She couldn't walk past homeless people anymore, so she started cooking meals in her own kitchen.
Each year, a nation pauses to ask itself who among its people has most faithfully answered the call to serve — and in New South Wales, sixteen such people have now been named. From a neonatologist who has given critically ill newborns a fighting chance, to a young man who ran the width of a continent for those without shelter, these nominees represent the quiet and not-so-quiet ways ordinary lives become extraordinary ones. Their recognition, announced in late October 2025, sets in motion a journey toward national honours in Canberra on Australia Day 2026 — a reminder that the measure of a society is found not only in its institutions, but in the individuals who refuse to look away.
- Sixteen NSW residents have been nominated across four categories — Australian of the Year, Senior Australian, Young Australian, and Local Hero — drawn from a national field of 134 candidates.
- The nominees collectively confront some of Australia's most urgent crises: newborn mortality, coral reef collapse, LGBTIQ+ hate violence, dementia, homelessness, youth suicide, dental inequality, and addiction recovery.
- Individual efforts have scaled into movements — a single run across Australia raised over $8 million for homelessness, a co-founded peer support group has reached 105,000 lives, and a mobile dental clinic founded by a teenager now serves communities without access to care.
- NSW state winners will be announced on November 10 at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, with national finalists then advancing to the January 25, 2026 ceremony in Canberra.
- The National Australia Day Council's CEO framed the nominees not as exceptional outliers but as proof of a collective human capacity — that a single act of care, repeated and shared, can become a movement.
Sixteen New South Wales residents have been nominated for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards, representing the state's contribution to a national field of 134 candidates. Announced in late October, the nominees span medicine, marine science, human rights law, and grassroots community work, with NSW winners to be named on November 10 at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney before national finals in Canberra on January 25, 2026.
In the main category, Professor Nadia Badawi leads a neonatal unit where survival rates for critically ill newborns exceed 96 percent, and her research has contributed to a 40 percent reduction in cerebral palsy rates nationally. Marine biologist Dr Jennifer Matthews developed a coral "baby food" that more than doubles young coral survival and now guides reef restoration across Australia. Human rights lawyer Nicholas Stewart has represented LGBTIQ+ hate crime victims and established a pro bono clinic for witnesses, while humanitarian Dr Alison Thompson — who founded Third Wave Volunteers after September 11 — has mobilised over 30,000 volunteers to bring aid to more than 18 million people worldwide.
Among Senior Australians, Professor Henry Brodaty transformed dementia care after his father's diagnosis in 1972 and has since demonstrated that targeted interventions can delay its onset. At 94, Bob Holder remains the world's oldest competitive cowboy with an 81-year rodeo career. Sue Mann built Australia's largest home care provider, now serving 20,000 older Australians annually, and Peter Watson's Men's Kitchen has grown from six men in a Forestville kitchen to 200 monthly participants supported by 100 volunteers.
Young nominees address the country's most pressing social crises. Nedd Brockmann ran nearly 4,000 kilometres from Perth to Sydney in 46 days, ultimately raising over $8 million for homelessness services. Jack Brown co-founded Talk2MeBro after a family member's suicide; it now reaches 105,000 lives through free community events. Ruby Riethmuller's Womn-Kind app and school workshops have supported over 30,000 young people facing a crisis in which suicide is the leading cause of death for girls aged 16 to 24. Dr Rand Younes founded a mobile dental service at age 17 to bring care to schools and communities that would otherwise go without.
Local Heroes reflect the power of hyperlocal commitment. Andrew and Lyndell Clark have spent 16 years mentoring Wollongong children — 70 percent with disabilities — through robotics, with zero reoffending among at-risk youth over four years. Kate Cleary transformed a rural convent into a recovery facility for women escaping addiction and domestic violence. Aneika Kapeen established the Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation to connect First Nations youth in Clarence Valley with culture and education, delivering over one million hours of learning. Theresa Mitchell founded Agape Outreach after deciding she could no longer walk past homeless people; it now provides 1,500 hot meals weekly across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast.
The National Australia Day Council's CEO described the nominees as living proof of Australians' collective capacity for change — evidence that a moment of compassion, when acted upon, can quietly reshape the lives of thousands.
Sixteen New South Wales residents have been nominated for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards, a recognition that spans medicine, marine conservation, human rights law, and grassroots community work. The nominees were announced on October 27 and represent the state's contribution to a national field of 134 candidates across all territories. They will compete for four categories—Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year, and Local Hero—with NSW winners to be named November 10 at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney before advancing to national finals in Canberra on January 25, 2026.
