2027 SA Australian of the Year Recipients
Dr Fariba Behnia-Willison – Endo-gynaecologist and reconstructive surgeon
2027 SA Australian of the Year
Dr Fariba Behnia-Willison is transforming women’s healthcare through pioneering surgical techniques, medical innovation and a commitment to restoring dignity and improving quality of life.
An Iranian-Australian migrant whose journey has taken her across Iran, Germany and Australia, Dr Behnia-Willison has dedicated her career to advancing pelvic floor medicine and reconstructive surgery.
Through SmartFem’s TGA-approved Victoria Graft System, she is developing regenerative solutions that use a woman’s own blood to create a graft for pelvic floor reconstruction, offering an alternative to synthetic mesh.
Her compassion extends beyond the operating theatre. Through Desert Flower South Australia, she provides restorative surgery at no cost to survivors of female genital mutilation, helping women reclaim their health and wellbeing.
At 60, Dr Behnia-Willison continues to challenge barriers in women’s healthcare, combining innovation with advocacy to ensure women have access to the care, dignity and support they deserve.
Dr Roger Hunt – Palliative medicine specialist
2027 SA Senior Australian of the Year
Dr Roger Hunt has dedicated more than 40 years to improving end-of-life care and advocating for the dignity, comfort and autonomy of patients.
Beginning his career at South Australia’s first publicly funded hospice, Dr Hunt recognised the importance of compassionate care for patients and families navigating the final stages of life.
A founding member of Daw House Hospice, he has made significant contributions to palliative medicine through clinical leadership, research and education.
He later served as Medical Head of the Western Adelaide Palliative Care Service and Central Adelaide Palliative Services, while his leadership within South Australia’s Palliative Care Association contributed to the establishment of Palliative Care Australia.
Dr Hunt also played an advisory role in developing South Australia’s Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act.
A longstanding advocate for voluntary assisted dying, he has served on ministerial panels and currently sits on the South Australian Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board.
At 69, his career reflects a commitment to ensuring patients are treated with compassion, respect and dignity.
Edward Robinson – Space educator and entrepreneur
2027 SA Young Australian of the Year
Edward Robinson is making space science and engineering more accessible to students around the world through hands-on learning and innovative educational technology.
Inspired by a passion for space that began in high school, Edward recognised the value of connecting classroom theory with real-world engineering experiences.
In 2022, while studying electrical and mechatronic engineering, he founded Robinson Aerospace.
The company develops RASCube, an educational satellite kit that enables students to build a functional satellite replica, collect live data and conduct experiments.
Since its establishment, Robinson Aerospace has delivered more than 1,700 space education kits to over 200 schools across 18 countries, providing tens of thousands of students with opportunities to explore genuine space systems.
At 23, Edward is helping students develop technical knowledge, teamwork and problem-solving skills while making advanced STEM education more accessible, regardless of a school’s location or resources.
Neil Davis – Violence prevention advocate
2027 SA Local Hero
Neil Davis has transformed personal tragedy into a powerful movement to prevent violence and educate young Australians about the consequences of their choices.
Following the death of his 17-year-old son Sam, who was fatally struck by a single punch at a party, Neil established The Sammy D Foundation in 2008.
Through the Foundation, Neil shares his family’s experience to challenge attitudes towards violence and encourage young people to make safer, more responsible decisions.
His message focuses on the lasting consequences of a single moment and the importance of recognising risks, walking away from conflict and seeking help.
At 63, Neil has delivered more than 2,000 presentations to young people across schools, sporting clubs and juvenile justice programs.
His work is helping reshape attitudes towards violence and empowering young Australians with the knowledge and confidence to make positive choices.
2027 Nominee Acknowledgements:
SA Australian of the Year
Dr Muhammad Akbar Hussain, Space technology innovator and entrepreneur
Dr Matthew Hutchinson, Orthopaedic surgeon and education fundraiser
Dr Susan Neuhaus AM CSC, Surgeon and author
SA Senior Australian of the Year
Dr Susan Belperio, Citizen scientist
Keith Clark, Lifeline and fire service volunteer
Dr Anne Jenson, Wetland ecologist
SA Young Australian of the Year
Ishaan Chaudhuri, Health leader
Abbey Hardie, Sexual violence prevention advocate
Jemima Leydon, Cancer ambassador
SA Local Hero
Jordan Box, Community engagement champion
2026 SA Australian of the Year Recipients
Katherine Bennell-Pegg – Astronaut
2026 Australian of the Year
Katherine Bennell-Pegg is making history as the first Australian to qualify as an astronaut under Australia’s space program, opening pathways for others to follow.
Katherine graduated from Basic Astronaut Training in 2024 as part of a class of six trained by the European Astronaut Centre in Germany – the first international candidate to do so. She was initially chosen for the program from a field of over 22,500 applicants.
