The 2020 Dickson Awards have seen outstanding local residents rewarded for their hard work and dedication to make our community.
The 2020 Dickson Citizen of the Year is Colin ‘Col’ Chandler. Col is a Highvale resident with Multiple Sclerosis.
He is the founder of ‘Goat Track Madness’ the MS fundraiser he started by declaring he wanted to climb the 3 kilometre, dirt track with 500m elevation that winds up Mount Nebo, known as the Goat Track in his wheelchair.
The event has been held twice now and raised over $40,000 for MS QLD. Col is also an ambassador for MS QLD and has created a new app to help people better access the NDIS.
Ian ‘Watto’ Watson who was posthumously awarded the Dickson Great Mate award. Watto founded the men’s shed group ‘Shed Happens’ that met in Murrumba Downs and also wrote books, mentored men and was a great encourager and friend to all. Watto passed away in December 2019 after a long battle with cancer.
Bob Millar was awarded the Dickson Local Legend award for his service to the community including through the Samford Rotary Club, Samford Rural Fire Brigade and his efforts to support the community through new initiatives as a former councillor of both Pine Rivers Shire and Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Several local sporting champions were recognised including champion Softball player Madisun Graham who was awarded Dickson Sports Person of the Year and motorcycle racer Flynn Nicol who was junior sports person of the year.
The 2020 Community Group of the Year is the North Pine Historical Society. Their efforts to preserve local history are significant and in particular their efforts through Old Petrie Town have seen our community retain the character and knowledge of our early years.
The Federal Member for Dickson Peter Dutton said that he was honoured to recognise champions of our local community.
“We have seen local residents do some amazing things in the last 12 months, so choosing between the nominations to pick the final awardees was particularly tough this year,” Mr Dutton said.
“Col Chandler the 2020 Dickson Citizen of the Year is an amazing bloke who I have gotten to know through his efforts to fundraise for MS with Goat Track Madness.
“Watto (Ian Watson) is well known to so many around the area for his business teaching learner truck drivers and of course his men’s shed group Shed Happens, I am proud to call him a friend and to honour him with the Inaugural Dickson Great Mate award.
“Bob Millar has done so much for our community is this year’s Dickson Local Legend and the Dickson Community Group of Year is The North Pine Historical Society for their amazing work retaining and preserving our history.
“Congratulations to all the awardees and thank you for everything you do for our community,” Mr Dutton said.
Award Winners are as follows:
| Mr Colin Chandler | Dickson Citizen of the Year |
| Mr Ian ‘Watto’ Watson | Dickson Great Mate Award |
| Mr Bob Millar | Dickson Local Legend Award |
| The North Pine Historical Society
|
Dickson Community Group of the Year |
| Ms Madisun Graham | Dickson Sports Person of the Year |
| Mr Flynn Nicol | Dickson Young Sports Person of the Year |
| Ms Stephanie Malcolm | Dickson Sports Award |
| Mrs Narelle Pinkstone | Dickson Community Service Award |
| Mr Hugo Williams and Mr Oscar Williams | Dickson Community Service Award |
| Ms Meghamala Roy Basu | Dickson Community Service Award |