Rosewhite resident runner-up in Victorian Senior of the Year award

Rosewhite community leader and volunteer Christine McCracken has been recognised as a highly commended finalist in the 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards, receiving honours in the prestigious 'Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year' category. While the top honour went to another recipient, Ms McCracken and a fellow finalist were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the community during a ceremony at Government House on Tuesday 20 October, as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival. The recognition caps off more than five decades of Ms McCracken's service to communities across North East Victoria. Since 1975, she has dedicated countless hours to improving community wellbeing through volunteering, leadership, education and local history projects. Her work has helped strengthen community connections and ensure important local institutions continue to thrive. Originally arriving in Myrtleford in the early 1970s with her husband and fellow teacher Ian, Ms McCracken said her life took a new direction following Ian's death in 2005. “That was a change of direction at the beginning of my senior years,” she said. “It allowed me to develop and consolidate interests I already had.” Among her achievements is her longstanding involvement with the Happy Valley Hall, where she has played a key role in preserving and promoting the facility as a vibrant community hub. She has also documented the hall’s history through two published books, helping preserve stories to foster a sense of local pride and belonging. Her commitment to lifelong learning is equally evident through her role as a founding member of Myrtleford U3A, where she remains a respected tutor. She is also co-author of the award-winning book 'For a Better Life', which chronicles the history of Italian migration to the Myrtleford region. Ms McCracken said she was honoured to be recognised among the state's leading senior volunteers. “I went to Melbourne with my partner John and my family,” she said. “It’s really exciting to be named as one of two highly commended finalists, just under the Senior of the Year award. “I love the fact someone from a rural area has received this recognition: I think that’s really important. “I feel strongly about creating opportunities for people in rural communities. "Recognition like this helps give additional support and visibility to the groups and causes I represent.” Ms McCracken’s community involvement includes: being a memorabilia officer for Myrtleford RSL; president of Happy Valley Hall committee; serving on Havilah Cemetery Trust and through the Rosewhite & District CWA co-created the Helping Hands bursary program which assists rural school-leavers pursuing further education; and she has also helped mentor young parents involved in the re-establishment of the Myrtleford Toy Library. “I worked with my friend Marg Curtis through the CWA to help get the toy library going again and mentor the young parents involved,” she said. “It was a real joy because we were met with such enthusiasm: it was lovely to be involved.” Reflecting on her volunteer work, she said preserving local history had been a particular passion. “The history of Happy Valley is something I’ve worked on for many years, collecting photographs, records and stories,” she said. “I’ve been here for 50 years now, so I have a strong knowledge of the history of Happy Valley and the stories connected to it and I’ve really enjoyed recording them.” Ms McCracken also highlighted her work with the Havilah Cemetery Trust, where community members helped preserve the cemetery’s history and records before a formal trust was re-established. Despite the statewide recognition, Ms McCracken is quick to share credit with the many volunteers who work alongside her. “This is not just an award for me,” she said. “It’s an award for all the people who support these causes and give their time to helping others. “What is great about these awards is that they recognise the value of seniors and the importance of volunteerism.” Far from slowing down, Ms McCracken said she intends to continue supporting the causes she cares about while remaining open to new opportunities to serve her community. “When someone has a great idea, I love to support them and help their ideas come to fruition,” she said.

Rosewhite resident runner-up in Victorian Senior of the Year award

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