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2008 Australian of the Year - Lee Kernaghan. Image courtesy of the National Australia Day Council.
On Australia Day - 26 January - each year, the Prime Minister of Australia announces the Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, and Local Heroes Awards.
Australian of the Year
The Australian of the Year Award is one of the country's most prestigious, open to all Australians regardless of age. It recognises outstanding achievement, and an individual's role in inspiring fellow Australians and contributing to the nation. The first Award was presented in 1960.
The 2008 Australian of the Year is Lee Kernaghan, an Australian country musician. His tally of Golden Guitar awards at the Australian Country Music Awards is 24, second only to the legendary Slim Dusty. In the past ten years his Pass the Hat Around tours have raised more than a million dollars for communities in need and his participation in the Spirit of the Bush tours raises spirits, as well as money for farming families doing it tough in the drought.
Previous Australians of the Year include: Nobel Prize winner Sir John Eccles, AC (1963); Australia's first Aboriginal Senator, Neville Bonnor, AO (1979); adventurer and philanthropist Dick Smith (1986); eye surgeon Fred Hollows, AC (1990); artist Arthur Boyd, AC, OBE (1995); Army Chief Lieutenant-General Peter Cosgrove, AC, MC (2001); Professor Fiona Stanley, AC. (2003); Steve Waugh AO (2004); Fiona Wood, AM (2005);Professor Ian Frazer (2006) ); and Professor Tim Flannery (2007).
Young Australian of the Year
2008 Young Australian of the Year - Casey Stoner. Image courtesy of the National Australia Day Council.
The first Young Australian of the Year Award was announced in 1979. This Award recognises the achievements of young people aged 16 to 24.
The 2008 Young Australian of the Year is Casey Stoner, World MotoGP Champion at just 22 years of age. Casey first competed when he was four years old, in a race for under-nine's, and he won his first national title at the age of six. By the time he was 14 he had won 41 dirt and long track titles and 70 state titles. Last year he finally accomplished his ambition of racing in the fastest and most prestigious of the cycle racing classes.
Former Young Australians of the Year include: conductor Simone Young (1986); Olympic champions Cathy Freeman (1990), Kieren Perkins, OAM (1992), and Ian Thorpe (2000); medical student James Fitzpatrick (2001); Lleyton Hewitt (2003); Hugh Evans (2004); Khoa Do (2005); Trisha Broadbridge (2006); and Tania Major (2007).
Senior Australian of the Year
2008 Senior Australian of the Year - David Bussau AM. Image courtesy of the National Australia Day Council.
The Senior Australian of the Year Award began in 1999. It honours Australians aged 60 years and over who continue to make a significant contribution to the nation.
The winners since 1999 have been: entertainer and songwriter Slim Dusty; humanitarian Professor Freda Briggs; Professor Graeme Clark, AO; Founder and Chairman of the 2002 Year of the Outback Bruce Campbell, MBE; Tehree Gordon, founder of the Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary; Antonio Milhinhos, businessman and philanthropist, (2005); Sally Goold OAM (2006); volunteer peer support advocate Phillip Herreen (2007); and in 2008, David Bussau AM.
David Bussau AM established the non-profit Maranatha Trust to fulfil his dream of helping the poor help themselves by offering small business loans - a hand-up instead of a hand-out. In 1979 he joined forces with a like-minded counterpart in the USA to form Opportunity International. Today, Opportunity International has 1.25 million loans to people in 23 countries. Averaging $220 per loan and a total of $500 million, the organisation creates a job every 30 seconds of the day.
Local Heroes
The Local Heroes Award was introduced in 2003. It recognises the outstanding work of local communities, and provides an opportunity for more Australians to be recognised for their dedication to improving the lives of those in their neighbourhood. The first national Local Hero 2003 was Superintendent Brian Parry, AFSM, who was recognised for his long service to firefighting. Other local heroes have been Donna Carson (2004), Ben Kearney (2005), Toni Hoffman (2006), and Shanaka Fernando (2007).
The 2008 Local Hero is choral conductor Jonathon Welch. His Choir of Hard Knocks raised Australia's awareness of the problems of homelessness, depression, and addiction to a new level. This is just one of many community projects to which Jonathon has given his time. Most of all he has shown that engaging with creativity, expression and each other brings new hope.
Nominations and selection
Anyone can nominate a candidate for the Awards. Nomination forms are available from the Australian of the Year website or by phoning 1300 130 279.
Quotes throughout from The Australian of the Year website.
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- Australian of the Year
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- Australian Achiever Awards - Australian excellence in customer service
- National Innovation Awareness Strategy
- The Australia Council: grants and awards
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Last updated: 26th February 2007
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