Inspiring Blue Mountains Bushcare veteran Rae Druitt has been announced as the Blue Mountains Local Woman of the Year 2025. 

Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle commended Ms Druitt on the achievement, acknowledging the positive impact she has had on the region. 

“Rae has given so much to the Mountains. At 96, incredibly she continues to volunteer at Bushcare and at important cultural institutions like the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre,” Ms Doyle said. 

“She is an amazing poster woman for Bushcare as a longevity pill and how to stay healthy as an older person. Rae is a true hidden, quiet treasure in our community.” 

Ms Druitt is the organiser and co-founding member of two Blue Mountains Bushcare groups – Wentworth Falls Lake Bushcare (started in 1998) and the Sublime Point Bushcare (started in 1996). She started the groups with her long-time partner David Coleby. 

A stalwart of the environmental movement in the Mountains, Ms Druitt is also a longstanding member of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society which advocates for the protection of our Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. 

“To be singled out for this prestigious award is a humbling experience in view of the huge number of women in our region who give so generously of their time and talents for the benefit of the community and the environment,” Ms Druitt said. 

“This award is for all of them.” 

Ms Druitt was honoured by Blue Mountains City Council in 2021 with the Golden Trowel award to recognise her decades of commitment and passion to Bushcare in the Blue Mountains.  

Bushcare is a volunteer grassroots community-driven program that restores and cares for bush reserves throughout the Mountains. There are more than 60 active Bushcare and Landcare groups from Lapstone to Mt Wilson, and their hard work protects the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The Golden Trowel award is the highest honour given to Bushcare volunteers. 

Ms Druitt has volunteered at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba since it first opened in 2012 and previously volunteered at the Zig Zag Railway.  

She is most proud of being a part of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society nursery team that produced 26,000 plants for the Great Western Highway roadside revegetation at Mt Victoria in 2010. 

“The 30 years I have spent working within the local community have been enjoyable and rewarding beyond my expectations. I encourage those who haven’t yet considered volunteering to check the options, choose one that suits your particular talents and step up. You certainly won’t regret it,” Ms Druitt said. 

Ms Druitt is an active gardener and lives in Wentworth Falls. She has a particular interest in encouraging locals to care for their environment and to put native plants in their gardens. Ms Druitt said she shares the honour with her partner David. He is also an active volunteer in many community groups. 

The Local Women of the Year Awards is an annual NSW Government program which recognises and celebrates the support women give to their local communities, as part of International Women’s Day. 

Recipients of the Local Woman of the Year Awards were hosted at the NSW Women of the Year Awards Ceremony at the International Convention Centre in Sydney on Thursday, March 6. 

NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison congratulated the state’s Local Woman of the Year Award 2025 recipients for their invaluable contributions. 

Ms Druitt, a two-time cancer survivor, was unable to attend the event in Sydney. Instead, Ms Druitt met with the state member in her office on April 3 to celebrate the honour. She was presented with her framed certificate signed by Ms Doyle, the Minister for Women Jodie Harrison and Premier Chris Minns.  

Ms Druitt was included in the Honour Roll printed in the NSW Women of the Year Awards Ceremony program and is also listed on the Women NSW website at NSW Women of the Year Awards | NSW Government. 

The Women of the Year Awards have been running since 2012, recognising and celebrating the state’s revolutionary thinkers, everyday heroes, social advocates and innovative role models.  Recipients are nominated by their local MP and receive certificates for exemplary service to their communities. 

The awards are the centrepiece of NSW Women’s Week which this year ran from March 2 until International Women’s Day on March 8. 

Premier Chris Minns said he was “delighted to congratulate NSW’s most remarkable women and girls, for breaking barriers and achieving the highest success in their respective fields". 

He said the recipients were “inspiring everyone right across the state with ... dedication, passion and lasting impacts in the community”. 

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said “the recipients [were] paving the way forward for women and girls with [their] strength, resilience and achievements”. 

MEDIA: Brenda Cunningham-Lewis | Trish Doyle | (02) 4751 3298