ACT finalists for Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero awards were announced today.
They include a social justice crusader, a philanthropic businessman, a breast cancer surgeon, a climate change expert and a young author.
There are four finalists in each award category and recipients will be announced at the ACT Australian of the Year Awards event on Thursday 13 November 2008 in Canberra. The ACT recipients will then join recipients from all other States and Territories as finalists for the national awards. The national awards will be announced on 25 January 2009.
Ms Tam Johnston, Director of the Australian of the Year Awards, said the finalists were selected from more than 3,300 nominations received from across the nation.
"The ACT finalists in this year's awards are making outstanding contributions to our community, some of them very publicly and some whose efforts are less well known," said Ms Johnston.
"They are all worthy of our admiration and are to be congratulated on their achievements."
The ACT finalists are:
ACT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Professor Michael Dodson AM - Indigenous leader
Professor Ross Garnaut AO - Economist & climate change expert
Liz O'Brien - Social justice campaigner (O'Connor)
Dennise Simpson - Crisis support manager (Narrabundah)
ACT SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Judith Clingan AM - Composer & music educator (Rivett)
Reverend Associate Professor Elizabeth MacKinlay AM - Anglican Priest (Latham)
Professor Peter Read - Academic & historian (Turner)
Jim Service AO - Philanthropic businessman (Forrest)
ACT YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Sid Chakrabarti - Youth leader (O'Connor)
Jack Heath - Science fiction author (O'Connor)
Sue Webeck - Voluntary community worker (Ainslie)
Andrew Welling - Anti-drugs campaigner (Nicholls)
ACT LOCAL HERO
Dr John Buckingham - Breast cancer surgeon (Griffith)
Tim Gavel - Sports commentator (Ainslie)
Kelly Hayduk - Community worker (Giralang)
Elizabeth Steeper - Enthusiastic fundraiser (Farrer)
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Commonwealth Bank's involvement with the Australian of the Year Awards.
For more information of the Australian of the Year Awards visit www.australianoftheyear.org.au.
Ends.
Finalist bios attached with this media release or downloadable from www.australianoftheyear.org.au
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Nicole Browne, Media Opps 02 9954 7677 or 0414 673 762 or nicole@mediaopps.com.au
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY FINALISTS 2009
Australian of the Year - ACT Finalists
Professor Michael Dodson AM
Indigenous leader
Professor Michael Dodson is widely recognised as a proud, courageous and humble Aboriginal leader who has spent his adult life trying to explain to people why and how they can help his people. A Yawuru man from the Broome area, the contribution he has made to improving the lives of indigenous Australians is inestimable. He has pursued justice and reconciliation through a process of education, awareness and inclusive dialogue with all Australians. Mick's official roles tell only a small part of the story of what he does. He has served in a variety of challenging and highly sensitive roles at community level, with governments, the United Nations and in academia. In addition he has always actively mentored, nurtured and promoted young Aboriginal leaders, and encouraged respect between people of all cultures. He has described himself as a 'persistent bugger' and is uncompromising in arguing for justice and good sense. He champions the successes of the Indigenous community but also expects accountability for failures. He doesn't shy away from difficult questions or issues. As Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia, Mick's dream is to achieve reconciliation in this country, and a better future for his people. An outstanding Australian, Mick represents integrity, wisdom and compassion.
Professor Ross Garnaut AO
Economist and climate change expert
Professor Ross Garnaut has been instrumental in generating awareness and understanding of climate change issues in Australia. His independent report to the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments examines the full extent of climate change problems. It lays out a comprehensive global approach to the problem and defines the role that Australia needs to play in that approach. It concludes that the failure of the current generation to respond well to this problem will haunt Australians until the end of time. An internationally known economist who has been adviser to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke in which he played a major part in the internationalisation of Australia's economy in the 1980s, Australian ambassador to China and Chairman of the International Food Policy Research Institute based in the United States, Africa, India and China, Professor Garnaut has developed an approach within which global warming can be addressed. However in order to achieve this he believes people everywhere will need to play parts in reducing the present levels of carbon emissions. Professor Garnaut has laid out his findings in a way that is accessible for all Australians. But he also offers us hope, detailing ways in which the problem can be tackled. Climate change is the most significant issue to face Australia in the coming years and Professor Garnaut works passionately to raise awareness of the issues involved.
