Jane a tireless worker for Hay community

Hay Citizen of the Year for 2023, Jane Griffiths pictured at the Australia Day Awards ceremony at Hay Gaol Museum with her cousin, Mark Johnston who travelled from Melbourne with his family to attend the day. Mark is the younger son of the late Gavin and Isabel Johnston and grew up in Hay.

The Johnston family has been enthusiastic supporters of Hay’s Australia Day program for three generations. Image: Margie McClelland

Tirelessly dedicated Jane Griffiths is Hay’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.

Jane’s tireless volunteer record speaks for itself.

She is known as one of the hardest-working volunteers in Hay, and has been committing her time and energy continually into the community for almost 50 years.

Jane’s long and impressive history of volunteering in Hay has been associated with numerous clubs and associations.

She has been involved with Hay Amateur Swimming Club for more than 30 years and was awarded Life Membership for her efforts.

She is a qualified referee with NSW Swimming and very well recognised for her many years of refereeing with Riverina Swimming and the Southern Inland Swimming Association.

Jane was also awarded Life Membership of the Hay Lions Football and Netball Club. She was instrumental in initiating the netball competition, served numerous years as secretary and still volunteers with the club today.

Jane is also involved with the Hay Netball Club competition and has refereed countless games.

She has volunteered with Can Assist over many years and is currently their President.

Jane joined the Hay Showground Society where she still continues to collect camping fees twice weekly.

She has been able to utilise her leadership and technical skills within all of these organisations as she frequently holds executive positions of multiple groups at any one time.

It is no coincidence that these organisations are successful in large part because of her involvement.

Jane steps up and does the jobs no one else wants to do. She sees a need and gets it done.

Jane recently retired after 45 years of dedicated service with Hay Shire Council. She was always volunteering copious hours aside her full-time job and while raising her son single-handedly.

She loves helping her community and can always be relied upon to work hard to make things happen. An example of this is the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea which Jane successfully ran for many years from the wide veranda of the Lands Council.

Jane is a previous Australia Day Award recipient, having received the Junior Citizen of the Year in 1991.

Jane is the ultimate volunteer.

She is incredibly kind, generous and honest, and goes about her work in a professional and dedicated manner.

She has a saying that if you want something done you ask a busy person, with the irony being that it distinctly describes her!