There are 33 people from around Australia now in contention for the four Australian of the Year Awards to be announced on the evening of 25 January 2026 in Canberra.
Among them are fundraisers, doctors, emergency service responders, homelessness and dementia advocates, environmental leaders, volunteers, researchers and scientists, community leaders and everyday people creating change.
From these extraordinary Australians will come the 2026 Australian of the Year, 2026 Senior Australian of the Year, 2026 Young Australian of the Year and 2026 Australia’s Local Hero.
“The national nominees for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards remind us of what it is to be Australian – they are quietly helping where there is a need, selflessly giving their time and compassion, treading new paths to change futures, bridging communities, sharing their expertise to benefit others, leading by example and boldly challenging perceptions,” said Mr Fraser.
“They represent the great diversity within our nation, yet the unity we have as one people striving to make our country and our community better.
“These extraordinary Australians remind us that no matter who we are, where we live, where we have come from or what our background is, we all matter and we all contribute to making Australia great, together.
Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards closed in July 2025, and nominations are already open for the 2027 Awards. To nominate someone who inspires you, visit www.australianoftheyear.org.au/nominate.
The 2026 Australian of the Year Awards will be announced in Canberra on the evening of Sunday 25 January 2026. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABCTV and ABC iview from 7:30pm (AEDT).
The national nominees for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards are:
(Detailed finalist bios are provided on the following pages)
2026 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
2026 Australian of the Year for the Australian Capital Territory – Professor Rose McGready (Thailand)
2026 Australian of the Year for New South Wales – Dr Alison Thompson OAM (Sutherland Shire)
2026 Australian of the Year for the Northern Territory – Dr Felix Ho ASM (Darwin)
2026 Australian of the Year for Queensland – Dr Rolf Gomes (Kenmore Hills)
2026 Australian of the Year for South Australia – Katherine Bennell-Pegg (West Beach)
2026 Australian of the Year for Tasmania – Dr Jorian (Jo) Kippax (Ridgeway)
2026 Australian of the Year for Victoria – Carrie Bickmore OAM (Melbourne)
2026 Australian of the Year for Western Australia – Dr Daniela Vecchio (Parklands)
2026 SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for the Australian Capital Territory – Heather Reid AM (Kiels Mountain)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for New South Wales – Professor Henry Brodaty AO (Double Bay)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for the Northern Territory – Jenny Duggan OAM (Katherine)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Queensland – Cheryl Harris OAM (Sunshine Coast)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for South Australia – Malcolm Benoy (Mount Osmond)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for South Australia – James Currie (Carrickalinga)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Tasmania – Julie Dunbabin (Taroona)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Victoria – Bryan Lipmann AM (Richmond)
2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Western Australia – Professor Kingsley Dixon AO (Waroona)
2026 YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
2026 Young Australian of the Year for the Australian Capital Territory – Sita Sargeant (Canberra)
2026 Young Australian of the Year for New South Wales – Nedd Brockmann (Randwick)
2026 Young Australian of the Year for Queensland – Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw (Cunnamulla)
2026 Young Australian of the Year for South Australia – Chloe Wyatt-Jasper (Gawler South)
2026 Young Australian of the Year for Tasmania – Alyssia Kennedy (Heybridge)
2026 Young Australian of the Year for Victoria – Abraham Kuol (Narre Warren)
2026 Young Australians of the Year for Western Australia – Dr Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar (Peppermint Grove & City Beach)
2026 AUSTRALIA’S LOCAL HERO NOMINEES
2026 Local Hero for the Australian Capital Territory – Ben Alexander (Forrest)
2026 Local Hero for New South Wales – Theresa Mitchell (Banora Point)
2026 Local Hero for the Northern Territory – Ron Green BM ESM (Katherine)
2026 Local Hero for Queensland – Ian Gay (Parkwood, Gold Coast)
2026 Local Hero for South Australia – Ayesha Safdar (Adelaide)
2026 Local Hero for Tasmania – Emily Briffa (West Hobart)
2026 Local Hero for Victoria – Linda Widdup (Carlisle River)
2026 Local Hero for Western Australia – Frank Mitchell (Coollbellup)
For more information on the Australian of the Year Awards, visit https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/
BIOS & VIDEO LINKS
2026 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Professor Rose McGready – Migrant and refugee health expert
Professor Rose McGready, 61, has spent three decades providing health services to displaced people in the border region between Thailand and Myanmar.
