Mr Hendrie’s achievements were recognised at tonight’s Albury Awards at the Albury Entertainment Centre, along with a host of other community-minded individuals and organisations nominated and reviewed by the local community.
Described as someone who has “transformed his personal challenges into impactful initiatives for his community”, Mr Hendrie accepted the prestigious award from Albury Mayor, Kevin Mack.
Cr Mack said Mr Hendrie exemplified the spirit of the Albury Awards with his focus on inspiring hope and recovery through tireless voluntary service and inclusive advocacy.
“Richard’s leadership shapes policy, reduces stigma and fosters open conversations about mental health,” he said.
“He is a very deserving winner of our Citizen of the Year award.”
Mr Hendrie has also been recognised by the NSW Mental Health Commission as Community Champion of the Year.
He joins seven other Albury citizens and one organisation recognised for their community contributions:
- Oliver Baitch (Young Citizen of the Year) for his role as Albury Youth Mayor and proactive advocacy for community youth.
- Heather Webb (Senior Citizen of the Year) for more than 14 years of service with the Carevan Foundation and member of the Murray Gardens Retirement Village committee.
- John Oswald (Volunteer of the Year) for more than 20 years of fundraising, maintenance and community event coordination with Country Hope.
- Albury SES (Community Group of the Year) for ongoing volunteer service, responding 24/7 to emergencies such as floods, storms and rescues.
- Peter Harper (Active Citizen of the Year), the visionary behind the Hume and Hovell Explorers Bike Ride, a cycling route from Albury to Werribee, Victoria, that connects historic monuments marking the 1824 Hume and Hovell expedition.
- Kara Chanter (joint Creative Citizen of the Year) for compassionate guidance to those experiencing end-of-life challenges through funeral celebrancy, podcasting and free counselling.
- Mathew Ralston (joint Creative Citizen of the Year) for not only his creative achievements as a hairdresser, but also his fundraising efforts for the Cancer Foundation and support of the local arts scene.
- David Petrovic (Environmental Citizen of the Year), who has dedicated a decade to improving biodiversity in Albury through the Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare group and as project manager of the Connecting Landscapes initiative.
“I commend and thank all the nominees and award winners for their dedication to making our city, community and our world, a better place,” Cr Mack said.
“It’s a privilege to be able to recognise and thank these outstanding citizens for their continuing achievements and hopefully inspire others to scale similar heights of dedication and commitment.”
The Albury Awards also mark the start of community consultation by AlburyCity to gauge community sentiment about Australia Day activities in the city, with residents able to submit feedback via a range of channels, including an online Engaging Albury page closing 28 February 2025.