During his 24 years in Cootamundra, having moved from Parramatta in 1990, Ed has been an active participant in many Cootamundra community-based organisations. 

He has been a long-term active participant in Meals on Wheels and has also volunteered for the HACC Centre for more than eight years. 

In his role with the HACC (Home and Community Care) Centre, Ed is a volunteer driver. Each Wednesday he transports residents from Cootamundra to Wagga or other major centres for medical treatment and consultations. 

This usually takes up his entire Wednesday and it is not uncommon for him to give up his time on public holidays when no other volunteers are available. 

Ed has also been instrumental in setting up, maintaining and delivering an emergency catering van which attends major fires in the district supplying food to firefighters and supporting personnel. He has been involved in this for many years. 

He is a welfare officer for the Salvation Army in Cootamundra supporting people in serious need of help. 

He meets elderly or infirm Cootamundra residents requiring assistance late at night at the train station to make their lives a little bit easier. 

The Cootamundra Christmas Toy Run, hosted by the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, is an institution in Cootamundra and who should be involved but Ed. 

The event helps collect presents for children in need in Cootamundra and Ed is an active participant and also helps promote the Toy Run prior to it taking place. 

In nominating Ed for the Citizen of the Year Award, the person making the nomination wrote “Ed Hamilton’s generous and unselfish nature has allowed him to help so many Cootamundra people that it is impossible to estimate the countless numbers within our community he has made a vast and positive difference to, over the many years.”

They continued that it is difficult, if not impossible, to express what Ed has done for the people of Cootamundra.

“We will never know many of his kind deeds and he has never sought recognition or expected thanks,” they said. 

Like so many people who offer their time across the community, Ed says what he does is no different to what anyone else does. 

“I do what I do because I like to help, there is so much to be involved in within our town so I get involved - what else would I do?” Ed says. 

As a retiree he says that many people ask him what he does with his days - he tells them with a smile his days are busier than ever and he would not have it any other way. 

“I can’t get over the joy of receiving this today,” Ed said on Monday morning at the Australia Day Breakfast in the Park.