Arriving as a young doctor, Rose discovered that refugees who had fled persecution in Myanmar had difficulty accessing medical assistance in Thailand. In response, Rose established training for local staff to focus on services for expectant mothers and in the critical period of childbirth. Over the past 31 years, she has built a network of locally run clinics and out-patient services which have saved thousands of lives.
Rose’s research has also led to new treatments being developed to tackle maternal malaria. Her findings have been adopted by the World Health Organisation as the global standard for combatting the disease, helping to treat millions of women around the world.
Rose’s commitment, compassion and clinical expertise provide life-saving aid to some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Dr Alison Thompson OAM – Global humanitarian
Dr Alison Thompson has deployed over 30,000 volunteers to the world’s worst disaster zones – bringing humanitarian assistance and medical aid to over 18 million people.
It started on September 11, 2001, when as an investment banker, Alison rushed to New York’s World Trade Centre with her first aid kit. She stayed nine months, offering disaster relief arm-in-arm with ordinary, like-minded people.
Galvanising grassroots momentum, Alison founded Third Wave Volunteers – a global movement of first responder volunteers who bring relief to the world’s disaster and war zones, including Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Following the 2004 tsunami, she set up the first Tsunami Early-Warning Centre and education museum, which continues to thrive.
By mobilising everyday people, 61-year-old Alison is building resilience in local communities through sustainable, locally driven disaster prevention and recovery. Drawing from her upbringing as a pastor’s child, Alison believes that each person’s small skills add up to drive big changes.
VIDEO – DR ALISON THOMPSON OAM
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Dr Felix Ho ASM – Volunteer paramedic and youth program builder
Dr Felix Ho tirelessly serves remote communities in the Northern Territory as a medical practitioner. But for Felix, that’s not enough – he also volunteers thousands of his hours building the St John Youth Program and helps at public events as a St John first responder.
Since joining as a St John cadet in 1995 at the age of 13, Felix has faithfully served others, including overseas as an Intensive Care Paramedic on a United Nations mission to Timor-Leste.
In 2020, he took on national leadership of the youth portfolio for St John Ambulance Australia, where he’s a guiding force for over 3,000 young people, equipping the next generation of first responders. Aligned with clinical standards, Felix developed interactive, accessible and engaging training for youth and cadets across Australia.
Now 43, Felix brings people together across geography and generations, to equip Australia’s youth to save lives through first aid in an emergency.
QUEENSLAND
Dr Rolf Gomes – Mobile health pioneer
When Dr Rolf Gomes, 52, was confronted with how differently cardiac patients were treated in rural and remote Australia, he decided to do something about it. He designed and launched the first Heart of Australia mobile ‘Heart Trucks’ to visit remote communities.
Today the Heart Trucks bring regular specialist clinics to over 30 towns in rural Australia, providing early diagnostic services that would otherwise be out of reach. Since 2014, the trucks have treated more than 20,000 patients and saved countless lives. The truck fleet will expand to 11 trucks by 2027 to provide services nationally, adding new diagnostic services for a wide range of early intervention health screenings, including for lung cancer.
Rolf’s vision, ingenuity and tenacity have had a far-reaching impact on rural health and medicine in Australia, helping to save lives and ensure that rural patients have access to clinical services without having to travel long distances.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Katherine Bennell-Pegg – Astronaut
Katherine Bennell-Pegg is making history as the first Australian to qualify as an astronaut under Australia’s space program, opening pathways for others to follow.
