MEDIA RELEASE
23 NOVEMBER 2006
NORTHERN TERRITORY'S AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
DARWIN: A teacher, an indigenous health advocate, musician, community leader and paediatric nurse were today announced as the Northern Territory recipients in the 2007 Australian of the Year Awards.
The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, The Honourable Clare Martin MLA, announced the award recipients at a special event in Darwin this evening, congratulating all NT finalists for their achievements and contributions to the community.
§ Nhulunbuy's Raymattja Marika was named Northern Territory's Australian of the Year in recognition of her work in indigenous education, teacher training, two-way education strategies, advocacy for mixing western and indigenous knowledge and reconciliation.
§ The Northern Territory's Senior Australian of the Year, Patricia Anderson from Parap, has a national and international reputation as a powerful advocate for the disadvantaged, with a particular focus on Indigenous health. Among her achievements and commitments, she chairs the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, a collaboration of twelve organisations representing researchers, policy makers, and service delivery agencies working to improve Indigenous health and has spoken before the UN Working Group on Indigenous People.
§ At just 23, Wulagi's Katharina Fehringer is a well known and respected Darwin classical guitarist, violinist, music teacher, and performing artist. She has won approximately thirty prizes in musical eisteddfods, was a member of the Chief Minister's Round Table for Young Territorians and has recently been accepted to study at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music in England.
§ The Northern Territory's Local Heroes were announced as Nightcliff's Frank Fotiades (Metropolitan) for his extraordinary community, voluntary and aid commitments and Alice Springs' Carmel Hattch (Regional) who has devoted her life to improving the health of babies, children, women and families in remote and urban communities in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.
The National Australia Day Council said the nominations received from the Northern Territory this year covered a broad range of achievers, community workers, civic leaders and scientists.
"Nominations from the Northern Territory covered a wide range of people but the majority of them reflected a concern for community and other people," said Tam Johnston, Australian of the Year Awards Manager for the National Australia Day Council.
"Territorians can be very proud of their award recipients and draw inspiration from their achievements - they are all fine examples of how, with hard work and commitment, we can all be great Australians."
All NT award recipients now become national finalists in the Australian of the Year Awards to be announced by the Prime Minister in Canberra on 25 January 2007.
The Commonwealth Bank is proud to be the major sponsor of the Australian of the Year Awards.
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For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Nicole Browne at media op(p)s on 0414 673 762 or nicole@mediaopps.com.au