Liz O'Brien
Social justice campaigner
For more than 28 years Liz O'Brien has devoted her life to social justice and community education. Her dedication to the human rights of the disadvantaged, homeless and Indigenous communities is limitless. Liz is an advocate for communities across Australia from Canberra and Darwin to the most remote corners of the Northern Territory. She travels throughout Australia to create, motivate or follow-up community education programs in rights and responsibilities. Championing for rights even further afield, she was the national convener of the Coalition Against Apartheid from 1989 to 1992. She currently works as the National Convenor of the National Association of Community Legal Centres, is Treasurer of both the National Women's Justice Coalition and the ACT Shelter, and is a member of the Legal Assistance Forum and Access to Justice Committee of the Law Society of the ACT. Liz has been an outstanding role model for Australian men and women who are now community workers and volunteers in community centres throughout the country. She believes in the Australian value of the right to a 'fair go' and continuously fights for human rights for all.
Dennise Simpson
Crisis support manager
For 20 years Dennise Simpson has worked tirelessly to help women and children live free from violence. Through the Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS), Dennise has actively sought out and developed partnerships with key organisations including the police, prosecution, and care and protection services. She has been central in establishing a number of innovations, including Y-POW, an initiative with Family Services aimed at working with young people who are abusive and violent in their relationships; Mensline, a phone counselling service devoted to encouraging men affected by violence to seek help; and the Family Violence Intervention Program. Her expertise in running a service that operates day and night, seven days a week in partnership with police services has been sought out both nationally and internationally. She has developed a reputation for her integrity, strength of character, resilience and dedication. Dennise's drive to keep women and children safe is an inspiration to those around her.
Senior Australian of the Year - ACT Finalists
Judith Clingan AM
Composer and music educator
Judith Clingan has devoted her life to inspiring people of all ages and abilities to discover the joy of expressing themselves through the arts, especially music and singing. In the 60's she founded the Canberra Children's Choir and the Young Music Society, directing holiday music schools for more than a decade. She also founded the Canberra Recorder and Early Music Society for adults. In 1981 Judith travelled to Hungary to study music education. On her return to Canberra she founded and directed Gaudeamus (now Music for Everyone), a community performance and tuition group, and Lady's Mantle, a women's vocal ensemble. In the 90's Judith founded Voicebox Youth Opera, Imagine Music Theatre, the choir Wayfarers Australia and the vocal octet Variables. For all of these groups Judith has composed music, designed and created sets and costumes, and directed dramatically as well as musically. In recent years Judith has been working with Wayfarers, Variables and A Chorus of Women, directing the Carers' Choir, and teaching Sing for Joy, a music group for people of all abilities. Judith is inclusive in her approach, tailoring groups to meet the needs of a wide range of people, including children, the mentally and physically disabled, the 'tone deaf' and the visually impaired. Judith's work brings joy to all.
Reverend Associate Professor Elizabeth MacKinlay AM
Anglican priest
Reverend Elizabeth MacKinlay works tirelessly and selflessly in her many community roles, promoting greater understanding of the issues facing older people, in particular their spiritual and emotional needs. In 2007, Reverend MacKinlay was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to nurse education, the Anglican Church, the wider community, and the welfare of aged people, particularly through the establishment of the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies at St Mark's National Theological Centre in Canberra. A researcher and writer, she has presented many papers and workshops on these issues both nationally and internationally. Her book Spiritual Growth and Care in the Fourth Age of Life won the 2006 Australasian Journal on Ageing Book Award. As Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing, she has introduced a seniors employment campaign called Silver Lining Project, successfully campaigned for grandparental leave in the ACT public service, and worked to introduce improvements in the public transport system for ACT seniors. She also organised the 2008 National Conference of the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies which was well attended by representatives of all the major religions in Australia, helping to develop a sense of solidarity between faiths through discussions on the common experience of ageing for all communities.
Professor Peter Read
Academic and historian
Professor Peter Read is a renowned academic and historian best known for his groundbreaking research on Aboriginal Australia. For nearly 30 years he worked at the Australian National University where he lectured in Australian and Aboriginal history and he is now Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Sydney. In the mid-1970s, he was a pioneer of Aboriginal history in the Northern Territory and is now regarded as an international leader in the field. He coined the phrase 'The Stolen Generations' and the Federal Government credited his work on the separation of Aboriginal children as the principal instigation of the Bringing Them Home Inquiry. In 1980, he founded Link-Up which is run by and for members of the Stolen Generation to trace and reunite families separated by government policies of the past. For the last 10 years, Professor Read has focused on the question of non-Indigenous place belonging in Australia, and is now working on a history of the Aboriginal people of Sydney. Professor Dipesh Chakrabarty, University of Chicago, aptly sums up Read's body of work as being 'of global significance … In emphasising together the themes of diversity and belonging, Read has charted a new path for thinking about place and space in Australia.'
