Finalists Announced for Australian of the Year Awards 2013

Community volunteers, philanthropists and social change leaders are among those included as finalists for the Australian of the Year 2013 awards. Photo: globeinnovator.com

Community volunteers and philanthropists feature in the State and Territory finalists for Australian of the Year 2013, including high profile Victorian businessman and philanthropist Harold Mitchell AC.

The 132 finalists in the State & Territory level Australian of the Year Awards for 2013 include philanthropists, social change leaders, volunteers, cancer researchers, scientists and youth advocates.

Four finalists have been selected in each award category – Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero – for each State and Territory.

These Australians will be acknowledged at State and Territory presentation ceremonies held around the country throughout November.

Award recipients will become finalists for the national awards to be held on January 25, 2013 in Canberra.

Program Director at the National Australia Day Council, Tam Johnston, said the wide variety of contributions and accomplishments of the finalists show the values that Australians hold in high esteem.

“These exceptional finalists have been selected from thousands of nominations submitted by the public in the search for the Australian of the Year Award recipients for 2013,” Johnston said.

“They have made incredible contributions to their local community, Australia wide and throughout the world.

“From these remarkable finalists we will eventually find the national award recipients in January.”

Victorian Businessman and philanthropist Harold Mitchell has used his wealth to support many causes close to his heart. The founder of Mitchell & Partners and Executive Chairman of Aegis Media Australia and New Zealand, has seen his company evolve into Australia's largest media and communications group.

Since 2000, his Foundation has distributed more than $7 million to projects related to health and the arts. He is a past Chairman of the National Gallery Australia, past President of the Melbourne International Festival of Arts, and a former Board Member of the Opera Australia Council.

NSW Conservationist and philanthropist Graeme Wood is a finalist in the Queensland division. Wood created the concept for, and co-founded, Wotif.com revolutionising the travel industry in Australia.

The Global Mail's sole founding philanthropist Wood is heavily involved in a range of philanthropic endeavours in the arts, the environment, youth development and medical science.

A passionate environmentalist, in 2008 he founded Wild Mob, a Not for Profit, non-political environmental charity.Wood’s donation helped establish the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland, which tackles some of the world?s toughest challenges, including population growth, climate change and resource depletion. Equally passionate about the transformative power of the arts, Wood founded the Not for Profit, Artolgy.

One of the ACT finalists is Social justice campaigner, Dr Tom Calma AO. Respected for his inspirational and inclusive advocacy for human rights and social justice, Dr Calma has dedicated his life to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. For more than four decades he has championed the importance of empowerment – a passion which runs through his work in education, training, employment, health, justice reinvestment and development.

Calma was formerly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner. 

A full list of the finalists is available at the Australian of the Year website.