Blue Mountains Citizens of Year named in Springwood ceremony

But the Wentworth Falls resident received new recognition today [Thursday] when she was named Blue Mountains Citizen of the Year at a ceremony in Springwood.

Ms Walker, 65, said she was honoured to receive the title, “particularly because it is from the Blue Mountains where I’ve lived for 30-something years… It’s a community I believe is quite unique”.

Ms Walker played a crucial role providing community transport to the Blue Mountains for three decades. She grew a local, one-person service to a regional organisation that now include two offices, 25 vehicles, a team of paid drivers and staff, and more than 100 volunteers.

“This award is due recognition for Helen’s dedication and commitment to making people’s lives better. As she begins her new chapter of retirement, it is fitting that her contribution to the Blue Mountains community is acknowledged in the highest regard,” council’s citation stated.

“This service is a great asset to the community, aimed at giving small groups and members of the Blue Mountains community a chance to get out and about and enjoy spending time with their respective groups enhancing their quality of life.”

In receiving the award, Ms Walker paid tribute to the community spirit in the Blue Mountains.

“We were renowned for annoying government enough to get more money… We all rallied together to support our local area because we were [categorised] as a ‘tacked on’ outer metropolitan area.”

Ms Walker admitted that adjusting to retirement is one of “the biggest battles I’ve had to fight”. “Suddenly you’ve got to learn how to relax and do other things when your whole life has been about building up the community and resourcing it.”

But retirement has also allowed her to speak more freely about government changes in its approach to the community sector.

“For me it’s a little sad because government policy has changed so radically [recently] that the community part is being dropped off, the caring part is being dropped off.”

Katoomba artist Samuel Quinteros was named Young Citizen of the Year at the Australia Day ceremony at the Blue Mountains Theatre.

Mr Quinteros’ grandmother accepted the award on his behalf as he is overseas.

“Samuel Quinteros is inspirational young artist, and he offers an example of what it means to take risks and follow your true calling,” council said.

“Moved to follow the vocation of becoming an artist, he is a great example to other young people. As a painter his artistic style is still evolving, but he is prolific and original as a painter.

“The Blue Mountains is increasingly recognised as an outstanding place for creativity. Samuel’s paintings, and the extraordinary artistic development of his young career, seem to confirm that the unique combination of the cultural and natural environments of the Blue Mountains. This is also the land of his great−grandparents on his father's side (from Katoomba, the Perkins family), and presently, he paints at his 'studio' underneath the house of his maternal grandmother, also in Katoomba.”

Mr Quinteros was awarded the Zelda Stedman Young Artist Scholarship in 2011 and graduated with honours from Sydney College of the Arts in 2013

He undertook a three-month artist residency in Tokyo in 2015 after being awarded a Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship.

He held his second solo exhibition, Blind Force of Creation, in 2016 and was recently displayed at Galerie Pompom, Sydney.