Thank you to the Bowerbird Op Shop

The members of Marine Rescue Bermagui are deeply honoured to receive the 2025 Community Award of $10,000. We are very grateful to be recognised in this way, and we want to acknowledge the Bowerbird Op Shop for the fantastic work it does for the community. Thank you also to everyone who voted for us and considered our efforts and achievements worthy of such an award.

This prize motivates our volunteers in their efforts both in the radio room and on our rescue vessel BG30. This award allows us to continue to upgrade and refine significant items of our equipment, ensuring that we are rescue-ready as we come into the busy summer season.

Thank you again for this significant honour – it means a great deal to us.

Jim Anderson, Unit Commander,
Marine Rescue Bermagui

Photo: Jim Anderson receiving the award from Corrine Harris  Photo: Flick Ruby

The awards night

The Bowerbird Community Op Shop’s tenth anniversary Community Association Awards (CAA) were presented at the Cobargo School of Arts Hall at an afternoon tea on Sunday, 26 October 2025.

The final votes were closely guarded secrets that added to the atmosphere as the individual awards were announced.

A gathering of almost fifty community members applauded as Quaama PS P&C, Friends of Cobargo Cemetery, Cobargo Pony Club and Narooma High School Cattle Team each received $500; Bermagui SLSC, 1st Scouts Cobargo and CAN Assist each received $1000; Cobargo School of Arts Hall received $2,500; and Volunteer Rescue Association Bega received $5,000.

Finally, Marine Rescue Bermagui received the top grant of $10,000. As awards MC Trisha Olsen said, ‘These community-initiated awards have proved a great success and, while they were considered a one-off event to celebrate our tenth anniversary, we may consider a similar format for future awards rounds.’

An additional feature of the afternoon was that some the awards were presented by Ros Hewitt to mark her retirement from the Bowerbird. Ros has now finally retired, sold up and will soon move to West Wyalong where her early roots were.

Current Bowerbird Committee Chair Corrine Harris said, ‘Ros was one of the founders of the Bowerbird and will be sorely missed by all. She has witnessed the growth of the organisation and provided both leadership and energy to its development. Well done, Ros!’

So, is that it for the Bowerbird year? Absolutely not!

Building on the success of previous years, the Bowerbird Op Shop is again hosting a Community Christmas lunch on 25 December 2025! You will find more information in a separate article in this edition of The Triangle.

Steve Williams