For Steve McMillan, the honour of being named Armidale Dumaresq Council’s 2013 Australia Day Citizen of the Year was unexpected. However, for many who know Steve and his achievements in promoting sport in Armidale, he was a shoe-in!
Steve began his involvement in local sport from the age of 15 when he coached his brother’s Under 12 cricket team and later became the junior cricket registrar and publicity officer.
“This award means a bit,” said Steve.
“I was only 15 and my brother’s team didn’t have a coach, so my dad used to drive me and my brother into town every weekend for games. That is where it all started for me; I just liked the fact that I was involved in doing something.”
His career in local sport administration has so far spanned 38 years and today he is the current president of the Armidale Sports Council and has held that position since 2006. He has been the President of the St Mary’s Rugby League Club; foundation member of the Armidale Old Boys Rugby Club, holding the publicity officer job until 1989; in 1992 he become publicity officer of New England Rugby Union and then CEO of New England Rugby for four year; he has been made a life member of the St Mary’s Cricket Club, Old Boys Rugby Club and New England Rugby Union; he started work at Radio 2AD in 1996 and, since then, Sport in Armidale receives a higher profile with Steve’s after hours voluntary show ‘Sin Bin’; and the list goes on.
During his speech on Saturday he stressed the importance of getting involved in the local community and the satisfaction of helping the town in which you live. He also mentioned that people need to stop complaining about what they haven’t got.
“I get sick and tired of people knowing who I am and the roles I play in the community, particularly with Sports Council and coming up to me and saying that my road didn’t get gravelled or didn’t get sealed because of improvements of sporting facilities; or my business didn’t see any of the 3500 people that were here for the TAS Rugby Carnival, or the latest one; my water rates went up because council needed more water to put on your sporting fields,” said Steve.
“I would like to think that, rather than complain, people ‘pull their finger out’ and actually do something for the community and stop being negative; be positive and volunteer their time.”
Personally for Steve this award means a great deal.
“I have had a lot of people who volunteer to help me a great deal over the years and for me personally, it has been a great week, being made General Manager of Radio 2AD,” said Steve.
“My family have allowed me to be away from home so much but have also supported me and come along on the many trips I have had away.
“I would like to think that I have contributed to the community in some way; it is just something that I love doing and have done for a very long time.”
