List of Australian Local Hero Award recipients

The Local Hero Award is a part of the Australian of the Year awards. It commenced in 2003 and is sponsored by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

The Local Hero Award acknowledges extraordinary contributions made by Australians in their local community. A Local Hero from each state and territory is chosen each year, with one of the eight state and territory Local Heroes announced as Australia's Local Hero on Australia Day eve each year.

List of award recipients

Year Name Achievement
2003Brian Perry AFSMBushfire fighter
2004Donna CarsonSurvivor of domestic violence
2005Ben KearneyEnvironmental campaigner
2006Toni HoffmanPatient advocate
2007Shanaka FernandoSocial challenger
2008Jonathon Welch AMChoral conductor
2009Graeme DrewSea rescuer and educator
2010Ronni KahnFood rescuer
2011Donald Ritchie OAMSuicide prevention advocate
2012Lynne SawyersFoster mother
2013Shane PhillipsIndigenous leader
2014Tim ConolanChildren's charity founder
2015Juliette WrightSocial entrepreneur
2016Dr Catherine KeenanYouth educator
2017Vicki JellieCampaigned to establish a cancer centre in Warrnambool
2018Eddie WooSydney maths teacher
2019Kate and Tick EverettCampaigned against bullying following daughter's death
2020 Bernie Shakeshaft Campaigner for disadvantaged rural youth
2021 Rosemary Kariuki Activist supporting migrant women
2022 Shanna Whan Alcohol consumption activist in rural Australia
2023 Amar Singh Founder of Turbans 4 Australia
2024 David Elliott Co-founder of Australian Age of Dinosaurs and a key figure in boosting the palaeo-tourism industry in Australia.
2025 Vanessa Brettell Co-founders of a social enterprise for migrant women
Hannah Costello

See also

References

  1. ↑ Australian of the Year awardees Archived 18 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 23 January 2012
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Australian of the Year Awards". australianoftheyear.org.au. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Australia's Local Hero". Australian of the Year Awards. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Pianegonda, Elise; staff (25 January 2018). "Sam Kerr named Young Australian of the Year for Matildas exploits and work advocating for women's sport". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  5. ↑ Kate and Tick Everett named 2019 Australia's Local Hero, 25 January 2019, archived from the original on 5 August 2025, retrieved 15 May 2019
  6. ↑ Pianegonda, Elise (25 January 2020). "Australian of the Year acknowledges firefighters as the real heroes in his acceptance speech". ABC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  7. ↑ Paralympian and disability advocate Dylan Alcott named 2022 Australian of the Year, Charlotte Gore, ABC News Online, 2022-01-25
  8. ↑ Sakkal, Paul (25 January 2023). "Body positivity advocate Taryn Brumfitt named Australian of the Year". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Gore, Charlotte (25 January 2025). "AFL great fighting motor neurone disease is 2025 Australian of the Year". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.