Katherine graduated from Basic Astronaut Training in 2024 as part of a class of six trained by the European Astronaut Centre in Germany – the first international candidate to do so. She was initially chosen for the program from a field of over 22,500 applicants.
Katherine has harboured ambitions of becoming an astronaut since she was a young child. As a space engineer, she has advanced multiple space missions and technologies.
Alongside her career achievements, Katherine is an energetic champion for Australia’s space program, regularly presenting to audiences of schoolchildren and industry leaders to inspire the next generation and create new opportunities.
Katherine, 41, is a genuine trailblazer in Australia’s emerging space industry. With her determination and drive to succeed, she is a powerful example for young Australians.
VIDEO – KATHERINE BENNELL-PEGG
TASMANIA
Dr Jorian (Jo) Kippax – Emergency doctor
Dr Jo Kippax was part of a specialist team of rescuers tasked to free a whitewater rafter who was trapped in perilous rapids on the Franklin River in 2024.
Lithuanian whitewater rafter, Valdas Bieliauskas, was retrieved from freezing water by Jo and his team.
The clinical team performed an operation to amputate Valdas’s leg underwater, allowing him to be freed and ultimately saving his life. Throughout the rescue, Jo was instrumental in guiding the team with professionalism, courage and remarkable calmness under pressure.
For this life-saving act, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda awarded the country’s Life Saving Cross award to Jo, which he humbly accepted on behalf of his team.
The rescue of Valdas is just one chapter in Jo’s long career in emergency medicine, disaster response, and search and rescue. Demonstrating outstanding skill, courage and team leadership in the aid of others, 55-year-old Jo displays selfless dedication to saving lives in often very challenging circumstances.
VICTORIA
Carrie Bickmore OAM – Brain cancer fundraiser
Carrie Bickmore is a radio and television presenter who has changed the way that brain cancer research is funded in Australia.
Brain cancer kills more Australian children than any other disease, and more people aged under 40 than any other cancer – including Carrie’s late husband Greg, who passed away in 2010.
Since 2015, Carrie has raised over $27 million. In 2021, she established The Brain Cancer Centre to bring together the brightest minds in research to find a cure.
The Brain Cancer Centre has leveraged investment by Carrie’s Foundation to secure another $45 million of research funding. This supports research projects across the country and is delivering specific clinical trials for brain cancer patients that are the first of their kind in the world.
Carrie is striving to ensure that every Australian diagnosed with brain cancer can access the best treatments and has real hope of a positive outcome.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Dr Daniela Vecchio – Digital addiction and gaming disorder specialist
Dr Daniela Vecchio is head of mental health and addiction services at Fiona Stanley Hospital. She is the pioneer in establishing the first publicly funded gaming disorder clinic in Australia in 2022.
She has seen increasing numbers of young people with addiction to video games and social media and was quick to recognise the distress and harms caused to them and their families. The clinic is unique worldwide in providing early detection and intervention in an acute hospital setting.
Daniela, 57, has driven the development of holistic assessments and a wide range of personalised treatments for her clients. She has fostered extensive collaborations, including internationally with Korea, Germany and Dubai, nationally with experts in the field, and locally with health, education and police services.
As a director of the Australian Gaming and Screens Alliance, she is promoting education and research into harmful online use and influencing national policy.
2026 SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Heather Reid AM – Football pioneer
Heather Reid has made it possible for thousands of women to play football, both in the Australian Capital Territory and around Australia.
Heather was instrumental in establishing the Australian National University Women’s Soccer Club in 1978 and the Australian Capital Territory Women’s Soccer Association a year later. As the first female CEO of Capital Football in 2004, she brought together four associations into a single peak body and secured Canberra United’s inclusion in the national W-League, helping to promote the game to a wider audience.
Heather, 70, has continued to support and mentor players, coaches and administrators, both locally and internationally. She set up the Heather Reid AM Bursary to help pay the registration fees of players in need of assistance, ensuring that financial hardship is not a barrier to participation.
