Cockatoo’s Citizen of the Year, Marie Burden, centre, celebrated Australia Day with her niece, Ella, and nephew, Josh. 26513 Picture: Tania Martin.By Tania Martin
More than 100 people gathered at Alma Treloar Reserve for an early morning feast of sausages, eggs, bacon and pancakes.
The breakfast was followed by the presentation of the town’s Australia Day awards.
Maree Burden was named the Cockatoo Citizen of the Year.
She could never be mistaken for anything other than a true blue Aussie. And it was this spirit that won Ms Burden the honour.
She was both shocked and ecstatic to be recognised for her hard work.
“It’s an absolute honour and I am touched that people think so highly of me,” she said.
“For me it’s as big as getting an Oscar or Golden Globe award … it’s one of my proudest moments.”
Ms Burden said Australia Day was one of her favourite times of the year.
“I am so proud of who I am and where I live … I just love living in Australia and would never want to live anywhere else,” she said.
Ms Burden moved to Cockatoo when she was just 19 and soon fell in love with the small town atmosphere.
It was her dedication and vision to have a bank in Cockatoo that was her crowning achievement.
In 2001, Ms Burden started a campaign to bring a community bank to the town. The Gembrook-Cockatoo branch of the Bendigo Bank was opened in 2005.
She said numerous local groups were sending the town broke with one raffle or fundraiser after another.
Ms Burden helped form a ladies auxiliary in 2006 to help save the Cockatoo RSL club from closure.
She rallied the community, local politicians and even the CEO of Anzac House to save the club.
“A town is only as good as its volunteers … you can’t just sit back, you need to get actively involved to make it the best it can be,” she said.
After the awards youngsters got together for a game of cricket.