In the main Australian of the Year category, Professor Nadia Badawi leads a neonatology unit at The Children's Hospital in Westmead where survival rates for critically ill newborns exceed 96 percent, among the world's best. Her research into cerebral palsy as chair of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance has contributed to a 40 percent reduction in cerebral palsy rates across Australia. Dr Jennifer Matthews, a marine biologist, developed a coral "baby food" that more than doubles young coral survival and now guides reef restoration efforts nationwide. She founded Big Blue Conservation in Thailand and launched the Sydney Coral Project to study the southernmost coral ecosystems on Earth. Nicholas Stewart, a human rights lawyer, has represented LGBTIQ+ victims of hate crimes and successfully campaigned for parliamentary inquiries into institutional responses to such violence, establishing a pro bono clinic to support witnesses. Dr Alison Thompson, a global humanitarian, has mobilized over 30,000 volunteers to disaster zones, bringing aid to more than 18 million people. She founded Third Wave Volunteers after spending nine months at the World Trade Centre following September 11, 2001, and later established the first Tsunami Early-Warning Centre after the 2004 disaster.
The Senior Australian of the Year category recognizes four individuals whose work spans decades. Professor Henry Brodaty transformed dementia care after his own father's diagnosis at age 52 in 1972, when the disease was poorly understood. His Maintain Your Brain trial demonstrated that targeted interventions can delay or prevent dementia onset. Bob Holder, at 94, remains the world's oldest competitive cowboy, with an 81-year professional rodeo career that began when he forged a letter from his mother to compete in an over-16s event at age 14. Sue Mann spent 50 years as a registered nurse and built what became Australia's largest home care provider, now serving 20,000 older Australians annually in their homes. Peter Watson founded Men's Kitchen after recognizing his own father's struggles as a widower; the program has grown from six men in a Forestville kitchen to a network where 100 volunteers run monthly sessions for 200 participants.
Young Australian of the Year nominees address some of the country's most pressing social crises. Nedd Brockmann, now 26, ran 3,952 kilometers from Perth to Sydney in 46 days in 2022, raising $2.6 million from over 37,000 contributors for homelessness services. His subsequent Uncomfortable Challenge has raised over $8 million. Jack Brown co-founded Talk2MeBro in 2018 following a family member's suicide; the organization now operates over 100 trained volunteers who facilitate 180 free community events annually and have reached 105,000 lives nationally. Ruby Riethmuller founded Womn-Kind in 2020 to address the fact that suicide is the leading cause of death for girls aged 16 to 24 in Australia; her digital app and school workshops have supported over 30,000 young people. Dr Rand Younes founded Impact Mobile Dental Services, now known as Pearly, at age 17 to bring dental care to schools and communities that would otherwise lack access.
Local Heroes represent hyperlocal impact. Andrew and Lyndell Clark have spent 16 years mentoring Wollongong children through robotics, with about 70 percent of participants having disabilities. Their Unstoppable program has diverted at-risk youth from crime with zero reoffending over four years. Kate Cleary transformed a rural convent into The Farm, a facility for women recovering from substance addiction and domestic violence, helping dozens reunite with their children. Aneika Kapeen, a Yaegl and Bunjalung woman, established the Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation in 2019 to help First Nations youth in Clarence Valley connect with culture and education; the Community Preschool Engagement Program has delivered over one million hours of learning. Theresa Mitchell founded Agape Outreach in 2009 after deciding she could no longer walk past homeless people; the organization now operates with 300 volunteers across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast, providing 1,500 hot meals weekly and capability-building services.
Mark Fraser, CEO of the National Australia Day Council, described the nominees as reminding Australians of their collective capacity for change—whether through a simple act of care that becomes a movement, a moment with someone in need that transforms many, or fighting for what is right. The awards ceremony on November 10 will be viewable online, with national finalists announced for the January 2026 presentation in Canberra.
Notable Quotes
The nominees remind us we are all capable of so much, whether it's a simple act of care which creates a movement, a moment spent with someone in need that brings about change for many, fighting for what's right or doing things differently.— Mark Fraser, CEO, National Australia Day Council
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What strikes you most about this year's field?
The sheer specificity of their work. These aren't general do-gooders. Badawi has a 96 percent survival rate. Brockmann ran 3,952 kilometers. Matthews doubled coral survival. They measure their impact in concrete numbers.
Why does that matter?
Because it means they're not just motivated—they're effective. They've built systems that work. Theresa Mitchell feeds 1,500 people a week. That's not inspiration; that's infrastructure.
Several nominees work in mental health and homelessness. Is that a coincidence?
No. Those are the crises that won't wait for government. A young person in crisis needs help now. Jack Brown's volunteers run 180 events a year because the need is constant. Ruby Riethmuller built an app because rural girls can't always reach a therapist.
What about the older nominees—Holder, Brodaty, Mann?
They're showing that age isn't an endpoint. Holder is 94 and still competing. Brodaty spent 50 years on dementia after his father's diagnosis. They didn't retire from their purpose; they deepened it.
Do you see a pattern in how they started?
Many of them began with a personal wound or witness. Brodaty's father. Brown's family member. Cleary working in a jail and seeing what women needed. They didn't theorize—they saw a gap and filled it.
What happens next for these people?
Four will be named NSW winners in November. Those four go national in January. But honestly, most of them will keep doing exactly what they're doing regardless. The award is recognition, not the engine.