2025 Port Pirie Regional Council Australia Day Awards Announced
Port Pirie Regional Council is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2025 Australia Day Awards, which recognise outstanding contributions to the local community by individuals and an event that has made a significant contribution, both economically and socially, to the region.
The 2025 Australia Day Award recipients are:
Citizen of the Year: Philip Amato
Philip has contributed to the Port Pirie community for 45 years through selfless involvement with the Port Pirie Junior Soccer Association (PPJSA), the Virtus Soccer Club (VSC) and the Our Lady of Martyrs Blessing of the Fleet Committee.
Philip’s long-term commitment to these associations is inspiring – he is a generous and hard-working volunteer who is driven to build capacity for others to grow, whilst also bringing interest to the Port Pirie region.
Philip has truly enhanced community life as an active citizen, by being an enthusiastic organiser, coach and mentor in his roles at the Virtus Soccer Club and PPJSA. Hundreds, if not thousands of children have been able to come and try soccer, learn skills and game plans, be active, develop positive sportsperson attributes and participate in regional soccer carnivals due to his dedicated coaching and administration which began at only 15 years of age.
Philip's contribution has seen him awarded Life Membership with the PPJSA, recognising 45 years of continuous coaching (ongoing today) and undertaking the role of President for 15 years during which he was instrumental in bringing the Country Championships to Port Pirie which is a major event not just for the soccer community but for the local community as a whole. His involvement with the VSC also recognises him as a valued committee member and coach of junior and senior teams.
Philip is also a Life Member of the Our Lady of Martyrs Blessing of the Fleet Committee and has been President since 2018. He works tirelessly to keep this significant cultural event going. His vision for this year's 95th Anniversary ensured the Debutant Ball was highly successful with guests travelling from WA, NSW and Adelaide by using the slogan, 'come home'. Many ex-Pirieans, along with the Bishop of Molfetta, made the journey which not only added to the success of the event, but also contributed to the local economy.
Young Citizen of the Year: Jessica Doyle
Jessica completed Year 12 this year and was also College Sports Captain at her school. As part of Clean Up Australia Day, Jessica organised her own community clean-up at Napperby which shows a keen use of initiative and an enormous sense of community pride. She also ran 100km for the Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge, raising over $1,500 for homelessness across Australia. Jessica is an all-round inspiring young person who thinks of others and contributes to her community and is a deserving recipient of the Young Citizen of the Year Award.
Community Event of the Year: Port Pirie Blessing of the Fleet Festival
The annual Port Pirie Blessing of the Fleet event is a cultural heritage festival which has taken place each year for the past 95 years. The Debutante Ball opened the festival on Saturday 14 September 2024 and was attended by 380 people including the local community as well as distinguished guests from Council and Government including Ms Zoe Bettison MP, Minister of Tourism and Multicultural Affairs.
The main event occurred the following day, where the Italian community along with distinguished guests attended a High Mass at St Mark’s Cathedral after which visitors walked the statue of Our Lady to the Port Pirie boat ramp. The procession was witnessed by the local Port Pirie community who lined the streets to watch the procession, followed by a long lunch with entertainment, traditional Italian music and dancing. The Statue of Our Lady was then placed on a fishing vessel and taken for a cruise along the Port Pirie River along with any other boats belonging to the local fishing community.
This year was a significant year in that it was the first time a Bishop from Molfetta has travelled to Port Pirie to support and be part of local celebrations. With around 1,000 people attending this event including Government Officials, visitors from Sydney, Melbourne, two buses of visitors from Adelaide, The Blessing of the Fleet Committee in Fremantle and also the Blessing of the Fleet Committee in Port Adelaide.
This year’s event was live streamed and viewed in Molfetta, Italy, Argentina and New Jersey. The same event is held in these countries each year simultaneously. Italian radio presenters Chic e Choc from Radio Italiana 531 also attended and interviewed numerous people which they then aired on their show the following week. President Philip Amato was approached by South Australian magazine “Saluti!” for an interview, which resulted in a full-page feature of Port Pirie’s Blessing of the Fleet festival.
“I’m overjoyed to reveal the inspiring winners of this year’s Port Pirie Regional Council Australia Day Awards. Each year we receive some amazing nominations, and this year was no exception. Our Citizen of the Year, Philip Amato is a great example of enduring community-mindedness while our Young Citizen of the Year, Jessica Doyle, shows us that young people in our region can make a real difference,” said Mayor Leon Stephens.
“I’m also thrilled that the Blessing of the Fleet festival has been given the honour of being named Event of the Year, as this year’s festival was such a momentous occasion that brought many people together in our community. Well done to all of our winners and I look forward to seeing you all on Australia Day,” said Mayor Stephens.
The Australia Day Awards will be presented at the Port Pirie Australia Day Celebrations to be held on Sunday 26 January 2025 at Solomontown Beach. More information on this event will be available soon.