Senior Australians of the Year - A celebration of those who dedicate their lives to their community
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Senior Australians of the Year - A celebration of those who dedicate their lives to their community
Australia, as I am sure you will all agree, is a truly amazing place. From our vast and beautiful landscape to our extensive range of unique flora and fauna, we are all very lucky to call this place home. However, the thing that makes Australia a truly special place are the people. Aussies aren't shy to take to the world stage and achieve greatness that reflects off the faces of everyone around the globe. In fact, we have done so consistently and continue to do so now!
In recognition of these outstanding accomplishments, certain individuals are crowned the honourable title of ‘Australian of the Year’, with categories such as ‘Young Australian of the Year’ and ‘Senior Australian of the Year’.
As should be no surprise, our senior community has achieved an absolutely massive amount for the world, in a vast and varied array of disciplines. As part of today’s celebrations, we have decided to celebrate 3 of the amazing Australians who have earned the title of ‘Senior Australian of the Year’ and their accomplishments, as well as those who have been nominated for this year's award.
The ‘Senior Australian of the Year’ Award began in 1999 and has been represented by numerous Aussies from all walks of life. Today we are taking a look at 3 of these wonderful individuals who have achieved greatness and earned recognition for their contributions.
1999: Slim Dusty (AO, MBE)
Credit: TheFamousPeople
Slim Dusty is one of Australia’s most awarded musicians and a true Aussie icon. With a career that spanned almost 7 decades, and being the first Aussie to earn themselves an international #1 record with his version of ‘A Pub with No Beer’ Slim Dusty (AKA David Gordon Kirkpatrick) has truly earned his title of Senior Australian of the Year.
Dusty was born on the 13th of June, 1927 and raised on a dairy farm near Kempsey, NSW, and quickly set his sights on a career in music. He signed his first recording contract in 1946 and became a full time musician in 1954 with his group ‘The Slim Dusty Travelling show’. Dusty saw true stardom with his first hit in 1957, ‘A Pub with No Beer’.
From then on, Dusty continued to contribute heavily as an ambassador for Australian country music. He was the very first Senior Australian of the Year, earning the title in 1999 at the age of 72. A year later he released his 100th album, a true representation of his musical contribution. He sadly passed away on the 13th of September 2003 after a long battle with cancer. He was working on his 106th album.
There are few names in Australian music as influential and recognised as Slim Dusty. He was one of the greats, and remains a giant of Australian Music. His title as the first ever Senior Australian of the Year is truly earned and well deserved.
2010: Maggie Beer (AM)
Credit: InDaily
You’ve probably seen her hosting The Great Australian Bake Off, or as a guest on Masterchef Australia. Or perhaps you have read one of her books. In any case, Maggie Beer is much more than an Australian chef and food fanatic.
Born on the 19th of January, 1945, Maggie had a generous nature from the very beginning. In her only paid cooking job (for a scottish sailing school during a trip to Europe in her early 20s), that generosity was demonstrated in her cooking. "I used the whole of their larder for the four-month season in eight weeks because I'm a very generous cook, that's the only way I know how to cook".
In 1979, Maggie established the Farm Shop (later known as the Barossa Pheasant Farm Restaurant) in the Barossa Valley where she still lives. In 2014, Maggie established ‘The Maggie Beer Foundation’, whose goal is to improve the food and dietary experiences of older Australians, particularly those in aged care homes.
“The Maggie Beer Foundation believe our elders deserve the life-altering impact of fresh, wholesome, seasonal food, abundant with flavour”
Maggie Beer was granted the title of ‘Senior Australian of the Year in 2010’ for her contribution to Australian cooking and food culture. She has earned her place as a true foodie and an Australian icon.
2021: Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann (AM)
Credit: The Miriam-Rose Foundation
Born in Daly River in the Northern Territory in 1950. She was baptised as catholic at the age of 15 and bases much of her art around religious themes. She became the first ever fully qualified Aboriginal teacher in the Northern Territory and became the Art Consultant with the Professional Services Branch of the Northern Territory Department of Education. During her time in this role, she visited numerous schools and encouraged the inclusion of visual arts as part of the teaching curriculum.
During this time, she noticed the lack of Aboriginal teachers and recognised the significance of having Aboriginal educators amongst non-Aboriginal students. She strongly believes that to this day, education is a matter for the entire community and should be adapted to suit contemporary Aboriginal needs.
In 1986, Miriam-Rose established the Merrepen Arts Centre, which promotes adult education, particularly based around the medium of visual arts. She, along with several other artists, have gained national recognition for their work. Miriam-Rose was awarded the title of ‘Senior Australian of the Year’ in 2021 for her work in advocating Aboriginal art and culture, and for providing an avenue of education for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. She has spent her entire life contributing to the improvement of education and preservation of culture of Aboriginal people, and has rightfully earned her place as Senior Australian of the Year for 2021.
2022 Senior Australian of the Year
As you can tell by just some of the names who have worked tirelessly to earn themselves this title, earning the award of ‘Senior Australian of the Year’ requires a person who is dedicated and driven, with the goal of contributing massively in the field of their choice, and enriching the lives of their fellow Aussies. Those who represent this title, represent the Australian way of developing rich cultural understanding and looking after your mates.
2022 looks to be no different. Each year, one candidate is nominated by each state and territory, resulting in a list of some of the most noble and inspiring seniors that Australia is fortunate to have. Let’s take a look at these people and what they have done!