Jim Service AO
Philanthropic businessman
Jim Service has dedicated more than 45 years of his life to the Canberra community, making an enormous contribution to the success of many businesses in the Territory and further afield. For the past decade he has been Chairman of ActewAGL, Canberra's largest corporation, during which time it has returned over a billion dollars to government revenues whilst winning national environmental and customer service awards. He is, or has been, chairman or director of many companies that have succeeded and in doing so has contributed to the wealth and employment of our nation. He has acted as a role model and mentor to many aspiring executives, and has often worked in a voluntary capacity with governments and community organisations. Jim has supported a broad range of institutions and events through membership or patronage including Floriade, Bundanon Trust, National Gallery Foundation, ACT Board of Health and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. He has also given his time freely to many charities, and is a long-time Chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. His contribution gives testimony to his compassion and awareness of the need for business leaders to look beyond the bottom line. It is undoubtedly this approach that has seen him garner a reputation as one of Australia's most respected businessmen.
Young Australian of the Year
Sid Chakrabarti - 24
Youth leader
Sid Chakrabarti is a voice for the youth. As the only ACT resident to represent Australia's young people at the 2020 Summit, he joined 1000 other delegates from all corners of the nation. The economics and law graduate was involved in the group that discussed Australia's economy and infrastructure. One of its key recommendations was to create a series of 'hubs' in which young entrepreneurs could access legal, accounting and logistic assistance. 'There are so many passionate young people,' Sid explained. 'They have an idea of doing something, but find they can't.' After completing his Masters, Sid intends to begin developing these centres, but he also has his sights set on international development and diplomacy work in the Middle East. Through his Masters degree Sid is currently investigating how, and whether to, negotiate with Islamic organisations like Hamas. In the meantime he works as the Policy and Communications Officer of the Youth Coalition of the ACT, the peak youth affairs body in Canberra responsible for representing the interests of young people and those who work with them. In addition he coordinated Youthspeak, a nationwide United Nations Youth Association survey run by young people that captured the experiences, challenges, aspirations and ideals of over 12,000 young people.
Jack Heath - 22
Science fiction author
Jack Heath wrote his first novel when he was just 13 years old and by 18 he had a publishing contract. He has since published a further two books, one of which was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. As an internationally published author Jack inspires other students interested in writing and generously shares his knowledge with them. He recently toured schools during Book Week and encourages other young people to follow their literary dreams. He believes his own success was partly due to timing. When his first novel was released most fiction for early-to-mid teens was issues based. But Jack wanted to write purely entertaining books that kids his age, particularly boys, would want to read, so he started writing about 'robots and explosions.' The idea first came to him when he was studying the human genome project in his Year 7 science class and he believes it was a success because 'I was a kid when I was writing it so the things I was looking for were the same things many other teenage readers were looking for.' Jack's fourth book is soon to be released, and in the highly competitive world of publishing he offers a positive example for all those young would-be writers.
Sue Webeck - 24
Voluntary community worker
Over the years Sue Webeck has given her time voluntarily to a number of different community organisations. For the past four years she has been on the Board of the Youth Coalition of the ACT (the territory's peak youth affairs body) serving the last two years as President. Her passion for performing arts and social justice has led her to support Reclaim the Night, an organisation that addresses the issue of sexual violence against women and children, as a voluntary sound technician. Sue also sits on the Management Committee of the Canberra Youth Theatre; Canberra's longest running youth theatre, which provides opportunities for young people to explore their creativity through productions and workshops and is the Production Manager of the National Folk Festival. Sue's background includes working as an outreach worker, supporting Canberra's young people most at risk. Through her role as a case manager she supported children and young people through family breakdowns. Sue believes everyone who has been afforded the opportunities she has should be trying to make our community safer and more supportive for those in need. Sue is trying to make a difference and is a strong role model for young Australians.