Katherine has harboured ambitions of becoming an astronaut since she was a young child. As a space engineer, she has advanced multiple space missions and technologies. Alongside her career achievements, Katherine is an energetic champion for Australia’s space program, regularly presenting to audiences of schoolchildren and industry leaders to inspire the next generation and create new opportunities.
Katherine is a genuine trailblazer in Australia’s emerging space industry. With her determination and drive to succeed, she is a powerful example for young Australians.
Malcolm ‘Mac’ Benoy – Meteorological researcher
2026 SA Senior Australian of the Year
Malcolm ‘Mac’ Benoy has made a significant contribution to climate change research in his role as a volunteer citizen scientist, helping to preserve valuable records and data relating to South Australia’s meteorological history.
Over the past two decades, Mac has volunteered with the Bureau of Meteorology in South Australia, where he set up a citizen science group to record and preserve valuable hand-written meteorological records from the 19th century. Under Mac’s astute guidance, the group has digitised over 90,000 synoptic charts and related documents, providing an invaluable research tool for modern-day climatologists.
International climate change and meteorological researchers have used the group’s records to reconstruct historical weather patterns in the southern hemisphere, helping to better understand how the global climate is changing.
Mac’s professionalism, enthusiasm and insight continue to guide the team of citizen scientists in its work to document and preserve critical weather data.
James Currie – Sound designer
2026 SA Senior Australian of the Year
James Currie’s filmography reads like a list of South Australia’s most successful films over the past 50 years. His work as a sound designer, recordist and mixer includes titles such as Breaker Morant, The Lighthorsemen, Bad Boy Bubby, The Tracker, Wolf Creek, Ten Canoes, Red Dog and, most recently, the AACTA award-winning documentary My Name is Gulpilil.
James has worked with many of South Australia’s leading directors over his career and has won multiple awards for his lifetime of work. He has been instrumental in establishing and growing the state’s film industry, particularly as an authority on sound design. His use of location sound, most notably in remote Indigenous communities, has helped create a uniquely Australian soundscape in film.
James is generous in sharing his expertise and knowledge with other practitioners, especially students, creating an enduring legacy of excellence in sound design now and into the future.
Chloe Wyatt-Jasper – Mental health advocate
2026 SA Young Australian of the Year
Chloe Wyatt-Jasper has applied her lived experience of trauma and mental health challenges to help other people facing similar issues. Chloe experienced a domestic violence family tragedy at a very young age and has lived with profound mental health conditions as a result. In speaking out about these challenges, Chloe hopes to help other people overcome the stigma often associated with mental health.
Chloe has spoken openly about her own challenges and advocated for greater support for people experiencing mental health issues. Her advocacy led her to be selected to take part in the South Australian Teen Parliament, where she successfully lobbied South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas for $5 million for improved mental health services for young people.
Chloe also supports Backpacks 4 SA Kids, which helps survivors of domestic violence by donating backpacks with essential items such as clothes and toiletries.
Ayesha Safdar – Community leader
2026 SA Local Hero
Ayesha Safdar has dedicated herself to helping newly-arrived migrant and refugee women find their place in Australian society.
In 2010, Ayesha founded the Adelaide Pakistani Women’s Association (APWA) to create a safe, inclusive space for Pakistani women adjusting to life in Australia. Today, the association works with women from all backgrounds, helping them to navigate their way through a new culture and acquire language skills, education and employment. Ayesha is empowering women to build their confidence and develop the skills they need to create a new life in Australia.
Under her leadership, the APWA runs cultural events, promotes small businesses run by women and creates education pathways for women by connecting them to training in childcare, nursing and community services.
Ayesha’s tireless work in empowering women and building bridges between communities has been hugely influential in promoting social inclusion in South Australia and beyond.
2026 Nominee Acknowledgement:
SA Australian of the Year
Paul Broadbridge, Veterans advocate
Professor Marion Eckert, Health researcher
Dr Mohammad Afzal Mahmood, Public health expert
SA Senior Australian of the Year
Dr David Paton AM, Inspirational conservationist
SA Young Australian of the Year
Hayley Frazer, Author and storyteller
Amelia Griffin, Speech pathologist
Amira Shahin, Humanitarian and educator
SA Local Hero
Linda Fisk and Anna Kemp, Women prisoner supporters
Professor Leah Bromfield is the director and chair of child protection at the Australia centre for Child Protection, and has devoted her life to establishing practical, evidence-based solutions to child abuse and neglect – important but challenging work. Over two decades, Leah has risen to become one of the most trusted researchers in the field. Her calls for transformation and radical redesign have led to world-first insights and contributed to significant changes in our understanding of, and responses to, child abuse and neglect. She’s leading the development of a new child protection vision for South Australia, exploring unconventional approaches and interrogating assumptions to break the cycle of abuse.
