Victoria’s Australian of the Year Stuart Appleby is a household name in Australian golf, consistently featuring in the top ten of world golf rankings. He sets an exemplary standard not only on the world sports stage, but through his actions as a benefactor. Stuart is a strong supporter of the Challenge Foundation, raising money for children with cancer. He not only gives of his time and energy, but has personally donated more than a million dollars. After visiting his parents’ farm he saw firsthand the devastation and despair caused by drought he pledged support to beyondblue, with a special focus on combating depression in rural communities. Through his ‘birdie meter’ he raises donations for every birdie he makes in tournaments. Stuart has a wonderful ability to relate to people of all ages and is the driving force behind Victoria’s junior golf foundation. He is a role model as an international achiever and a caring contributor to the community.

As an actor, director, theatre founder and philanthropist, Senior Australian of the Year Carrillo Gantner AO has dedicated many years to the development of the arts and culture across the breadth of Australian society. He has devoted his time to directing financial support for worthy activities and the people who drive them, and pursuing a more global cultural awareness. This year Carrillo celebrates 25 years as a cultural leader in his numerous roles over the years, including cultural counsellor at the Australian embassy in Beijing; Melbourne city councillor; chair of Asialink, the Sidney Myer fund, the Australia Council Theatre Board, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival; and his present position as chair of the Victorian Arts Centre. Carrillo’s hands-on involvement with the arts, especially through the Myer Trust, has made a major and lasting difference to the arts in Victoria and enriched the cultural life of the whole community.

Young Australian of the Year Daniel (Dan) Adams has had more of an impact on the community in his 20 years than some do in over their entire lives. He was behind the 2005 concert for the Make Poverty History campaign, the largest youth-run event ever held in Australia, which united 24,000 people at live sites across Australia and reached an audience of 500,000. With no music industry contacts, events management experience, or financial backers, Dan brought the issue of poverty to the front pages, and urged young Australians to make a commitment to fight it. Since the concert Dan has continued as a passionate advocate for social justice, channelling his energy into a new project, Schools 4 Schools, facilitating a direct link between schools and students in Victoria and Natal in a peer-to-peer leadership program.

Local Hero Jonathon Welch touched the heart of the nation with his Choir of Hard Knocks, a community choir initiative that raised to new levels Australia’s awareness of the problems of homelessness, depression, and addiction. But this is just one of many community projects to which Jonathon has given his time – he is also involved with Geelong Pop Kids, the Australian Pop Choir, the Sydney Street Choir, and the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus among others. Jonathon is also well known to young singing students and choirs as an adjudicator at community eisteddfods and competitions. He continues to perform as a singer in his own right and is a member of Tenor Australia, a trio of professional tenors. Most of all he has shown that engaging with creativity, expression, and most of all, with each other, brings new hope.