2008 Lee Kernaghan OAM

2007 Professor Tim Flannery

2006 Professor Ian Frazer

2005 Dr Fiona Wood AM (b.1958)

2004 Steve Waugh (b. 1965)

2003 Professor Fiona Stanley AC (b. 1946)

2002 Patrick Rafter (b. 1972)

2001 Lt General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (b. 1947)

2000 Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE FAA FRS (b. 1931)

1999 Mark Taylor (b. 1963 )

1998 Cathy Freeman (b. 1973 )

1997 Professor Peter Doherty (b. 1940 )

1996 Doctor John Yu AM (b. 1934)

1995 Arthur Boyd AC OBE (b. 1920 )

1994 Ian Kiernan OAM (b. 1940 )

1993 ** No award given

1992 Mandawuy Yunupingu (b. 1956 )

1991 Archbishop Peter Hollingworth AO OBE (b. 1935 )

1990 Fred Hollows AC (1929 - 1993)

1989 Allan Border AO (b. 1955 )

1988 Kay Cottee AO (b. 1954 )

1987 John Farnham (b. 1949)

1986 Dick Smith (b. 1944 )

1985 Paul Hogan AM (b. 1939 )

1984 Lois O'Donoghue CBE AM (b. 1932 )

1983 Robert de Castella MBE (b. 1957 )

1982 Sir Edward Williams KCMG KBE (1921 - 1999)

1981 Sir John Crawford AC CBE (b. 1910 )

1980 Manning Clark AC (1915 - 1991)

1979 * Senator Neville Bonnor AO

1979 * Harry Butler CBE (b. 1930)

1978 * Alan Bond

1978 * Galarrwuy Yunupingu AM (b. 1948)

1977 * Sir Murray Tyrall KCVO CBE

1977 * Dame Raigh Roe DBE (b. 1923 )

1976 Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop AC CMG OBE (1907 - 1993)

1975 * Sir John Cornforth AC CBE (b. 1917 )

1975 * Major General Alan Stretton AO CBE

1974 Sir Bernard Heinze AC (1894 - 1982)

1973 Patrick White (1912 - 1990)

1972 Shane Gould MBE (b. 1956)

1971 Evonne Goolagong Cawley AO MBE (b. 1951)

1970 His Eminence Cardinal Sir Norman Gilroy KBE (1896 -1977)

1969 The Rt Hon Richard Gardiner Casey Baron of Berwick, Victoria and of the City of Westminister KG GCMG CH (1890 - 1976)

1968 Lionel Rose MBE (b. 1948 )

1967 The Seekers

1966 Sir Jack Brabham OBE (b. 1926 )

1965 Sir Robert Helpmann CBE (1909 - 1986)

1964 Dawn Fraser MBE (b. 1937 )

1963 Sir John Eccles AC (1903 - 1997)

1962 Alexander 'Jock' Sturrock MBE (b. 1915 )

1961 Dame Joan Sutherland OM AC DBE (b. 1926 )

1960 Sir MacFarlane Burnet OM AK KBE (1899 - 1985)

* Between 1975 and 1979 the Canberra Australia Day Council also recognised an Australian of the Year.

** The award dating system changed - no award made in this year.

The post nominals noted after the award recipient's names were current at the time the award was received.