Charles Jackson OAM’s passion has been working with Indigenous Australians for more than 50 years. The youngest of fourteen children, Charles didn’t go through mainstream schooling. Charles was the first Aboriginal in Australia to become a JP in 1978. Today, Charles is a knowledge holder for Flinders Ranges Nation and working towards Wilpena Pound becoming a world heritage site. Charle’ has a new business, Urndu – helping Aboriginal communities providing training, support and resources for people with disabilities or age-related impairments. Through his role as an advocate for the Aboriginal and wider community, he hopes to create a brighter future for all.
In a world where young people often have laws made for and about them, Amber is ensuring youth voices are heard. At 17 Amber founded the South Australian Youth Forum in 2021, empowering those aged 14 to 18 to discuss critical issues such as climate change, period poverty, gender equality and youth loneliness. The forum was represented at the United Nations Summit of the Future, the National Inquiry into Civics Education and the Australian Conference of Youth Health. The initiative won the Connecting Communities Award at the Young Achiever of the Year Gala in 2024, while Amber herself received the Governor of South Australia’s Commendation for Excellence.
Over 20 years, Sobia Hashmi and husband Irfan have transformed healthcare in remote and rural communities in South Australia. They’ve established six pharmacies in areas where there were previously none. Sobia and Irfan employ staff who collectively speak 21 languages, allowing them to reach vulnerable populations and provide culturally sensitive healthcare. They mentor intern pharmacists from overseas to assist them to enter the workforce in Regional Australia. Their free weekly webinar has assisted 4,00 overseas pharmacists in passing their exams in the last 12 months. Their pharmacy group has won awards for their commitment to improving health literacy and access to healthcare services, including an SA Multicultural Governor’s Award in 2022.
2025 Nominees Acknowledgement:
Nominees 2025 SA Australian of the Year
Dr Sarah Cannard, Aerospace engineer
Commissioner Grantley Stevens, Commissioner, South Australian Police
Dr Hannah Wardill, Cancer researcher
Nominees 2025 SA Senior Australian of the Year
Anne Burgess AM, Anti-ageism advocate
Dr Devinder Grewal, GP and medical services provider
Keith Preston, Arts and events manager
Nominees 2025 SA Young Australian of the Year
Denzel James, Environmental advocate
Andriana Petrakis, International tennis champion, coach and autism advocate
Kushi Venkatesh, Comedian, reporter and content creator
Nominees 2025 South Australia’s Local Hero
Shane Hryhorec, Disability advocate
Lisa O’Malley, Foster carer and co-founder
Dinah Thomasset, Founder, Villagehood Australia
2024 SA Australian of the Year Recipients
Tim Jarvis AM is an environmental scientist, author, filmmaker, and philanthropist. He works on practical solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. In South Australia, he leads the Forktree Project to restore farmland and prevent rare native plants from going extinct. He holds leadership roles at Fauna & Flora WWF-Australia, Koala Life, and the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.
Meredith Evans, a Sister of Mercy, provides compassionate care to refugees, young people, and women facing homelessness or violence. She founded Young Mercy Links in South Australia and advocates for social justice. Meredith was crucial in reviving important movements like Justice for Refugees SA and the Young Christian Workers Movement. She also co-founded a support group for refugees in Adelaide and supports the Jesuit Refugee Service in Cambodia.
Tiahni Adamson is an Aboriginal woman passionate about sustainability. She leads community engagement at CH4Global, integrating Indigenous knowledge into climate change solutions. Tiahni has worked with CSIRO and trained under Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader. She’s a national leader at Seed, a youth climate justice group, and contributes to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Tiahni is one of Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM and a 2023 InDaily South Australian 40 Under 40 honoree.
Rachael Zaltron OAM founded Backpacks 4 SA Kids in 2013. Today, the organisation provides emergency kits, clothing, and essentials to children aged 0-16 facing crises like family violence or homelessness. They also support families restarting after domestic violence and aid young people aged 12-25 experiencing homelessness. Over 86,000 South Australian children have been assisted since 2012.
