Australian Father of the Year award

The Australian Father of the Year Award is presented annually to "a distinguished father who has demonstrated support, guidance and love to his children or other children through his working role or family life."[1]

Awards

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The award was inaugurated in 1957 by The Australian Father's Day Council. The Shepherd Centre (TSC) has been involved from 1998-2021, in 2022 the award organisation was handed to The Fathering Project. Much like TSC, The Fathering Project together with the Australian Father's Day Council launch an annual campaign to find Australia's best high-profile father. The winner is announced at a luncheon, with all proceeds going to TSC; a charity that teaches deaf and hearing-impaired children to listen and speak using an early intervention program.

The award is not associated with the Australian government run Australian of the Year awards.

Past recipients

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Awarded Name Post-nominals Notes
2024 David Campbell (singer) and his father, Jimmy Barnes [2] OAM The Today Extra talk show host, singer, actor and his father, Cold Chisel frontman and singer.
2023 Hamish Blake[3] OAM Australian comedian, television and radio presenter, actor and author
2022 Craig Foster[4] AM Former Socceroo's captain and political activist
2021 Brendan Murphy[5] Former Chief Medical Officer of Australia
2020 Shane Fitzsimmons[5] Former Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and Head of Resilience NSW
2019 Mark Beretta[5] Television journalist
2018 Dick Smith[5] AC Entrepreneur and philanthropist[6]
2017 Mike Baird[5] Former Premier of New South Wales
2016 Lieutenant General David Hurley[5] AC, DSC Governor of New South Wales
2015 Jamal Rifi[5] Doctor, founder of Australia Muslim Doctors against Violence
2014 Andrew Gaze[5] AM Basketballer
2013 Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC, MG Soldier, later found at a civil defamation trial to be a war criminal
2012 John Symond[5] AM Executive Chairman of Aussie Home Loans, and Chairman of Sydney Opera House Trust
2011 Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston[5] AC, AFC Former Chief of the Defence Force
2010 Guy Cooper[5] Former Chief Executive of the Taronga and Western Plains Zoos
2009 Li Cunxin[5] Dancer
2008 Paul Roos[5] Footballer
2007 David Koch Television presenter
2006 Ron Delezio Founder of Day of Difference Foundation
2005 Steve Waugh AO Cricketer
2004 Graeme Clark AC Cochlear Implant developer
2003 Karl Kruszelnicki Scientist
2002 Steve Vizard Media personality
2001 Jim Rafter Father of nine including tennis player Pat Rafter
2000 Stephen Biddulph AM Parenting activist
1999 Slim Dusty AO, MBE Musician
1998 Kamahl AM Musician
1997 John Howard Prime Minister
1996 Rear Admiral Peter Ross Sinclair AC, RAN Governor of New South Wales
1995 Mark Taylor Cricketer
1994 Sir James Hardy OBE Americas Cup Sailor
1993 Michael Chugg Music promoter
1992 Bill Crews Minister
1991 Dr Bruce Shepherd Known for his work in education for the deaf
1990 Peter Doyle
1989 Ken Done Artist
1988 Rear Admiral Sir David Martin KCMG, AO, RAN Governor of New South Wales
1987 A.H Pollard Actuary and statistician
1986 Gordon Moyes AM Politician
1985 Sir Ian Turbott AO, CMG, CVO Businessman, Chancellor of Western Sydney University
1984 Prof Peter Rowe Sir Lorimer Dods Professor,University of Sydney, Director of the Children’s Medical Research Institute
1983 Bobby Limb OBE Entertainer
1982 Alan Davidson MBE Cricketer
1981 Dr Bradney W Norington
1980 Jim Lees QPM Police Commissioner
1979 Neil McLeod
1978 Sir Zelman Cowen AK, GCMG Governor General
1977 Gary O'Callaghan MBE Radio presenter
1976 Malcolm Fraser Prime Minister
1975 joint winners Major General Alan Stretton AO, CBE Head of National Disasters Organisation (Cyclone Tracy relief efforts)
John Cornforth CBE Nobel prize winner in Chemistry
1974 Sir John Kerr AC, KCMG Governor General
1973 Group Captain John Waddy OBE, DFC Politician
1972 Dr William McBride AO, CBE Gynecologist and obstetrician, (discovered the teratogenicity of thalidomide)
1971 William McMahon Prime Minister
1970 Vincent Charles Fairfax Boy Scouts[7]
1969 W.M. Leonard Legacy Australia[8]
1968 Lord Casey GCMG, CH, DSO, MC, PC Governor General
1967 Sir Lorimer Dods LVO Children's health care
1966 Lieutenant Roden Cutler VC, CBE Governor of New South Wales
1965 Bill Northam Olympic sailor[9]
1964 Robert Menzies CH Prime Minister
1963 Leslie James Herron Chief justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales[10]
1962 Captain Sir Norman Gregg MC Ophthalmologist
1961 Captain Adrian Curlewis Judge
1960 Colin Delaney CVO, CBE, QPM NSW Police Commissioner[11][12]
1959 Joseph Cahill Premier of New South Wales
1958 Harry Jensen Politician
1957 Sir Edward Hallstrom Businessman and philanthropist

See also

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Australian Mother of the Year Award

References

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  1. ^ "Father of the Year Award".
  2. ^ "Today Extra host named Australian Father of the Year". australianfatheringawards.org.au. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Australian Father of The Year 2023 Hamish Blake". 9now.nine.com.au. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Craig Foster wins Father of the Year award". honey.nine.com.au. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Australian Father of the Year Award". The Shepherd Centre. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Father of the Year Award". The Shepherd Centre. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. ^ "100 years: Sir Vincent Fairfax commemorative book 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-05. page 6
  8. ^ Barrie Dyster, 'Leonard, Sir Walter McEllister (Mac) (1915–1985)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leonard-sir-walter-mcellister-mac-14152/text25163, published in hardcopy 2012, accessed online 5 April 2014.
  9. ^ R. I. Cashman, 'Northam, Sir William Herbert (1905–1988)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/northam-sir-william-herbert-14999/text26188, published in hardcopy 2012, accessed online 5 April 2014.
  10. ^ "History of the Award". Australian Father of the Year. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  11. ^ Menzies, Robert (14 August 1964). "Father of the Year - 1964 - Presentation at Hotel Australia, Sydney - 14th August, 1964 - Speech by the Prime Minister, The RT. Hon. Sir Robert Menzies". PM Transcripts. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  12. ^ Wotherspoon, Garry C. (1993). "Delaney, Colin John (1897–1969)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
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