s shed, and Glentarkie, Sally should be highly commemorated for her devotion and selfless nature.
Sally worked at Boggabri Hospital, Whiddon Jessie Hunt and Narrabri Hospital as a registered nurse midwife and lactation consultant.
Find below a letter Sally has written, as she reflects upon her life in Boggabri and the joy of receiving this award:
Ken and I moved to Boggabri in 1977.
I am a wife of 52 years with four beautiful children and 11 grandchildren.
I stand here completely overwhelmed and honoured to be recognised for something that is simply second nature.
I am and always have been passionate about ensuring our organisations create support for our town for all ages and I believe it’s our community organisations and spirit that shows the region what big heart our town has.
I have spent my life caring for elderly, young and bringing new life into our world. It has brought me so much joy. Never over the years has my mindset changed.
I am a passionate, strong-minded woman and I am honoured to support and be a part of these groups.
These groups are what makes our little town stand out. And our community continues to support each other through best and worst times. I feel honoured and absolutely overwhelmed to be awarded this and I thank you all so much.
It would be amiss not to mention that Sally helped in bringing me into the world, as she did for so many others in her time as a midwife.
Congratulations Sally, your unwavering kindness and humble nature is incredibly heartwarming.
