Two years ago, I looked at The 10 Worst Australian of the Year Awards.But what about the best?
I'll limit it to a top five. Starting with a fine musician...
5. John Farnham (1986)
Hahaha just kidding,
5. Lionel Rose (1968)
The first indigenous Australian of the Year, after becoming the first indigenous world boxing champion.
Lionel Rose also did this:
4. Mandawuy Yunupingu (1992)
Yunupingu is the only surname to win the Australian of the Year Award more than once.
Older brother Galarrwuy was a pioneer figure in Aboriginal land rights and joint recipient of Australian of the Year in 1978.
Mandawuy was the first indigenous person form Arnhem Land to receive a University degree, which he used to revolutionise education in indigenous communities.
He was also the leader singer of Yothu Yindi, who were a really big deal for raising consciousness of Aboriginal identity and culture. This was when Mabo was happening, our Prime Minister was genuinely interested in addressing indigenous issues, and there appeared to be hope of positive action from the top-down.
Ian Kiernan founded Clean Up Sydney Harbour in 1989. There were 40,000 volunteers that cleared the iconic inlet of some of its rubbish.
He founded Clean Up Australia Day in 1990. There were more than 300,000 volunteers cleaning up their local parks and waterways.
In conjunction with the UN, Clean Up The World started in 1993. There were now 30 million volunteers in about 80 countries helping the environment.
On these growth rates, I conservatively estimate that Clean up the Universe now has 300 sextillion sentient beings dedicated to scrubbing every expanding corner of the universe this year.
2. Patrick White (1973)
The only Australian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, back when it was a prestigious award reserved for serious and important authors, and not given to mumbling folk singers.
Obviously I haven't read any of Patrick White's work, just like almost everyone else who reads for pleasure. But I can appreciate the magnitude of his accomplishments.
The best part of his winning Australian of the Year were his private views on the award. From a letter White wrote:
"Something terrible happened to me last week. There is an organisation which chooses an Australian of the Year, who has to appear at an official lunch in Melbourne Town Hall on Australia Day. This year I was picked on as they had run through all the swimmers, tennis players, yachtsmen."
1. Rosie Batty (2015)
I remember hearing part of an interview with Rosie Batty, not long after hearing about the murder of her 11-year-old son at the hands of his father. I can't remember what she said, but I remember being taken aback and deeply impressed with how well she spoke. She was able to talk about domestic violence, an issue that affected her personally in the most extreme and abhorrent way, with such care and authority.
We are so used to complicated issues being distilled into black and white before being thrown into the too hard basket by politicians and media, yet here was a person speaking with nuance about the complexities and offering solutions.
Batty deservedly was awarded Australian of the Year for her campaigning on domestic violence, which I think has legitimately changed how Australian society views the issue for the better. She is arguably the most significant recipient of the award in its history.
You would have to be a massive wanker to have a problem with Rosie Batty.
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