Stanley Athenaeum’s Chris Dormer is excited for the athenaeum to be one of ten finalists for a project in this year’s Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria (KAVB) Tidy Town and City sustainability awards.

Beechworth’s Iris Mannik (OAM) who has organised entries for 35 years with Anne Wilson helping for nearly two decades, said she is overwhelmed with all ten entries being selected across nine out of 10 categories.

Judging held online for the state-wide awards began on Monday and runs until 7 September.

The Stanley Athenaeum is a finalist in the Indigenous Culture Award for a project that recognises outstanding commitment to the conservation and celebration of the rich diverse culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Waywurru researcher, historian and storyteller Megan Carter delivered the 7th Geoff Craig Memorial Lecture titled ‘Spaces of Survival: Aboriginal Reserves and Ration Depots in North East Victoria’ in September last year.

The lecture – a biennial event – is presented by the Friends of Stanley Athenaeum.

The lecture seeks to inform and educate the people of Stanley community and local area on important issues of historic and contemporary interest.

With a limited awareness of local Indigenous history and the people who had lived, worked and played on the Stanley plateau, Ms Dormer said the lecture provided the chance to hear from Ms Carter.

Ms Carter spoke about the history of early culture contact between Waywurru and Dhudhuroa people and colonial settlers and government administration.

“It brought people together for an important conversation raising awareness of local Aboriginal history,” she said.

Finalists in various award categories are Indigo Regen (Behaviour Change Campaigns and Education), with Spring Ditch, and the Beechworth Railway Precinct – joint venture between Indigo Shire Council and Tourism North East (Community).

Others include Indigo Power (Energy), Indigo Shire Waste Services – Soft Plastics Collection System (Litter – addressing local issues), and the Quercus Beechworth Repair Café (EPA Waste Prevention and Reduction).

Among others are Beechworth’s Amy Schilling in the Young Legend Award with Beechworth History and Heritage Society (Heritage and Culture) as well as the Stanley Athenaeum (Indigenous Culture).

Share the Dignity project is a finalist the Wellbeing award category.

Ms Mannik said the awards recognised volunteers and their marvellous projects.

“It’s great for a small town that we can do this, and we have no trouble in finding projects to enter,” she said.

“This wouldn’t happen if people didn’t volunteer and its great acknowledgment.

“Council projects have volunteers working on them as well.”

Awards will be presented at a gala dinner for finalists on 30 September in Melbourne with category winners announced on the night.