Five receive seniors awards

Five people from or connected to the Peninsula area in some way received awards at The Commonwealth Recognition Awards for Senior Australians which was held late last year.
Mrs Joyce Davis, Mrs Eileen Everingham, Mrs Geraldine Pierce, Mrs Nea Rhodes and Mr Horace Young were among the 10 award recipients.
Member for Robertson, Mr Jim Lloyd, said the awards were implemented to recognise the significant contributions that senior Australians have made, and continue to make, to their local communities.
Mr Lloyd and Mayor Cr Chris Holstein presented the award winners with certificates and medals.
Mr Lloyd made the following comments on the winners:
Mrs Joyce Davis moved to the area from Punchbowl in 1983 and was widowed in 1987.
She then joined Legacy and became active as its welfare officer, undertook hospital visitations and continues to do so to the present day.
She also joined the Ettalong Beach War Widows Club and has been its president for the last three years.
Mrs Davis also became active with St Lukes Anglican Church at Woy Woy and has undertaken nursing home visitation for the past 14 years.
The Ettalong Beach War Widows Club is affiliated with the War Widows Guild of NSW and Mrs Davis has held various executive positions, including vice-president and president's assistant for over six years.
Mrs Davis has also written various local histories including a 50-Year History of Ettalong Beach War Widows and a 150-Year History of St Lukes, which encompassed the whole of the Gosford Diocese.
Mrs Eileen Everingham has lived in the area for over 30 years since her retirement.
Mr Lloyd said Mrs Everingham was held in very high esteem by her peers for the positive image and example she set through community involvement, kindness and helpfulness to people, support and voluntary work she did in the community, particularly the older community.
Mrs Everingham received her long service bar last year as a member of the Umina Beach branch of the Country Womens' Association, having held various positions on the committee.
She was nominated as Country Woman of the Year.
She is also a regular volunteer worker at the Senior Citizens' Centre, giving much of her time to help in the administration, kitchen or whereever a hand is needed.
Mr Lloyd said she was a gracious lady who was an inspiration to all and set the very best example as a community-minded person and achiever.
Mrs Geraldine Pierce moved to Umina Beach during 1981 and lost her husband the following year.
During WWII she had served with the Women's Land Army.
Mrs Pierce had cooked and delivered meals for Meals on Wheels while living in Holroyd and continued that interest when she moved to the Central Coast.
She also became a volunteer at the Umina Beach Tea Rooms and served for many years.
She was made an elder of the Woy Woy Presbyterian Church, where she has served as treasurer for six years and secretary for three years.
Mrs Pierce was a foundation member of the Ettalong-Woy Woy Legacy Widows' Club and has held the positions of secretary and vice-president as well as her current position of president.
Over the years she has organised garage sales and street stalls to raise funds for Woy Woy Aged Care and the building fund for the hostel.
She is a talented floral decorator and has been a member of the local garden club since 1982.
Mrs Nea Rhodes joined the Woy Woy-Ettalong-Hardys Bay RSL Women's Auxiliary in 1976 and has held the positions of vice-president, secretary, committee member and minute secretary.
As a member of the Auxiliary it was her duty to endeavour to work for the welfare of ex-servicemen and women in the area.
Mrs Rhodes joined the Brisbane Water RSL Women's Auxiliary Welfare Group in 1978 and has been secretary for the past 21 years.
Mrs Rhodes was a charter member of the Woy Woy Lioness Club, joining in 1977. She was secretary for 12 years and president for one year.
During her time, she started and continues to do hospital visitations to Woy Woy Rehabilitation and Boronia Court Hostel.
She was a director of the then Woy Woy Community Nursing Home, was a member of the Nursing Home Auxiliary, joined the Ettalong War Widows in 1983, becoming secretary, a position she still holds, joined Umina Red Cross in 1975, becoming secretary from 1975 to 1980, and then president in 1981 and 1982.
Mr Horace Young served in the Royal Australian Navy from September 1939 until March 1946.
His service at sea was primarily on small ships such as minesweepers and anti-submarine duties.
He was involved in combined operations at HMAS Assault and while there volunteered for special service with Special Operations Australia/Service Reconnaissance Department.
He was a member of the 14-man commando party that sailed back to Singapore during the Japanese occupation in 1943 aboard the historic vessel Krait, resulting in seven Japanese vessels being sunk or damaged in Singapore Harbour by limpet mines.
The party returned to Australia without casualties and Mr Young was awarded a mention in dispatches for his part in the operation.
Mr Young was a career public servant with the Postmaster-General Department during his civilian working life, rising to Deputy Assistant Director-General and finally Assistant Secretary with the newly-formed Department of Posts and Telegraphs.
He was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal for public service.
On retirement Mr Young was continuously involved in returned service activities and occupied positions including president of the Victorian Commando Association, president, secretary and patron of the Woy Woy-Ettalong RSL Sub-branch, president, secretary and patron of the Naval Association of Australian Central Coast Section.
He was awarded a diploma of merit by this association.
He was president of the Z Special Unit Association and was awarded life membership of the Association.
He is a past chairman of the Krait War Memorial Committee and co-founder, honorary secretary and co-patron of the Central Coast WWII Veterans' Association.
Mr Young was awarded life membership to the Wireless Institute of Australia for services to Australian Radio Communication Services.
He is past president and secretary of Umina Probus Association and served as a Legatee with Brisbane Water Legacy.