2024 Nominees Acknowledgement:
Nominees 2024 SA Australian of the Year
Stella Braund, Mental health advocate, 2024 SA Australian of the Year Nominee
Nominees 2024 SA Senior Australian of the Year
Professor Frances Baum AO, Health equity advocate, 2024 SA Senior Australian of the Year Nominee
Glyn Scott, Founder, Love Hope & Gratitude Foundation, 2024 SA Senior Australian of the Year Nominee
Nominees 2024 SA Young Australian of the Year
Qasem Bahmanzadah, Ambassador, mentor and volunteer, 2024 SA Young Australian of the Year Nominee
Kylan Beech, Fundraiser, Cancer Council, 2024 SA Young Australian of the Year Nominee
Nominees 2024 South Australia’s Local Hero
Chris McDermott, Founder, Little Heroes Foundation, 2024 SA LOCAL HERO NOMINEE
Jack Nixon, Volunteer, state emergency services 2024 SA Local Hero Nominee
Pauly Vandenbergh, Co-founder, Tjindu Foundation 2024 SA Local Hero Nominee
2023 SA Australian of the Year Recipients
SA State Recipient Australian of the Year 2023
Taryn Brumfitt – Body image activist, director, writer and speaker
Documentary director Taryn Brumfitt leads the Body Image Movement, an Adelaide-based organisation that teaches people to love and appreciate their bodies. Her 2016 documentary Embrace tackled the serious issue of women’s body loathing and Taryn’s path to body acceptance. It was seen by millions of people in 190 countries and is available on Netflix. Taryn has written four best-selling books. She released a documentary, Embrace Kids, in September 2022 that aims to teach nine- to 14-year-olds to move, nourish, respect and appreciate what their bodies can do.
She has collaborated with body image expert Dr Zali Yager to create an Embrace Kids companion parenting book. They have also created the Embrace Hub – a free, research-based resource for teachers, parents, children and communities on fostering body positivity. Taryn’s work has reached more than 200 million people. She is an internationally recognised keynote speaker whose work is recognised by UN Women.
SA State Recipient Senior Australian of the Year 2023
Sandra Miller – Aboriginal rights activist, advocate for Indigenous health and welfare
Sandra Miller, a proud Wirangu woman from the Ceduna area, has been a trailblazer, breaking down barriers for Aboriginal women aspiring to leadership roles at a time when they were under-represented.
Sandra trained as a social worker and in the early 1980s worked for the Department of Community Welfare in Adelaide. She pushed to change government policies that were detrimental to Aboriginal children and encouraged Aboriginal people to become foster parents. She went on to play an important part in policy development and service design across key state government portfolios, including Aboriginal health, ageing and welfare. Sandra continues to be a strong voice for her community since leaving the public service. She’s had leadership roles in Aboriginal health and legal rights groups, and holds multiple board and executive appointments. She has represented her community in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance and at the United Nations.
SA State Recipient Young Australian of the Year 2023
Awer Mabil – Professional soccer player and co-founder of Barefoot to Boots
Socceroo Awer Mabil is co-founder of the not-for-profit organisation Barefoot to Boots, which aims for better health, education, policies and gender equality for refugees. His own unique way of celebrating a goal is a message to those struggling with their mental health: you are not alone and you can speak up.
The winger knows something about trying times. Awer grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp after his family fled civil war in Sudan, before coming to Australia at 10. Only a year after reaching his dream to play for the Socceroos, his sister died in a car accident in 2019.
Awer says that he now feels ‘unbreakable’. It is his experience of hard times, the memory of his sister and the knowledge that young people see him as a role model that drives him to perform. It’s what he does that Awer wants to be known for – not his background.
SA State Recipient Local Hero 2023
Christine Robertson – Co-founder of Lost Pets of South Australia and creator of the Chipblitz program
More than 65,000 pets across Australia have received a microchip thanks to Christine Robertson, but that wasn’t what she initially set out to achieve. Christine co-founded the Lost Pets of South Australia charity in 2013 to reunite lost pets with their families. The volunteer organisation uses social media and its connections with the RSPCA and other animal welfare groups to get lost animals back home.
However, it soon became apparent that many pets were being lost because their owners couldn’t afford to get them microchipped. Microchip fees generally start at about $65. So Christine developed the Chipblitz program in 2015, allowing trained implanters to microchip a pet for just $10. Chipblitz is now the biggest pet microchipping program in the Southern Hemisphere. It has a partnership with national pet goods store PETstock and 1,400-plus volunteers. More than 44,000 pets have been chipped in South Australia alone since the program began.
Honourable note to all the Finalists
2023 Australian of the Year (SA) Finalists:
Professor Christopher Daniels PHD DSC FAICD – Environmentalist, zoologist and science communicator
Andrea Madeley – Lawyer and workplace safety advocate
Marie Elizabeth Shaw QC – Philanthropist and co-founder, Ice Factor program
2023 Senior Australian of the Year (SA) Finalists:
Margaret Fischer AM – Co-founder of Feast Adelaide Queer Arts & Cultural Festival
Eric Lewis Siggurs – Volunteer, Technology for Ageing and Disability SA
Eugenia Tsoulis OAM – CEO at Australian Migrant Resource Centre; founding member of Settlement Council Australia
2023 Young Australian of the Year (SA) Finalists:
Josh Cavallo – Professional soccer player and equality champion
Felicity Graham – Author, advocate and CEO at Fostering Change Australia
Zainab Kazemi – Multicultural advocate and volunteer
Marigold White – Co-founder of Uniity.