Heather’s vision and dedication to inclusion and equality have opened pathways for thousands of women to take part in sport.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Professor Henry Brodaty AO – Dementia treatment pioneer
Professor Henry Brodaty is transforming the diagnosis, care and prevention of dementia – improving countless lives, both in Australia and around the world.
In 1972, Henry’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at just 52 years old. At that time, dementia was poorly understood and often ignored. People living with dementia and carers had little support and no pathway forward. His father’s experience catalysed a lifetime of work that not only revolutionised Henry’s own field of psychiatry, but also the lives of people living with dementia and their families.
In 2012, Henry co-founded the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and led internationally significant research that enhanced the world’s understanding of risk and prevention. His large Maintain Your Brain trial demonstrated that straightforward, cost-effective, targeted interventions can profoundly delay onset and even prevent dementia.
Henry, 78, is a leader who has reshaped dementia care from every angle as he navigates toward a future where dementia is better treated and prevented.
VIDEO – PROFESSOR HENRY BRODATY AO
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Jenny Duggan OAM – Environmental warrior
For decades, Jenny Duggan has shown extraordinary grassroots leadership as Katherine’s ‘rubbish warrior’, quietly transforming the landscape and community spirit of her town.
Each morning 71-year-old Jenny walks the banks of the Katherine River to remove litter. In collecting hundreds of kilograms of rubbish, she’s put the spotlight on environmental safety.
To reduce the danger of broken glass in public spaces, Jenny advocated for the Katherine Liquor Accord’s move to plastic wine bottles. She’s also a force behind Katherine’s Neighbourhood Watch – all part of her drive to make Katherine safer for everyone.
Jenny supports community members experiencing hardship through her volunteer work with the St Vincent de Paul Society. Here Jenny serves on the management committee of Ormonde House, which provides housing for men in need, and on the management committee for Katherine’s Vinnies store.
In her daily, humble, practical service, Jenny exemplifies community care in action.
QUEENSLAND
Cheryl Harris OAM – Champion for volunteers
Cheryl Harris has been instrumental in driving volunteer engagement and championing the important work that volunteers perform on the Sunshine Coast.
Cheryl’s passion for helping community began when she was just 20 years old. Her advocacy and strong relationships throughout the Sunshine Coast community has seen volunteering in the region increase significantly. Today, thousands of volunteers actively support the Sunshine Coast community in various roles from charity work to disaster relief. As former CEO at Volunteering Sunshine Coast, Cheryl and her team collaborated with her community networks to initiate the innovative Pathways to Employment program, which helps people seeking paid employment to update their skills and build self-esteem through volunteering.
Cheryl, 76, is the current chair/president of Healthy Ageing Partnerships, which aims to empower older Australians to make informed decisions about their health through knowledge sharing.
Cheryl’s contribution to community service highlights her selfless dedication to helping others in a manner that is always compassionate, informed and caring.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Note: There are two SA Senior Australian of the Year Award finalists for 2026. These are individual nominees, not a joint recognition.
Malcolm Benoy – Meteorological researcher
Malcolm ‘Mac’ Benoy has made a significant contribution to climate change research in his role as a volunteer citizen scientist, helping to preserve valuable records and data relating to South Australia’s meteorological history.
Over the past two decades, 79-year-old Mac has volunteered with the Bureau of Meteorology in South Australia, where he set up a citizen science group to record and preserve valuable hand-written meteorological records from the 19th century. Under Mac’s astute guidance, the group has digitised over 90,000 synoptic charts and related documents, providing an invaluable research tool for modern-day climatologists.
International climate change and meteorological researchers have used the group’s records to reconstruct historical weather patterns in the southern hemisphere, helping to better understand how the global climate is changing.
Mac’s professionalism, enthusiasm and insight continue to guide the team of citizen scientists in its work to document and preserve critical weather data.
James Currie – Sound designer
James Currie’s filmography reads like a list of South Australia’s most successful films over the past 50 years.
