Cobram resident Fred Mustica has received the Cobram District Town Citizen of the Year award at this year’s Australia Day ceremony.
Mr Mustica, brother of former mayor Libro Mustica, was born in 1972 and raised in Cobram by Italian-born parents, and is greatly admired by the community for his strong work ethic.
Mr Mustica has worked for many businesses in Cobram, including Tuckerbag supermarket, Retravision and Murray Goulburn, though he is arguably best known for his days as a live entertainer, going by the name DJ Muzzy.
Mr Mustica has always maintained a strong community focus and desire to help the people of Cobram wherever possible.
Younger Cobram residents will know Mr Mustica as the administrator of the Facebook page Cobram 3644+.
The genesis of this page was a 2007 suggestion by a colleague of Mr Mustica, who knew of his deep understanding of IT matters and strong technical skills, that the town needed a place for people to keep abreast of the latest information.
Consequently Cobram 3644+ was born, and it continues to grow 16 years after its inception, with Mr Mustica maintaining the page in his spare time.
Asked if he was expecting the award, Mr Mustica said it was a surprise.
“Over the moon. I'm shocked. Yeah, awesome,” he said.
As for celebrating his achievement, Mr Mustica said he had no real plans except to spend time with his family and go to the river and enjoy the rest of Australia Day.