Rear ‐ Australian of the Year, Professor Bruce Robinson AM; Young Australian of the Year, Dr John van Bockxmeer; Australia’s Local Hero, Denise Smith‐Ali; and National Senior Australian of the Year, Fred Chaney AO. Front – Nagle College students, Lewis Pope, Seth McKenna, Shanae Jupp, Angus Marsden and Ethan Rogers. Nominations are now open for both the local Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Awards and Australian WA of the Year.

Each year the City of Greater Geraldton calls for nominations from the public for those who have contributed in some way to the betterment of the community. The awards foster, recognise and celebrate significant contributions to community life and active citizenship in all local government areas of WA.

Four Great Australians brought their inspirational stories to Geraldton last week launching the National Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Awards 2015.

The four are WA’s Australian of the year 2014 recipients, and more than 100 people came out in the chill night air on Monday June 23, to listen to and meet them, at a free public forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Seniors and Community Centre, hosted by Australia Day Council of WA.

Reconciliation advocate and Senior Australian of the Year, Fred Chaney AO, who has a fierce commitment to social justice and equality talked about his work helping to empower indigenous people.

WA Australian of the Year, cancer researcher Professor Bruce Robinson AM, gave a larrikin take on how he came to the serious side of his work as a world leader in the study of asbestos related cancers and founding the Fathering Project that aims to connect children with father figures.

Young Australian of the Year, Dr John van Bockxmeer, “grew up wanting to give back” and founded Fair Game, a charity that assists thousands of people in migrant and indigenous communities with recycled sport equipment to capacity build sport, fitness and wellness programs through health education.

Australia’s Local Hero, Noongar Linguist Denise Smith‐Ali, has dedicated her life to reclaiming and reviving the language of the Noongar people of the South West of WA. Her early focus on educating and engaging young people has led to documenting creation and ancestral stories that relate to country.

The City of Greater Geraldton hosted the Great Australians at a lunch time networking session in the Civic Centre Function Room on Tuesday June 24, where councillors and community members were able to chat with them.

The City invites you to nominate an outstanding local hero or group for one of the Premier’s Australia Day Active Citizenship Awards to be presented in Geraldton on Australia Day, Monday, January 26 2015, or the Australian WA of the Year which will be presented in Canberra.

Award nomination forms are available at the Civic Centre or on the City website www.cgg.wa.gov.au

For more information contact Yvonne Lovedee 9965 6773 or email Yvonnel@cgg.wa.gov.au