Presented annually, the Australian of the Year Award recognises people who have made exceptional contributions to their communities, the nation, and the world.
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 . . . |
| 1975 | Alan Stretton | 1922 | Major General of Australia Army, commander of the Cyclone Tracy Relief Operation, (1974) | |
| 1975 | John Cornforth | 1917 | Scientist, 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recipient, became completely deaf by the age of 20 due to the progressive disease otosclerosis | |
| 1974 | Bernard Heinze | 1894 | -1982 | Orchestra conductor and musician, conducted Melbourne Symphony for over 20 years, helped pioneer classical music broadcasting in Australia, promoted Australian composers, oldest to receive Australian of the Year |
| 1973 | Patrick White | 1912 | -1990 | Australian novelist awarded Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973 and Miles Franklin Award (1957, 1961) |
| 1972 | Shane Gould | 1956 | Olympic swimmer; 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze medal in 1972 Summer Olympics | |
| 1971 | Evonne Goolagong | 1951 | Tennis champion, first Indigenous Australian woman to achieve international sporting fame, member Wiradjuri people, in 1971 won both French Open & Wimbledon | |
| 1970 | Norman Gilroy | 1896 | -1977 | First Australian-born Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church |
| 1969 | Richard Casey | 1890 | -1976 | Governor-General of Australia (1965–1969), 1st Australian Ambassador to the USA (1940), WWI served at Gallipoli and awarded the Military Cross |
| 1968 | Lionel Rose | 1948 | -2011 | World champion boxer, won the World Bantamweight Title in 1968, first Indigenous Australian to be named Australian of the Year |
| 1967 | The Seekers | Chart topping singing group (Georgy Girl), only group to be named joint Australians of the Year | ||
| 1966 | Jack Brabham | 1926 | Australian race car driver, Formula One champion (1959, 1960, 1966) | |
| 1965 | Robert Helpmann | 1909 | -1986 | Actor, ballet dancer, producer and choreographer, Deputy Director of the Australian Ballet |
| 1964 | Dawn Fraser | 1937 | Triple Olympic gold medallist swimmer (1956, 1960, 1964) 4 gold medals at the 1962 Commonwealth Games, held 27 individual world records, | |
| 1963 | John Eccles | 1903 | -1997 | Neurophysiologist, 1963 Nobel Prize in Medicine co-recipient, co-author The Self and It’s Brain (1977) |
| 1962 | Jock Sturrock | 1915 | -1997 | America’s Cup skipper and champion yachtsman, won over 400 national and state yachting championships |
| 1961 | Joan Sutherland | 1926 | -2010 | Leading opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti called her the “Voice of the Century” |
| 1960 | Macfarlane Burnet | 1899 | -1985 | Virologist, co-recipient 1960 Nobel Prize for Medicine, first person named Australian of the Year (1960) |
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