The Australian of the Year Award is Australia’s annual national honor and pride. It is presented annually on Australia Day to recognise achievement and service by an Australian in any field of human endeavour.
AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR Award recognises people who inspire us through their achievements to be better, do better. They have become role models in our communities challenging us to contribute in our own way to making Australia and the world a better place.
Every year the national Australian of the Year Awards are awarded on Australia Day. The Australian of the Year Awards started in 1960 and is a program of the National Australia Day Council.
Present to 1991 … 1990 to 1976 … 1975 to 1960
| Award Year | Name | Born | Died | A little bit about them . . . |
| 1990 | Fred Hollows | 1921 | -1993 | Ophthalmologist and humanitarian, founder of The Fred Hollows Foundation, pioneered a low cost method for manufacturing intraocular lenses, trained doctors in poor communities overseas to perform simple eye surgery |
| 1989 | Allan Border | 1955 | Australian cricket captain, names Australian of the Year for his leading role in the historic Ashes victory | |
| 1988 | Kay Cottee | 1954 | Solo yachtswoman, first female sailor to circumnavigate the world non-stop and unassisted. Her journey took 189 days in 1988 and set 7 world records. She also help raise over one million dollars for the Life Education Centres | |
| 1987 | John Farnham | 1949 | Singer and musician (Sadie the Cleaning Lady) named Australian of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the Australian music industry over 20 years | |
| 1986 | Dick Smith | 1944 | Entrepreneur, adventurer and philanthropist, completed first solo helicopter flight around the world (1983), donated first mobile classroom to Life Education Centres (1981) | |
| 1985 | Paul Hogan | 1939 | Golden Globe Award winning actor, his “slip an extra shrimp on the barbie’ Australian tourism ad took Australia from 49th to 1st as most desired holiday destination for American travellers | |
| 1984 | Lowitja O’Donoghue | 1932 | Aboriginal leader, health worker; inaugural chairperson of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission (1990–96), Australian of the Year for her work in bridging the cultural gap between Aborigines and the rest of the community | |
| 1983 | Robert de Castella | 1957 | Marathon runner, won gold at 1982, 1986 Commonwealth Games and Director Australian Institute of Sport (1990-95) | |
| 1982 | Edward Williams | 1921 | -1999 | Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland (1971), chairman Australia’s National Crimes Commission (1982)and Brisbane Commonwealth Games Foundation (1982) |
| 1981 | John Crawford | 1910 | -1984 | Agricultural economist, key architect of Australia’s post-war growth, head of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture, Chancellor Australian National University |
| 1980 | Manning Clark | 1915 | -1991 | Historian, best known for writing a six-volume A History of Australia |
| 1979 | Neville Bonner | 1922 | -1999 | Aboriginal Australian politician, first indigenous Australian to become a Senator, elder of the Jagera people |
| 1979 | Harry Butler | 1930 | Conservationist and naturalist, through TV program In the Wild and his books, he helped to popularise science and natural history for Australians of all ages | |
| 1978 | Galarrwuy Yunupingu | 1948 | Aboriginal leader and land rights activist, one of 100 Australian Living National Treasure, member of Gumatj clan of the Yolngu people | |
| 1978 | Alan Bond | 1938 | Entrepreneur and America’s Cup financier, 2003 America’s Cup Hall of Fame, he was later convicted of fraud and sentenced to 7 years in prison | |
| 1977 | Murray Tyrrell | 1913 | -1994 | Official Secretary to six Governors-General |
| 1976 | Edward Dunlop “Weary” | 1907 | -1993 | As a surgeon pioneered new surgical techniques, World War II prisoner of war forced to work on the infamous Thai-Burma railway |
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