The 2026 Citizen of the Year Stephanie Neil, Community Spirit Award winner Penelope Johnson and Weipa Town Authority Chair Jaime Gane. Photo: Weipa Town Authority.
Selfless, welcoming, involved and awesome are just some of the words used to describe Weipa’s 2026 Community Spirit Award winner.
The Weipa Town Authority recognised the community’s top contributors at the 2026 Australia Day Awards on 21 January with a special dinner at Albatross Bay Resort to congratulate the three category winners.
Community Spirit champion Penelope Johnson said she was humbled by the recognition, but she received just as much as she gave.
As a nurse, mother and community member always willing to lend a hand, Ms Johnson has plenty on her plate, but said her cup was always filled as she poured out to others.
“I’ve lived in small towns my whole life. I feel you get out of a community what you put into a community,” she said.
“Our community is nothing without the volunteers who make it happen, so I feel I should be a part of that.
“I have a really amazing village, so that’s part of giving back. When you give so much to a community, you find the people who are part of that village happy to help pick up your kids while you’re doing something else. It’s a team effort – none of this can be done on my own.”
Ms Johnson said one of her proudest efforts had been her role on the local kindergarten committee.
“Through that, I participated in Wine by the Sea. We have raised enough money to see some significant changes happen at kindy,” she said.
“With that role and through the years of being on the kindy committee, I’ve seen actual changes that have impacted our early childhood, which is so important in town.”
Weipa Town Authority chair Jaime Gane described Ms Johnson as the person who baked a cake for someone after hearing it was their birthday.
“She is that person who will be involved in everything in one way or another. It’s never too much,” she said.
“She is one of those people who is selfless in the time she gives and what she puts into the community.
“It’s just the effort she puts into whatever she does. [The award] is about those people who epitomise what it means to have that strong community spirit.”
The Australia Day Awards also recognised Citizen of the Year Stephanie Neil, Young Citizen of the Year Emily Foy, and recently passed community member Frenchy Maujean for his years of tireless contribution to several local committees.
“I would like to thank the community and all the other nominees for the hard work they put in to make this community as great as it is,” Ms Johnson said.
Weipa Town Authority’s Jaime Gane presents Nathan Maujean a special certificate of appreciation dedicated to his late father Frenchy for his years of tireless contribution to the community. Photo: Weipa Town Authority.
