2007 Winners

Click here for the Chinese version of the 2007 winners.

Victor Chang Community Service Award

Winner - William Chan

For over 20 years William Chan has given professional help to the community. He has provided free information and assistance to migrants which has helped people to cope with the mainstream society and to be able to live in harmony with other communities.

He offers free legal service, recreation
and healthy lifestyle activities, elderly care, youth support and child and health care programs to the Chinese community.

He founded the Australia Hong Kong Association comprised of professionals such as lawyers, bankers, accountants and doctors to give voluntary assistance to new settlers.

Mr Chan gives legal advice, free of charge, through various channels including SBS Radio talk-back programmes, articles in the Sing Tao Chinese language newspaper, and at community public talks on wills and power of attorney. In conjunction with the Salvation and Army and the Red Cross he offers free will preparation.

All of these activities are designed to promote compliance, harmony, safety and care for the community, through building strong ties between the Chinese Communities and others in NSW.

Jack Wong Sue Award for Voluntary Service Beyond the Chinese Community

Winner - Thomas Cheong

Tom Cheong was a Wireless Operator and an Air Gunner in World War Two with the Australian Defence Forces. He was injured during a mission aboard a Catalina when the pilot had to violently manoeuvre the craft to avoid enemy fire.

Tom suffered a shoulder injury in the incident, the pain from which has stayed with him until today.

He was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 2006 for service to the community in commemorating Chinese Australian war veterans.

As President of the Australian Chinese Ex-Services National Reunion he inspired, planned and supervised the construction of a monument in Darling Harbour to all
Australian servicemen and women of Chinese background since the Boer War.

However, Tom’s service to the community goes well beyond the returned service men and women. For instance, over the past twenty five years until today he has provided free taxation and financial advice to pensioners and the elderly. Recently, he has become closely involved with the Lions Club in organising the celebrations for Australia Day in the Chinese community in Sydney.

Quong Tart Lifetime Achievement Award in community Service

Winner - Henry Pan

In 1981 the Chinese Australian Community Services Association was founded and has since grown from a small group of activists to a broad-ranging service provider employing 150 staff.

CASS provides services for children, seniors, migrants and the disabled. It also operates counselling, a playgroup network, language and cultural classes and training for small business management, operating on a budget of over six million dollars.

As a founding member, Henry was head of CASS for a quarter of a century. Meanwhile he led a project to establish a hostel for the elderly and worked on the management committees of a number of community organisations including migrant resource centres. He was a Commissioner of the CRC from 2000 to 2006. He has served on the Community Languages Schools Board, the NSW Administrative Appeals Board and the Canterbury Multicultural Ageing and Disability Support Service. Henry was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1997, the Community Services Award from the Canterbury City Council and the Centenary Medal from the Australian Government in April 2003.

Young Chinese Volunteer

Winner – Xi May Zhen

At age ten, a violin competition adjudicator gave Xi May a perfect score and described her as the most talented young violinist he had seen in many years. In the same year she passed the International Licentiate Music Diploma with distinction. She is believed to be the youngest musician ever to do so.

Xi May has won many prizes in violin competitions, including first prize at the 2005 International Violin Competition in Germany, finalist in ABC Young Performer Awards in 2005 and prize winner in the Tchaikovsky International Violin competition in 2006.

At the tender age of nine she realised that her talent was a gift to be shared with the less fortunate, for their enjoyment and inspiration. She started performing music for nursing homes, for hospitals, for mentally disabled children, for schools in remote areas of NSW and at fund raising concerts for global disasters like floods. Now aged 14 she continues this voluntary service.