- An Overview
- Australians who make us proud
- Searching for a National Day
- A New Award
- Whose Australian of the Year?
- The National Australia Day Council
- The Commercial Imperative
- United in Celebration?
- First Australians
- A Sporting Nation
- Scientific Achievers
- The Creative Arts
- An Eclectic Collection
- Woman of the Year?
- Young Australians
- A Life’s Work
- Local Heroes
- Choosing the Winners
- The Official Announcement
- What’s Your Cause?
- Medallions and Trophies
- Defining Australia
Australian of the Year Awards History
Since its inception in 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has provided a focal point for Australia Day celebrations and a forum for the recognition of outstanding achievement. The official announcement has grown to become a major public event, with thousands of onlookers witnessing the televised ceremony in Canberra. The award offers an insight into Australian identity, reflecting the nation’s evolving relationship with Britain and the world, the role of sport in Australian culture, the impact of multiculturalism, and the special status of Australia’s Indigenous people.
An extensive history of the Australian of the Year Awards by Dr Samuel Furphy is available below, or as a downloadable PDF (5mb).