His work as a sound designer, recordist and mixer includes titles such as Breaker Morant, The Lighthorsemen,
Bad Boy Bubby, The Tracker, Wolf Creek, Ten Canoes, Red Dog and, most recently, the AACTA award-winning documentary My Name is Gulpilil.
James has worked with many of South Australia’s leading directors over his career and has won multiple awards for his lifetime of work. He has been instrumental in establishing and growing the state’s film industry, particularly as an authority on sound design. His use of location sound, most notably in remote Indigenous communities, has helped create a uniquely Australian soundscape in film.
James, 79, is generous in sharing his expertise and knowledge with other practitioners, especially students, creating an enduring legacy of excellence in sound design now and into the future.
TASMANIA
Julie Dunbabin – Nutritious eating visionary
Julie Dunbabin, 66, is a pioneer in school nutrition, who is changing the way education departments and schools prepare and deliver school lunches to children. Julie’s vision is for all school children to receive a nutritious, sit-down meal every day, prepared from scratch in a school or central kitchen, using seasonal, local produce.
Today, the School Lunch Program prepares 14,332 school lunches for 6,656 students every week. The program, which started initially with three schools, is expected to expand to 60 schools in 2026.
The program has clear benefits for children, ensuring they receive a nutritious meal each day and contributing to better social and learning outcomes. The model of cook-from-scratch kitchens also supports local producers, creates jobs for kitchen and warehouse staff, builds community involvement and addresses food security for families.
Julie’s determination to improve children’s diets is transforming how school lunches are delivered in Tasmania, inspiring a healthier food culture and enhancing food literacy.
VICTORIA
Bryan Lipmann AM – Elderly homeless advocate
As a young social worker, Bryan Lipmann witnessed first-hand the appalling conditions in which many elderly homeless people were forced to live. Realising that existing aged care homes were not the answer, he founded Wintringham to provide a safe space where the elderly poor and homeless could live with dignity and respect.
Today, Wintringham supports 3,000 people with accommodation and home care services. At its core, the organisation retains the same values that Bryan instilled in the beginning – respect for the individual, social equality and the promise of ‘a home until stumps’.
Through his advocacy, 78-year-old Bryan revolutionised ideas about how to support marginalised elderly people in society by creating safe, long-term homes for thousands of people.
Bryan’s devotion to caring for those who do not fit into mainstream aged care epitomises the difference that one individual can make by improving the quality of life for others.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Professor Kingsley Dixon AO – World-leading botanist
Professor Kingsley Dixon from The University of Western Australia is an internationally recognised botanist whose devotion to science has transformed Australian native plant conservation.
As Foundation Director of Science at Perth’s Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Kingsley shaped a small research unit into one of the world’s top five botanic garden-based science centres. One of Kingsley’s most notable achievements is the 1992 discovery of smoke as a cause for Australian plants to germinate after bushfires.
Kingsley actively educates schools and communities across Western Australia with his engaging ‘Attenborough’ style. He also works closely with Indigenous people in Broome and the Western Desert to establish native seed programs. Kingsley has spearheaded Western Australia’s status as an international hub for mining environmental science, where he leads projects to lift mine rehabilitation standards and community conservation practices.
Kingsley, 71, bridges research and action, advocating both scientific inquiry and environmental stewardship with a commitment to a nature positive world.
VIDEO – PROFESSOR KINGSLEY DIXON AO
2026 YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Sita Sargeant – Historian and guide
Sita Sargeant is forging a distinctive approach to storytelling and historical research, highlighting little-known women’s stories and their impact on towns and cities across Australia.
She is the founder of She Shapes History, a historical tourism company and social enterprise dedicated to uncovering the often-overlooked stories of women who have shaped Australia in ways that receive little or no recognition. Through walking tours, digital content, and partnerships with cultural institutions and historic sites, 28-year-old Sita reveals how women’s contributions have long been ignored by mainstream history.
Having taken more than 10,000 people on tours, She Shapes History has expanded to Sydney and Melbourne with a team of dedicated guides. Sita has also published a book spotlighting the stories of more than 250 women who have shaped history in 31 towns and cities across Australia.
