Former police officer Tony Rehan has been named as Toowoomba Citizen of the Year in the Australia Day Awards.
Mr Rehn was honoured to tireless commitment to community work, which he started doing after moving to Toowoomba from South Australia in 2006.
Now retired from the police service, Mr Rehn donates his time to Toowoomba’s Peace Committee, Toowoomba Together, Kiyua Performing Arts, a Youth Justice committee, Zonta, a First Nations committee and a community group supporting Police, among others.
Mr Rehn is one of the founders and the current chair of Toowoomba Together, which previously was known as Toowoomba Says No To Violence. Toowoomba Together aims to educate the community on recognising and responding to domestic and family violence.
He is passionate about the group’s role in community education. Tony has spent several decades making people aware of the issue.
Meanwhile, youth leader Mariam Nabizada has been named Toowoomba Young Citizen of the Year.
Ms Nabizada’s work has positively influenced and inspired countless individuals in Toowoomba and across Australia.
Ms Nabizada serves as a Youth Leader with Toowoomba Regional Council and as the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament Member for Toowoomba North, representing the voices of young people in local government and state decision-making.
At a national level, Ms Nabizada contributes as a Youth Advisor with UNICEF Australia, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Bravehearts, providing input into programs that educate and protect young Australians.
Through her work with the Centre for Multicultural Youth and Culture Spring, Ms Nabizada uses her voice to empower others from diverse backgrounds, inspiring them to embrace their stories and identities.
Internationally, Ms Nabizada was awarded a scholarship to the AFS Global STEM Changemakers Program, where she collaborated on sustainability and innovation projects, and represented Australia at the New Zealand Model United Nations.
In addition, Ms Nabizada volunteers with Vinnies, the Salvation Army and the Toowoomba International Multicultural Society.
Other Australia Day Award recipients were:
- Toowoomba Cultural Award – Monica Agoth
After arriving in Australia from South Sudan in 2003, Ms Agoth has built an inspiring life grounded in resilience, education and service.
Ms Agoth serves as president of the Darling Downs African Communities Council.
In this role she works closely with stakeholders across education, policing, employment, health and local government to address community challenges and strengthen inclusion.
As well her voluntary roles, Ms Agoth is a teacher in the Adult Migrant English Program at TAFE Queensland and works as a Community Connector with Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma.
- Toowoomba Senior Sports Award – Anne Elliott
Toowoomba cyclist Anne Elliott enjoyed a phenomenally successful season in 2025.
Elliott won a World Championship bronze medal at the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo individual time trial (for females 55-59) at Lorne in Victora. This effort marked the first medal at this category level for a Darling Downs cyclist.
Her other achievements included:
- Winning a gold medal and national title at the 2025 Australian National Individual Time Trial Championships (female 55-59) at Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.
- Winning a gold medal and national title at the 2025 Australian National Grand Fondo Championships (female 55-59) at Perth in Western Australia.
- Winning a gold medal and national title at the 2025 Australian Clubs’ Team Time Trial Championships (women 150+) at Perth in Western Australia.
- Winning a gold medal and the champion’s title at the 2025 Nesiko Classic – Individual Time Trial Women’s Master 6 Nesiko, Japan (part of the UCI World Gran Fondo Qualifying Series).
Anne won a gold medal at the Queensland Criterium Championships for the Individual Time Trial along with a gold medal at the Queensland Gravel Championships.
She also won a gold medal at the Queensland Cyclocross Championships.
- Toowoomba Junior Sports Award – Amelia Kidd
Ms Kidd, a Year 10 student at St Ursula’s College, earned selection in four Darling Downs representative teams and two Queensland squads during 2025.
Ms Kidd is a proud member of the Brisbane AFL Training Squad. She travels to Brisbane two to three times each week for training and competition.
Her sporting achievements include:
- Selection in the Under 15 Queensland Cricket Team in 2025.
- Selected in the Under 15 Queensland AFL Team in 2025
- Selected in Four Darling Downs Teams in 2025 – cricket, touch, football (soccer), AFL
Ms Kidd also represented St Ursula’s College in touch football, AFL, rugby league and Rugby 7s.
- Toowoomba Community Group Award – Blush Cancer Care Inc.
Blush Cancer Care is a non-profit, volunteer organisation dedicated to improving the wellbeing of breast cancer patients across Toowoomba, the Darling Downs and the Lockyer Valley.
They support patients from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. The services they provide are at no cost to the patient. The organisation celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025.
Blush has supported more than 1100 hundred women and their families through their breast cancer journey.
The organisation funds Blush Breast Care Nurses, provides care packages, and runs a range of wellbeing and exercise programs designed to rebuild strength and confidence.
- Toowoomba Community Event Award – ID Connect, Darling Downs Indigenous Workforce Action Group
The Darling Downs Indigenous Workforce Action Group ID Connect event empowered people by providing connection to vital services, improving opportunities for employment and community participation.
The Indigenous Workforce Action Group was instigated by Workforce Australia – Local Jobs Darling Downs and was a collaboration between the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Small Business and Training and the National Indigenous Australians Agency. All representatives live and work in the Toowoomba Region.
The event was co-funded by Workforce Australia Local Jobs Darling Downs and the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General.