Queenscliff volunteer recognised for lifetime of giving

LONG-time Queenscliff volunteer Paul Fahey has been recognised at the Borough of Queenscliffe’s 2026 Community Service Awards, celebrating decades of contribution across some of the region’s most valued community organisations.

Fahey, who has been named Citizen of the Year, said the recognition came as a surprise after more than 25 years of involvement in local groups.

“It’s very, very humbling and a bit of a surprise, of course,” he said.

Since moving to Queenscliff in 1998, Fahey has played a role in a wide range of community initiatives, first becoming involved through his children’s childcare centre.

“They just needed a bit of volunteer assistance to help them out here and there, and I’m an accountant by trade, so I was able to give them some helpful advice,” he said.

That initial involvement grew into long-standing commitments with organisations including the Queenscliff Seafood Feast, Queenscliff Primary School council and the Queenscliff Football and Netball Club, where he continues to volunteer.

He has also dedicated more than two decades to the Queenscliff Music Festival, alongside more recent involvement in events such as the Nighttide Festival.

“Most of those things are things that I like doing,” Fahey said. “I love football and netball, and love music.”

He said volunteering had allowed him to pursue his interests while building strong connections within the community.

“It’s been wonderful because you’re meeting people all the time … making new friends and keeping in touch with old friends on a regular basis,” Fahey said.

The Community Service Awards, hosted annually by the Borough, recognise individuals and groups who make outstanding contributions to local life.

Alongside Fahey, the Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club and Coast Guard Queenscliff were named joint 2026 Community Group of the Year following a major rescue operation that saved 20 people at Port Phillip Heads in April last year.

For Fahey, volunteering has become a family affair, with wife Monica Clemow and their three children also actively involved across the community.

“She’s been a real instigator of getting involved in community activities,” he said of Clemow.

He encouraged others, particularly young people, to get involved in the causes they care about.

“Try and follow your passion a bit in whatever way you can,” he said. “Putting a bit of effort into something you really like doing – that’s a great thing,” he said.