Best of The Best Awards

Every four years, Waverley Council acknowledges outstanding and sustained contribution to the community through the Local Hero Awards – Best of the Best. Award winners are recognised through a bronze plaque on the Recognising Our Community Leaders walk, on the Bronte Beach or Bondi Beach promenades.

Congratulations to Waverley Council Local Hero Awards, Best of the Best Winners for 2023 Brenda Miley and Peter Quartly.

Brenda is a proud Bondi local and changemaker, as well as a multi-award winning leader in the Surf school and tourism industries. Having risen through the ranks of the male dominated local surf clubs, Brenda wanted to carve a safe space for female surfers and change the way girls experienced surfing, thus the idea of a business teaching women how to surf was born. In 1995, Brenda launched Let's Go Surfing - an organisation that now employs more than 100 staff - and in 1999, still looking to expand the female presence in the surfing community and increase the number of women in surf competitions, formed the Bondi Girls Surfriders Club. Today, Bondi Girls Surfriders Club continues to welcome hundreds of surfer girls and women of all ages, abilities and backgrounds every year and play host to monthly surf comps.

Peter was Waverley Council's Local Hero in 2019 and last year celebrated his 60th season of patrolling with Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club! He has been club president of the Bondi Amateur Swimming club 13 times, and has been an examiner/assessor for more than 40 years at Surf Life Saving Sydney. In 1987, Peter helped form the North Bondi Precinct of which he has been Chairman ever since. Peter was also a founding member of the Friends of Waverley Library over 30 years ago, and has been a member of the environmental group Sydney Water for 20 years! If that wasn't enough, Peter has also sat on council and advisory boards for the North Bondi Methodist and Uniting Church.

Plaque unveiling at Bondi Beach


Local Hero Awards – Best of the Best recipients are community members who have demonstrated exceptional service to the local, national or international community, and whose impact is significant and lasting. They are well-respected by their peers and the community, and are inspirational and positive role models. The calibre of these recipients far exceeds expectations of general community service.

If you know of someone who has been outstanding in contributing to the public good over a long time and whose commitment is worthy recognition, then please nominate them now.

For further information about the awards including Eligibility, Judging Process and Privacy Information is available here.

More information

Contact: Local Connections Coordinator
Email: connected@waverley.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 9083 8916

Quick links

Need more information?

Local Connections Coordinator
Phone: 9083 8916
Email: connected@waverley.nsw.gov.au