Australian of the Year

Majors Niall and Michelle Gibson serve as Salvation Army Flying Padre – rural and remote chaplains supporting some of Australia’s most isolated communities across the Northern Territory and Western Australia.  

Based in Katherine, Niall and Michelle can spend up to 100 hours in the air each year visiting around 80 remote cattle stations, schools, police stations, health centres and outback towns where internet and phone reception can be patchy.  

Known for responding immediately after tragic station accidents, Niall and Michelle offer a listening ear, pastoral care and practical support to people who rarely receive visitors. They also conduct funerals, weddings and bush christenings, along with crisis support during events such as the Katherine floods. 

Whether landing on tiny homestead strips or driving long distances, Niall and Michelle provide friendship, counselling and hope – quiet achievers bringing a listening ear and comfort to isolated people across Australia’s vast Top End.