Her passion, energy, and storytelling prowess are helping Australians see the full picture of their history, creating a richer, more inclusive understanding of the nation’s identity.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Nedd Brockmann – Ultramarathon runner for homelessness
Nedd Brockmann, a then 23-year-old electrician from Forbes, had a goal – to run across Australia and inspire people to do more for themselves and the homeless.
Nedd’s concern for homelessness was sparked by his journey into TAFE every week where he saw too many people sleeping rough on Sydney’s Eddy Avenue. He wanted to do something to highlight homelessness, its complexities and prove that it’s solvable.
So, in 2022, he ran from Perth’s Cottesloe Beach to Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, completing a 3,952km journey over 46 days, and becoming the fastest ever Australian to do so. Nedd, 27 raised over $2.6 million from over 37,000 individual contributors.
He went on to start Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge in 2024, and with his team, has raised over $8 million for those experiencing homelessness. He also raises funds for his charity partner, Mobilise, to change lives through innovative programs to reduce the number of people sleeping rough.
Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw – Youth worker and mentor
Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw, a proud Kooma man and youth worker, has made a huge difference to the town of Cunnamulla by opening a youth neighbourhood centre. As a local himself, Jarib knows what it’s like to live in a quiet town where there’s not a lot for young people to do outside the home.
At the heart of Jarib’s project is showing young people in places like Cunnamulla, that their stories matter. Since Jarib founded the centre two years ago, almost every young person in town has come through its doors seeking support, food and connection. Jarib, 22, draws on his own lived experience to ensure they feel safe and seen and he has personally case managed 200 young people. It is a place where they can be themselves and receive the support they need to manage complex and traumatic situations in their lives.
Jarib’s ability to listen, guide and offer hope is making a genuine difference to young people in Cunnamulla.
VIDEO – JARIB BRANFIELD-BRADSHAW
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Chloe Wyatt-Jasper – Mental health advocate
Chloe Wyatt-Jasper has applied her lived experience of trauma and mental health challenges to help other people facing similar issues. Chloe experienced a domestic violence family tragedy at a very young age and has lived with profound mental health conditions as a result. In speaking out about these challenges, Chloe hopes to help other people overcome the stigma often associated with mental health.
Chloe, 16, has spoken openly about her own challenges and advocated for greater support for people experiencing mental health issues. Her advocacy led her to be selected to take part in the South Australian Teen Parliament, where she successfully lobbied Premier Peter Malinauskas for $5 million in funding for improved mental health services for young people.
Chloe also supports Backpacks 4 SA Kids that helps survivors of domestic violence by donating backpacks with essential items such as clothes and toiletries.
TASMANIA
Alyssia Kennedy – Life skills educator
When Alyssia Kennedy left school, she realised she lacked many of the skills needed to manage day-to-day life, such as how to create a budget or do her taxes. Like many before her, she had to learn the hard way.
Realising how important these skills can be, Alyssia founded the Life After School program, an educational package to help bridge the gap between school education and life knowledge. She now works with schools and youth groups to deliver the program and give young people the tools they need to transition to adulthood.
Alyssia, 29, was chosen as a 2025 ABC Trailblazer for her Life After School Program, which recognises innovative solutions for young people in regional Australia, giving Alyssia the opportunity to present her ideas to policymakers in Canberra.
Alyssia’s vision, energy and commitment are giving a generation of young people the tools they need not just to survive but thrive in adulthood.
VICTORIA
Abraham Kuol – Mentor and community leader
Abraham Kuol is a respected youth leader who uses his knowledge of the police and justice system in Victoria to help young people in his community.
Day to day, Abraham devotes his time to mentoring and guiding young people, running sports programs and building community ties – all while studying for a PhD in Criminology at Deakin University where his research is having a real-world impact.