ACT Senior Australian of the Year: Valmai Dempsey
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
Valmai Dempsey has dedicated her entire life to the St John Ambulance service, after signing up as a volunteer as a teenager. She has continued to serve, and is recognised as one of the ACTs longest serving volunteers, with over 50 years experience. She continues to dedicate more and more hours to helping others each year.
She led 40 volunteers into affected communities after the 2019-2020 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she remained driven and committed to helping those in need, as well as checking in on her fellow volunteers' mental health and welfare.
NSW Senior Australian of the Year: Abla Tohamy Kadous
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
One of the most impressive things Abla Tohamy Kadous has achieved however, is the uniting of different religions and beliefs. She holds inter-faith forums in western Sydney, allowing people from all walks of life to explore each other’s faiths. Her 35 years of volunteering has brought a lot of value to the lives of many.
NT Senior Australian of the Year: Robyne Burridge (OAM)
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
Robyne has done much for the NT’s disabled community, including the foundation of Integrated DisAbility Action, spending time on the Northern Territory Primary Health Network governance committee and a 20 year period with the Darwin City Council, including 1 year as deputy Lord Mayor.
She founded Focus-A-Bility in 1997, as part of her work to continue advocating for disabled people and managing issues on a case by case basis. She is a passionate leader in the disability sector, and lives the experience she fights for, having being diagnosed with cerebral palsy herself. She received an Order of Australia Medal in 2020, and is now a nominee for 2022’s Senior Australian of the Year.
Queensland Senior Australian of the Year: Dr Colin Dillon (AM, APM)
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
In 1987, Colin was the first serving police officer with enough courage to speak up and give direct information regarding police corruption before the Fitzgerald Inquiry. Under oath, the information he gave was crucial in sending several officers, the police commissioner and several politicians to jail.
He has since been awarded the Australian Police Medal and the Order of Australia Medal for his work with the Indigenous community.
SA Senior Australian of the Year: Mark Le Messurier
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
A revered author, Mark has written and published several books, including co-authoring What’s the Buzz a social and literacy education program that has become the stable internationally in the training of youth workers, counsellors, teachers, psychologists, social workers and others who work directly with children. As an individual who puts himself forward as a role model, he is more than deserving to be nominated for Senior Australian of the Year.
Tasmania Senior Australian of the Year: Bruce French (AO)
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
Bruce’s dream to end world hunger (an impossible goal of which he has achieved so much) began when he was living in Papua New Guinea in the 1970s, and noticed villagers needlessly suffering from malnutrition and disease whilst surrounded by plants that were not only edible, but nutritious. He set off in documentation of all the edible plants that could be found in Papua New Guinea, and then the world.
Food Plants International and Rotary Tasmania began working together in 2007 alongside other institutions to create the Food Plant Solutions Project, which seeks to educate people from different regions on what and how to grow the most viable nutritious plants for their environment. Bruce has done the impossible and begun to fix one of the most difficult issues we face internationally; world hunger.
Victoria Senior Australian of the Year: Gaye Hamilton
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
Already for this, Gaye deserves to be on this list of wonderful senior Australians. However, today we are looking at her work throughout 2020 and 2021, which was a particularly difficult time as we all know. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Melbourne, it hit hard, and it quickly became the most infectious place in the country, with by far the most deaths. However, despite this, Gaye worked with non-profit community organisations and anchor institutions and led them through the unknown minefield that was the initial pandemic.
Furthermore, to prevent her community feeling lost and alone during this time of social distancing and isolation, Gaye advised the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation to redirect all programs to digital creative platforms, allowing community members to remain engaged and connected. As is evident from her lifetime of work, Gaye is a generous and kind soul who strives for community success and equality. The world needs more Gaye Hamiltons.
WA Senior Australian of the Year: Janice Standen
Credit: Australian of the Year Awards
How many of our readers are carers for their grandchildren? Unfortunately, this large and extremely important community of people are often overlooked in Australian society. Janice Standen, or Jan as her friends call her, a guardian and carer of 3 grandchildren of her own, is the president of Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren WA (GRGWA). This organisation is a charity run by volunteers that advocates for grandparent carers.
As someone who directly understands the everyday struggles and battles that grandparents who care for their grandchildren face, Janice understands the needs of people in her position. During her time as president of the GRGWA, she created a structure for the organisation and has secured a premise that is fit for purpose. The result of her efforts is an increase in membership and outreach by over 40%.
Shockingly, over two-thirds of grandparents who care for grandchildren live in poverty. Raising children in retirement, on a pension and without sufficient income is an incredibly difficult yet important task for someone to undertake. Through the GRGWA, members are able to access free counselling and legal support, food bank and op shop supplies, which keep grandchildren fed, clothed and from missing out. Jan is an incredibly selfless and noble person who fights for a community that is undervalued, but incredibly important. She is a truly amazing woman.
The importance of Senior Australians
After reading through this long list of wonderful people, who have earned their place as Senior Australian of the year both past and present, there is no doubt that there is indeed a perspective and wisdom that can only be provided by our senior community. These people have spent their entire lives bettering the lives of people around them on both a national and international scale.
The efforts of these individuals can not be overstated and we at the SDC would like to thank and congratulate every single one of them. Regardless of whether they are on this list or not, our Australians, young Australians, senior Australians and local heroes are people who embody what it means to be Australian. Every person on this planet would do well to learn from their example, and together, like they have, create a better world for generations to come.
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