Andrew Welling - 25
Anti-drugs campaigner
Andy Welling is passionate about saving young people from the potentially lethal effects of drug use after one of his close friends died after taking ecstasy and going into an anaphylactic shock. He believes that had his friend been well informed about the drug he may still be alive. This tragedy gave Andy the drive to establish the Save-A-Mate program in the ACT to educate young people about the implications of drug use. In his role as Coordinator of the program, run through the Australian Red Cross, Andy travels to schools to talk about drugs and drug use. His passion for helping Australia's youth also extends into other areas and he was a board member of five youth committees. Although he spends much of his time on community work Andy still completed a Commerce/Arts double degree and is currently working towards a Masters in Business Administration. He is also the Director of the Board with Youth Challenge Australia. Andy's message to other young people is to get out there and make a difference in their community: 'Young people say they want to make a change in the world when they grow up. Why not make a difference? You can make a difference whether you're six or ninety-six.'
Australia's Local Hero
Dr John Buckingham
Griffith
Breast cancer surgeon
Dr John Buckingham is one of the ACT's most respected surgeons. He is well-loved amongst his patients who endorse his warm bedside manner and caring nature that shines through the medical terminology. Dr Buckingham was the first breast cancer surgeon to use the sentinel node mapping technique in the ACT. This technique enables diagnosis of lymph node involvement with the breast cancer diagnosis. Dr Buckingham's interest in breast cancer surgery began when he trained in general surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. In 1979, when Canberra's Calvary Hospital opened he joined its staff as a consultant general surgeon, and has been there ever since. Under Dr Buckingham's guidance, Calvary was among the earliest institutions in Australia to undertake sentinel node biopsy and the hospital is now leading the way to investigate whether the procedure is suitable for larger cancers. Dr Buckingham's ongoing determination to help women diagnosed with breast cancer is admirable.
Tim Gavel
Ainslie
Sports commentator
Tim Gavel is highly regarded in his role as a sports journalist for Canberra's ABC Radio Grandstand program. Nicknamed 'Tireless Tim' because of his seeming ability to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he received his first break in 1988, when he was asked to call the Raiders/Balmain premiership game - an extremely daunting task given that he had never called a match before. Since then he has commentated countless games, four Olympics and four Commonwealth Games. But it's not just because of his excellence in the sporting arena that Tim is admired. Tim also spends much of his time undertaking community work. He is a Board member of the Kids Fitness Foundation, a patron of the Walking School Bus program and an ambassador for the Heart Foundation. In 2005, Tim and his wife Jenny adopted two orphans from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When Tim found out the siblings had an older sister who was too old to be legally adopted, he immediately pledged financial support - enough money to keep her in school until she was old enough to study at a university in Australia. With his caring nature and endless energy Tim has been described as 'the best you can get' in sports commentating in the ACT and is an inspiration to many.
Kelly Hayduk
Giralang
Community worker
Kelly Hayduk was named Barnardos ACT Mother of the Year in 2007. As well as having four children of her own she has, over the last 8 years, provided respite and short-term foster care for children, many of whom have special needs. Through the church Kelly and her husband support families dealing with drug problems, unemployment, mental health issues and homelessness. She always gives freely of her time and energy to others in the community assisting with food parcels, a community lunch every Sunday in Glebe Park and practical assistance to those in need. Kelly is passionate about assisting women, children and families to be the best they can be and has recently started a new program called Back to Basics, a basic living skills program for isolated women linking them with mentors in the community. In working with people through her church Missionheart, Kelly has also found that many had artistic talents. In order to give them a positive creative outlet to showcase their work, she arranged for art exhibitions of the group's work to be held at the Griffin Centre in the yearly MissionART Show. Over several years the exhibitions have become extremely successful and helped to give individuals back a sense of pride and achievement. Kelly is vibrant and honest, radiating the joy she feels for life. She has been described as 'leaving loving footprints wherever she goes.'
Elizabeth Steeper
Farrer
Enthusiastic fundraiser
Elizabeth Steeper devotes her time to helping those who are vulnerable in the community. At a time when most people are slowing down Libby sets a cracking pace playing the role of an advocate for those less fortunate. For the past three years she has been steering Friends of Brain Injured Children ACT, helping families to access intensive therapy programs for their children. She has raised both the profile of the organisation and much-needed funds, securing ongoing sponsorship for 15 children. Caring for a child with brain injury is a daunting task for any family. Libby works with compassion to address the issues facing brain injured children and their carers, and provides practical solutions and information to help them cope on a day-to-day basis. In addition, Libby works as a volunteer presenter with Mental Illness Education ACT, visiting workplaces, schools and community groups to talk about mental illness and gives people a better understanding about how to respond to those with a mental illness. Over the years Libby has made an exceptional contribution to the mental health sector. To many individuals and families in difficult situations Libby offers a lifeline with her caring support and advice.