Recognising the important role that sport plays in engaging young people, Abraham co-founded the Black Rhinos, a soccer and basketball club to help mentor at-risk youth. He is also a director at Sandown Lions Football Club, where he creates sporting pathways for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
Abraham, 28, has helped raise over $3.5 million for programs to support African-Australian families and justice-involved youth. A quiet achiever, Abraham is nevertheless a popular public speaker, acknowledged for his ability to inspire genuine social change.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Dr Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar – Positive masculinity educators
Dr Haseeb Riaz (26) and Gareth Shanthikumar (28) had their fair share of challenges growing up including struggling with negative emotions and transitioning from high school to adult life.
Haseeb and Gareth felt that negative stereotypes of masculinity were harming young men, so they established MAN UP to help young men strengthen their mental health, communicate openly and build pathways to healthier lives. Through workshops on male culture, respectful relationships and emotional coping, they provide boys with safe, relatable spaces to explore identity, relationships and emotional literacy.
At MAN UP, Haseeb and Gareth address the root causes of poor mental health and gender-based violence, equipping boys with tools for self-awareness and empathy before harmful behaviours take root. Both founders continue to volunteer their time to MAN UP alongside their professional careers.
Together, they’ve reached thousands of students and have built partnerships with educators, community leaders and mental health advocates across Australia.
VIDEO – DR HASEEB RIAZ & GARETH SHANTHIKUMAR
2026 AUSTRALIA’S LOCAL HERO
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Ben Alexander – Mental health advocate
Ben Alexander is well known in Canberra for his rugby career with the Brumbies and Wallabies.
Since retiring, he has turned his focus to mental health, co-founding Running for Resilience (R4R) with Matt Breen to help make Canberra suicide-free by 2033.
R4R helps people overcome personal struggles by exercising and connecting with others. Every week, hundreds join free runs and walks across Canberra to boost their physical and mental health.
Through podcasts, newsletters and community events, Ben shares practical ways to connect, manage energy and support others. Open about his own challenges after rugby, 41-year-old Ben now uses that experience to help others find connection, purpose and hope. His work is building a stronger, more supportive community where no one feels they have to face tough times alone.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Theresa Mitchell – Carer for the homeless
Theresa Mitchell cares for people who are homeless or in crisis, providing a compassionate lifeline for people who’ve fallen through the gaps.
Opening its doors in 2009, Agape Outreach Inc began when Theresa found she couldn’t walk past homeless people on the street anymore. So, she handed out meals she cooked in her own kitchen.
Today, Agape operates throughout the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast with the support of more than 300 volunteers. Together they provide over 1,500 hot meals every week to vulnerable people on the streets and offer capability-building services such as back-to-work programs, psychology and basic life skills.
With kindness, compassion and practical care, 51-year-old Theresa has changed countless lives in the last 16 years. As well as advocating for the homeless and disadvantaged, Theresa has fostered 37 children.
Agape means ‘unconditional love’ – a sacrificial love that transcends and persists, regardless of circumstance. This is Theresa’s gift to her community.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Ron Green BM ESM – Emergency services and St John Ambulance volunteer
Local legend Ron Green has volunteered hundreds of hours keeping his community safe in times of crisis.
Since 2005, he’s grown and strengthened the success of the Katherine Volunteer Unit of the Northern Territory Emergency Service. Ron, 50, also fights bushfires and attends vehicle crashes as a volunteer for the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service. On top of this, he leads the Katherine Youth Division of St John Ambulance, where he inspires and trains future generations of emergency first responders.
Ron’s exceptional bravery in an emergency extends wherever he’s needed. In 2019, Ron fought bushfires across the southern states, and in 2025 he helped Queenslanders recover from Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Ron’s courage was demonstrated outside his home in 2016 when, despite significant personal danger, Ron and his pregnant wife Deslie intervened to protect a woman threatened by a knife-wielding man. At the time, Ron and Deslie’s three children were sleeping inside.
QUEENSLAND
Ian Gay – Disabled surfing volunteer
Ian Gay has dedicated more than 20 years to helping people with disabilities enjoy the surf in a fun, safe way. As a volunteer with the Disabled Surfers Association Gold Coast (DSAGC), Ian has held many roles and was branch vice president until 2015 and then branch president from 2015 to present.
