Australian of the Year Awards

New South Wales Australian of the Year. Welcome to Maitland! 

[Sophie Smith, 2019 NSW Local Hero:]

It's so exciting to be on this trip with the other 2019 NSW Australians of the Year Jarrod, Kurt and Heather.

They are such incredibly inspiring people.

And now here we are all together on our tour of honour as the New South Wales Australians of the year for 2019.

[Kurt Fearnley AO, 2019 NSW Australian of the Year:]

I got given NSW Australian of the Year and honestly sometimes you just feel really grateful and a little bit surprised that people see the thing that you do and really value it a lot.

This is my community, I'm a kid from rural NSW and one of the really nice experiences about today is reconnecting with the group of NSW nominees for Australian of the Year.

These are just such extremely optimistic and positive and driven people.

[Jarrod Wheatley, 2019 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

So maybe someone here in this room might be the first person to say 'Hey, Jarrod started a charity, maybe I can too'.

It's pretty special in life when you can take a little bit of a break put a pause on your other responsibilities and come together with a group of people that are all trying to make a positive difference in the community and really being encouraged by them but also pick up a bit of that energy and be able to hopefully bring that back into all of our individual projects.

[Heather Lee OAM, 2019 NSW Senior Australian of the Year:]

There's a lot of life lessons we all have to learn and I can see that they're listening and learning and taking on board what we're all saying.

We've got experience of life and I've got more experience in life than most people.

So I can sort of, you know, hand on a few tips here and there.

[Sophie Smith, 2019 NSW Local Hero:]

I think being Australian is all about supporting each other, being there for each other, when the chips are down and also celebrating with each other.

And being the NSW Local Hero for 2019 — it's just been amazing.

[Kurt Fearnley AO, 2019 NSW Australian of the Year:]

To bring them to be a part of this group that comes to a regional area, comes out to Maitland and really brings a breath of fresh air into this community.

I just love the hope this community, the Australian of the Year community, can bring to towns across this place.

[Crowd:]

MAITLAND!

[Josephine Peter, 2017 NSW Local Hero:]

I'm just so proud to be able to show Broken Hill, 'cause Broken Hill is wonderful, and you can't go much further into the country than you can in Broken Hill.

People love having visitors to come here, and particularly the recipients of the Australian of the Year Award, and the more who come, the better.

[Arthur Alla, 2017 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

It's just an incredible opportunity that will never be repeated. 

Being able to push my message out, approach people with more confidence and more legitimacy as well.  

You know, what we're doing is not just a crazy idea, but actually something that has a bit of weight behind it and that we can actually make a difference. 

[Dr John Knight AM, 2017 NSW Senior Australian of the Year:]

Virtually everybody at some stage has done something good or something outstanding to help his fellow man. And that's what it's all about. 

I think coming to Broken Hill is a real eye-opener, because you get here and find this absolutely outstanding city, you can talk to this huge audience, which I love doing. 

[Deng Adut, 2017 NSW Australian of the Year:]

Well, we were dumbfounded when... All of us, all the nominees. 

Look at Dr John. He's turning 90 this year. And what is he doing? He's doing great things for Australia. And then young Arthur and beautiful Josephine. 

All these people, they represent there's still good people out there, good people that can do good things for the country. 

And there's something to celebrate every year about being Australian.

You're not Australian just because you were born in Australia. You are Australian because Australia is born in you. 

[Josephine Peter, 2017 NSW Local Hero:]

The little ones, they were really, really enthusiastic, so we're hoping that we've made an impression on them. They're just wonderful kids. 

[Dr John Knight AM, 2017 NSW Senior Australian of the Year:]

When you see kids here in a place like Broken Hill, Australia, I'm not worried about its future at all. 

[Arthur Alla, 2017 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

The best part of the trip hasn't been me talking, but it's been listening to others. 

Going to the nursing home, hearing the wisdom of people who've lived full lives and who have so much to give and that probably aren't listened to nearly enough. 

We have so much more that unites us than we have that divides us. 

[Deng Adut, 2017 NSW Australian of the Year:]

Don't follow those who divide us. The kids are the future of this country. We owe them a lot. We owe them so much. It's about delivering and action. We should all contribute in different ways.

[Arthur Alla, 2017 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

Just give it a go. Do something. Listen to people's stories and see where you might be able to help.

[Deng Adut, 2017 NSW Australian of the Year:]

To be free is to be like at the top of these beautiful hills at the top of Broken Hill. This is freedom. That's what I appreciate. That is Australia, to me.

[Elizabeth Broderick AO, 2016 NSW Australian of the Year:]

[Professor Gordian Fulde AO, 2016 NSW Senior Australian of the Year:]

[Melissa Abu-Gazaleh, 2016 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

[Dr Catherine Keenan, 2016 NSW Local Hero:]

[Music]

[Andrew Gill, Facilitator/MC:]

The 2016 New South Wales to of honor from strains of the year go all around the North Coast.

We're going to be with Cath, Liz and Mel. Three inspiration women. We're going to be joined by Gordian on Friday as well.

We're going to Casino. We're going to Lismore. We're going to Port Macquarie. It's going to be so much fun. 

[Elizabeth Broderick AO, 2016 NSW Australian of the Year:]

I love visiting regional New South Wales. Having a platform like the New South Wales Australian of the Year Awards, it allows you to take your message to places where you never imagined.

[Melissa Abu-Gazaleh, 2016 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

For me to be able to come to regional areas and share my story and hopefully, you know, use it as an example where you know young people can learn that if they do have an idea, if they see that there's a change that needs to be made, they can do it and they can leverage the support from their local regional communities.

[Dr Catherine Keenan, 2016 NSW Local Hero:]

The thing I like best about visiting communities in regional in New South Wales is particularly talking to the young people after we do our panel discussion on stage.

All the kids come and talk to us and that's awesome when they have really great questions and little stories to tell.

We've had kangaroo cooked for us at primary schools.

We've walked through a tunnel of hands, which is quite hard because they were quite small and we had to squeeze through the bottom.

[Phillip Maunder, Nambucca Heads Primary School Principal:]

The kids that it an excellent time and really enjoyed asking the questions.

You can see in there, there were so many of those kids who wanted to ask questions, I think. We could have spent another hour in there. 

[Elizabeth Broderick AO, 2016 NSW Australian of the Year:]

I think when we stay in the city, you get locked into a set of views, a set of perspectives. Whereas you go out for regional Australia, you'll hear about the things that people are doing in community that from small beginnings can come huge ideas.

[Melissa Abu-Gazaleh, 2016 NSW Young Australian of the Year:]

If you have an idea, you just need to start small. You know, everyday citizens and ordinary people want to make a contribution and actually be able to make a meaningful contribution.

[Professor Gordian Fulde AO, 2016 NSW Senior Australian of the Year:]

It's been an incredible buzz. People have been so fabulous.

Interacting, seeing, talking to people. I think it's the essence of our human behavior and the essence of basically what we really need to do is talk to each other more.

[Dr Catherine Keenan, 2016 NSW Local Hero:]

Creating change doesn't happen in one giant leap. It's thousands of small intentional steps.

You don't have to be extraordinary. You can just be someone who's doing what they can, when they can. That's how we will change the world.

[Music]