Local Hero award for Adventist volunteer
Seventh-day Adventist emergency services volunteer Ron Green has been named the 2026 Local Hero for the Northern Territory, in recognition of more than two decades of dedicated service to communities across the Territory and beyond.
The Katherine resident was announced as one of the Northern Territory’s four Australian of the Year Award recipients late last year. These Territory awardees will now join those from other states and territories ahead of the national awards announcement on January 25.
Mr Green, 50, has volunteered hundreds of hours responding to emergencies and strengthening local services. Since 2005, he has played a key role in growing and sustaining the Katherine Volunteer Unit of the Northern Territory Emergency Service. He also serves as a volunteer with the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service, responding to bushfires and vehicle crashes, and leads the Katherine Youth Division of St John Ambulance, mentoring and training young people in emergency response.
His service has extended beyond the Northern Territory. In 2019, he assisted with bushfire response efforts across Australia’s southern states, and in 2025 he supported Queensland communities during recovery efforts following Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Mr Green’s courage has also been demonstrated closer to home. In 2016, he and his wife, Deslie, intervened to protect a woman threatened by a knife-wielding man outside their home, despite significant personal danger. At the time, their three children were asleep inside the house.
Reflecting on his journey into volunteering, Mr Green said his commitment to service was shaped early in life, growing up in a small farming community in Far North Queensland where helping others was part of everyday life.
“My mum was the local link between our community and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), and my dad, a farmer, would at times drop everything to help search for missing children when the call came,” he said.
“I still remember being allowed, on a couple of occasions, to help set up flares along the local airstrip so an RFDS plane could land at night to evacuate injured casualties. As a kid, being included in moments like that made a big impression on me. Watching my parents step up when others needed help—and being allowed to play a small part—really sparked my desire to volunteer, particularly in emergency services, as I got older.”
Mr Green said the Local Hero recognition reflects not only his own service, but the support and sacrifice of his wife.
“She has been my biggest supporter from day one, encouraging me to serve while she quietly holds everything together at home,” he said. “When the phone rings or the pager goes off, she’s the one making sure the kids are cared for and the family keeps running. That kind of support often goes unseen, but it’s absolutely essential.
“This recognition belongs just as much to Deslie as it does to me. I’m incredibly grateful for her, and I thank God for bringing us together and keeping us united so we can serve our community as a team.”
Mr Green hopes the award will encourage others to consider volunteering.
“Research shows that the proportion of Australians volunteering through organisations has dropped significantly over the past decade—from around 36 per cent in 2010 to roughly 29 per cent today,” he said.
“We don’t need everyone to do everything. We just need people to do something. If each of us gives a little time when we can, our communities, including faith communities, will be stronger, kinder and more connected.”
Mr Green and his wife recently celebrated 24 years of marriage and have four children, all of whom have developed a heart for service. Two of their children, Taitt, 17, and Eliana, 12, were recently nominated for the Katherine Town Council Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award, in recognition of their involvement and contribution to their church, schools and the Katherine community.
Outside of his volunteer roles, Mr Green has worked for the past 21 years as a secondary school teacher at St Joseph’s Catholic College in Katherine.