The DSAGC now runs six summer events at Flat Rock Beach, Currumbin, supported by a large volunteer group from all walks of life. Under Ian’s astute and compassionate leadership, the sophistication and safety of DSAGC events have continually improved, enhancing the quality and reach of the experience for all involved. The DSAGC events have a profound impact on participants and volunteers alike, helping to foster greater community spirit and inclusivity.
Since 2021, Ian has also held the role of national president of the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, lending his expertise and leadership to disabled surfing branches around the country.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Ayesha Safdar – Community leader
Ayesha Safdar has dedicated herself to helping newly-arrived migrant and refugee women find their place in Australian society.
In 2010, Ayesha founded the Adelaide Pakistani Women’s Association (APWA) to create a safe, inclusive space for Pakistani women adjusting to life in Australia. Today, the association works with women from all backgrounds, helping them to navigate their way through a new culture and acquire language skills, education and employment. Ayesha is empowering women to build their confidence and develop the skills they need to create a new life in Australia.
Under her leadership, the APWA runs cultural events, promotes small businesses run by women and creates education pathways for women by connecting them to training in childcare, nursing and community services.
Ayesha’s tireless work in empowering women and building bridges between communities has been hugely influential in promoting social inclusion in South Australia and beyond.
TASMANIA
Emily Briffa – Social entrepreneur
Emily Briffa’s social enterprise, Hamlet, has helped many disadvantaged and marginalised people in Hobart overcome employment barriers and transform their lives.
Hamlet is a community café that provides individualised training, work readiness and wrap-around support to Tasmanians with disability, neurodivergence, and mental health concerns who are experiencing barriers to employment.
Since its inception, Hamlet has helped more than 700 people gain experience to enter the job market and given them valuable skills and training. Emily has continued to expand Hamlet’s operations, creating more job opportunities in a variety of catering and hospitality roles. Under her leadership, Hamlet boasts an impressive 75% employment placement rate for people who complete its training programs.
Hamlet’s focus on social inclusion for marginalised groups is a model for what social enterprises can achieve. Driven by 37-year-old Emily’s passion and vision, the café has become an integral part of Hobart’s community and the lives of many people.
VICTORIA
Linda Widdup – Farming community advocate
Linda Widdup is bringing hope to Australian farmers in their time of need, organising deliveries of invaluable feed in response to drought and natural disasters.
Linda founded Aussie Hay Runners in 2019, starting out with just four trucks delivering hay to help farmers feed their livestock. The voluntary organisation now has more than 70 trucks it can call on, clocking up millions of kilometres and delivering over 90,000 bales of fodder to farmers needing a helping hand.
Linda’s drive and energy in raising funds, organising volunteers and managing the logistics of trucks and feed deliveries is an outstanding example of community action. The work of the Aussie Hay Runners volunteers not only provides relief for livestock but also raises morale among distressed communities and families.
Through her actions, 60-year-old Linda is helping her fellow Australians get through the tough times on the land.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Frank Mitchell – Indigenous construction leader
Frank Mitchell, 43, is a proud Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man, co-director of Wilco Electrical and co-founder/director of Kardan, Baldja and Bilyaa in the trades and construction industry.
Frank’s commitment to change was shaped by early lived experiences of suicide and the loss of best friends. As a young single father, being offered an electrical apprenticeship felt like a profound opportunity. When he became a business owner in 2015, he pledged to create the same opportunities for Mob.
Starting with just eight staff and $1.5 million turnover, Frank and his partners have created over 70 Aboriginal upskilling positions in the electrical and construction industry, including 30 electrical apprenticeships and awarding over $11 million to Aboriginal subcontractors.
Today, all four companies collectively employ over 200 full-time staff. His story embodies a vision that integrates cultural values with business leadership, strengthening his ties to community while reshaping the construction industry and creating lasting impact and social justice.
