2025 Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award Recipients

Provided by the Hon Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence through the Office for Women.

 This Award was introduced by the Australia Day Council and the Office for Women to recognise the outstanding contributions by women to the community during the current year or over several years. The criteria also include achievement in their relevant field and their ability to act as a role model in the community.

April Lawrie – Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award Recipient

April Lawrie is a proud Aboriginal woman who heralds from the Mirning and Kokatha peoples of the Nullarbor Plain across to the Far West Coast and Gawler Ranges of South Australia. In 1990 April attained a Social Work degree and began her career in Aboriginal child and family services and foster care work, leading to pathways into policy development and executive leadership at the state and national level.  

Over the last 20 years April has led systemic reform in Aboriginal health, justice, education and child protection. April is a long serving board director of South Australia’s Native Title Services and co-founded the Tjindu Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that works to promote leadership development, wellbeing, cultural resilience and school retention for Aboriginal young people in communities across South Australia.  

April is the inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, and for over six years she has the set the benchmark in leading the work that promotes the rights, development and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people. She is a passionate advocate for government service reform in child protection and for land rights within native title. April is a recognised change maker for Aboriginal children and communities.  

Ella Stratton – Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – Commendation

Three years after her son, Hunter Alfred Stratton, passed away, Ella founded the HAS Foundation—built from love, loss, and a deep desire to support families walking a similar path. Since then, the foundation has raised over $1.3 million, helping children with life-limiting illnesses and their families Live for the Moment, Love for a Lifetime. 

Through HAS, over 200 care packages have been delivered to families in Paediatric Palliative Care, a $134,000 donation helped fund a dedicated children’s ambulance, and in 2023-24 alone, more than $222,587 was distributed to provide direct support to families in need. The foundation has also made significant contributions to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation, ensuring more families have the chance to create meaningful memories together. 

Ella works closely with the Paediatric Palliative Care team, advocating for the little things that make a big difference—because in the hardest moments, they truly do. Her leadership continues to drive HAS Foundation forward, and she is widely recognised in the media and South Australia’s non-profit sector, often invited as a guest speaker to share her insight and experience. 

Joanna Wells – Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award – Commendation

The seemingly relentless removal of mature trees and the critically important canopy they provide prompted Joanna’s journey towards community advocacy.  Since then, she has dedicated herself to achieving the best possible protections for South Australia’s urban forest and through this for our communities.  We need trees far more than what they need us!   

Leading the community campaigning arm of the Conservation Council of SA’s ‘Big Trees’ campaign, Joanna also co-authored five reports on tree protection, published by the Conservation Council and its partner organisations (Treenet, Trees for Life, The National Trust of SA, The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (SA Chapter), and the Nature Conservation Society of SA).  

This work prompted the State Planning Commission to commission further reports to back up the evidence presented by Joanna and her colleague Tom Morrison in the reports, and to work constructively to meet the challenges presented in them. The involvement of community members from all different walks of life, from right across Adelaide clearly demonstrated to the State government that people expected better from their leaders.  

Joanna is motivated by climate change and the significant body of evidence that shows that for suburban and urban dwellers, the canopy provided by established trees is the best possible mitigation for the impacts of climate change on day to day living.   

Joanna focuses on using an evidence-based, educative approach to build community capacity, resilience and support and did this successfully through running workshops and supporting individuals and community groups as they campaigned to protect the trees they love most.  

Joanna firmly believes that it is incumbent on all levels of government to lead by example and that we all it owe it to future generations to do better.  

Hayley Frazer – Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award ‘Emerging Leader’

Hayley Frazer, age 20, is a visionary artist and writer who has made a significant impact through her creative works and advocacy. At just 15 years old, she published her first book, “Something A Little Different,” which explores themes of friendship, resilience, and celebrating individuality. This book has become a cornerstone for promoting social literacy and has been included in the South Australian Premier’s Reading Challenge 2024. Despite living with dyslexia and dysgraphia Hayley has become a strong advocate for inclusive learning environments, sharing her experience at educational forums and workshops. Her ability to connect with people from all walks of life and champion a supportive approach to learning differences, makes her an inspirational role model.  

Hayley is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design) at Flinders University and is dedicated to making a positive impact through her artistic talents and encouraging others to contribute positively to their communities.   

Later this year, Hayley will release her new book, “The Magical Tram,” a journey inspired by her grandfather’s true stories, celebrating kindness, imagination, and the magic of memories.  

Andriana Petrakis – Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award ‘Emerging Leader’ – Commendation

Andriana Petrakis, who has autism, is a tennis player sharing her experience, skills and knowledge with other young people with intellectual disabilities. When Andriana was nine, her parents – unable to afford occupational therapy – saw tennis as an alternative to build her movement skills, hand eye coordination and social skills. Just over a decade later, Andriana represented Australia at the 2023 Virtus Global Games, the world’s largest elite sports event for athletes with an intellectual disability.  

Now an assistant coach with Tennis SA’s pathway Program, Andriana hopes to inspire other young people with a disability to learn new skills, meet new people and apply themselves while also having fun. She is ranked number five internationally and number one is Australia in the women’s singles People with an intellectual impairment category. She was awarded Tennis SA’s Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability in 2023 and was a finalist in the Young South Australian of the Year Awards for 2024.