Gerroa punched above its weight in the 2020 Australia Day Awards, with two local women receiving national recognition for their contributions.

Nancye Hawke received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to Gerroa.

She has been an active community member since moving to Gerroa with her husband Neville 52 years ago.

Amongst her many involvements, she is the Founding President and now a Life Member of the Gerroa Community Association, and was on the founding committees of Gerroa Neighbourhood Watch and the Gerroa Flower Association.

Nancye has been providing service as a JP since 1956 and is a former cattle judge at agricultural shows.

As far back as 1997 her efforts were recognised by Kiama Council with an Australia Day Citizenship Award. In 2018 She was also the recipient of the Outstanding Citizen Award at the Kiama Electorate Community Recognition Awards.

Dr Leoni Degenhardt has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to education through the independent schools sector.

She and her husband have lived permanently in Gerroa since 2009, after falling in love with the area may years before.

The former principal has been an Emeritus Dean of the Leadership Centre of the Association of Independent Schools NSW since 2017.

She has also been a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Arts and Social Work, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of NSW.

Leoni is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and the Australian Council of Education