Australian of the Year Awards honor Australian citizens who have made inspiring contributions to their local or broader community. The awards have honored Australians for achievements in a variety of fields, including the arts, community service, science, and sports. The award presentations take place annually on January 25, the day before Australia Day. Australia Day is a national holiday that honors Australia’s past, present, and future.
The National Australia Day Council (NADC) organizes the awards program, which has four categories. Australian of the Year is the primary award. It is open to Australian citizens who are at least 16 years old. Nominees aged 16 to 30 years are also eligible to be named Young Australian of the Year. This award is for inspiring young adults who have “accomplished great things in all walks of life.” Similarly, nominees who are at least 60 years old are also eligible to become Senior Australian of the Year. Australia’s Local Hero is an award honoring a citizen who has made an outstanding contribution to his or her local community.
Any Australian citizen can nominate a fellow citizen for an Australian of the Year Award. A panel in each state or territory selects four local finalists in each of the four categories. In November, each panel announces a local winner in each category. These winners become the finalists for the national awards. The four national winners are announced the following January 25 at a ceremony in Canberra, Australia’s capital. Award announcements and other events are coordinated by the NADC and the national and state governments, and they are often sponsored by private companies. The Australians of the Year Walk near the National Library in Canberra commemorates the award winners. This outdoor monument along Lake Burley Griffin includes a series of pedestals—one for each year—displaying plaques with the winners’ names and images.
The Australia Day Council of the state of Victoria created the Australian of the Year honor in 1960. The council presented the first award in January 1961. In 1979, Australia’s national government created a National Australia Day Committee, which assumed responsibility for the award. The committee and its successor, the National Australia Day Council, created the three additional award categories between 1979 and 2003.
