Bill Moorhead was celebrated for his 30 years of community service when he was named Citizen of the Year at the Bundaberg Region’s 2025 Australia Day Awards.
As a land developer, Bill has created more residential blocks in Bundaberg than anyone else, providing countless locals with a place to call home.
Bill’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated in his latest project, the Bargara Headlands Estate, where he made the decision to leave the oceanfront undeveloped, allowing the community to enjoy the natural beauty, including views of passing whales and the endangered loggerhead turtle.
Bill’s next project, the rehabilitation of the old Bundaberg Quarry, will see the 250-acre site reforested, with local groups helping to plant native trees.
Named Charlotte’s Wood in honour of his daughter Charlotte who passed away from leukemia, the project is a lasting tribute to her love for nature and Bill’s legacy of giving back to the community.
Here’s what he had to say:
How does it feel to receive an award?
I’m in shock, watching the names of nominees and their bios, I was thinking they’re all great and had no idea and honestly didn’t think I would get this prestigious award.
What does it mean to be recognised?
It’s probably a little bit of vindication of what we’ve been trying to do, putting the environment, community, the arts and genuine Aboriginal reconciliation ahead of money.
One of the things was donating almost a kilometre of coastline to the community rather than sticking houses all over it.
Why do you think you were nominated?
We do like to get involved in the community, where there’s an opportunity to support good things, we like to do it.
Especially the Salvation Army is our main focus, and they do a great job and we just love to work with them to do things and we can incorporate that within our business.
What is your proudest moment in your journey so far?
It’s hard because when you read it, there’s so many things, so you know little things like being on the AFL Football Tribunal and helping with that sort of stuff and being a judge at the Business Awards for the last 10 years.
I think it’s a collaboration with the Taribelang Bunda people and the arts in particular.
Having fellas like Paul Perry help and we’re reestablishing forgotten language, that’s all been verbal for 40,000 years and we’re putting them in mosaics.
That’s an ongoing project and that’s absolutely sensational.
Interestingly up there, Noor’garr Walla which is Whale Rock in Taribelang, we’ve had 100,000 hits on Google Maps from all over the world.
Around our yearning circle and gallery there at headlands.
So I’d say that, the Taribelang Bunda reconciliation work, and to Byron and Nikki and Uncle Willy thanks for helping and this awards partly yours as well.
Where to from here?
I think Charlotte’s Wood is probably the main focus.
It’s going to be approximately the same size as Mary Cairncross Park in Maleny if you know that area.
We’ve been revegetating it, we’ve done 20 acres so far, we’ve got another 100 acres to go.
The community helps us with that planting and its floral arc with rare and endangered species of trees, and we’re already got something like 160 species of birds have been recorded in there just with the last couple of years.
I’d like to see that project to the end.
Read more about the Australia Day Awards here.
