South Australia’s HVAC&R Stars

The Awards were held on October 21 at Rydges Southpark in Adelaide. A special guest, former Port Adelaide AFL player and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic, Mani Liddy, gave an inspiring keynote talk on chasing dreams, overcoming adversity and navigating unexpected setbacks.

Entrants to the awards are nominated by TAFE SA, in recognition of the apprentices’ commitment to the trade, growing technical knowledge and development of trade skills.

The Airefrig Scholarship Award recognises an exceptional apprentice. This year’s winner was Lachlan Bellen from Birchall’s Air Conditioning Pty Ltd.

Ben Bithell, State Manager SA/NT for Airefrig Australia, tells HVAC&R News it was a pleasure to represent Airefrig Australia at the AIRAH South Australian State Awards and present the Scholarship Award.

“At Airefrig, we recognise the importance of supporting the next generation of our industry and encouraging apprentices to continue developing their skills beyond their initial trade qualifications,” Bithell says

“The Airefrig Scholarship recognises an apprentice who has demonstrated strong commitment to their trade studies and provides an opportunity to build on that achievement through further education and training. Congratulations to Lachlan on receiving this year’s scholarship, and to all the apprentices recognised on the night. It’s great to see the level of talent coming through our industry.”

Round of applause for all the 2026 winners

• Apprentice of the Year, an award for Final (Fourth) Year Apprentices, was won by Lachlan Bellen (Birchall’s Air Conditioning Pty Ltd)  

• Apprentice of the Year runner-up was Tom Bowden (Butterfields Services Pty Ltd). 

• The Excellence in Progress Award, which recognises the best Third-year Apprentice was won by Aden Williams (Woolworths Format Development) 

• The Emerging Talent Award for a Second-year Apprentice was won by Benjamin Morris (Air Comfort Services) 

• The Airefrig Scholarship Award went to Lachlan Bellen (Birchall’s Air Conditioning) 

“It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout at this year’s SA Awards, with a record-breaking crowd coming together to celebrate the talent, dedication and achievements of South Australia’s HVAC&R industry,” says Julia Bassal, AIRAH Conference and Events Coordinator.

“The energy in the room was a real reflection of the strength of our industry and the importance of recognising the people who continue to drive it forward.”

Lachlan Bellen, 2026 South Australian Apprentice of the Year and winner of the Airefrig Scholarship Award.

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