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Cave divers Richard Harris and Craig Challen have been named the joint Australian of the Year for their heroic work in helping to rescue 12 soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Kate and Tick Everett (Australia’s joint Local Hero), Suzanne Packer (Senior Australian of the Year) and Danzal Baker (Young Australian of the Year) were also honoured at a ceremony Friday evening in Canberra.
This year, work on behalf of the rights of children links all winners, whether through acts of heroism over a short time or in supporting the mental health and education opportunities of Australia’s young people.
In June 2018, a story captured worldwide attention as millions watched and waited to see if 12 Thai soccer players and their coach would escape the cave where they became trapped after heavy rain.
Central to the rescue mission were Australians Dr Harris, an anaesthetist, and Dr Challen, a retired vet, who were presented with their trophies by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a ceremony at the National Arboretum.
The pair, who were long-term friends before their sudden fame, were nominated for Australian of the Year from their respective states, Dr Harris in South Australia and Dr Challen in Western Australia.
A statement from the Australian of the Year Awards said the diving duo had shown “unwavering and selfless bravery”, for which they had also received the Star of Courage.
“The pair have remained humble about their role in the rescue, but have been embraced proudly by Australians as quiet heroes whose efforts are admired and applauded,” the statement read.
It was a mission that could very easily have failed, had it not been for the expertise of those involved in extracting the trapped soccer team.
“We fully expected casualties with this, the result that we got was beyond our wildest dreams,” Dr Challen told the ABC at the time.
“The feeling was that we were engaging in this probably impossible task, but there was no alternative.”
For Dr Harris, an uneasy tension hovered over the mission until the last boy was returned safely to his family.
“To be honest we had no idea how big the story was while we were underground working away,” he said.
It is the first time two state finalists have been jointly awarded the title of Australian of the Year.
‘There is no place for bullying’
The parents of Amy ‘Dolly’ Everett, who took her own life due to bullying, have been named Local Hero in the Australian of the Year awards.
In the wake of Dolly’s death, Kate and Tick Everett mobilised their supporters and strived to build something out of their grief.
They created Dolly’s Dream, an initiative aimed at tackling cyber-bullying and helping young people at risk of mental illness and suicide.
The Northern Territory cattle farmers have previously admitted to being unaccustomed to media attention, but said they were determined to create change.
“Out of all the sadness that the loss of our daughter has brought to our lives, we feel that through losing Dolly we would like to help other families by making an awareness of bullying and harassment that some people are sadly subject to,” they said after Dolly’s death in January 2018.
While the tragedy devastated the small pastoral community Dolly had called home, it also tapped into a widespread issue posing a uniquely modern challenge to parents, teachers and authorities.
“Dolly was tormented and harassed both online and in the schoolyard,” Mr Everett said.
“It would’ve been a lot easier for us to lay Dolly to rest and go back to work but through the huge amount of support that we received both via social media and face to face, it highlighted to us the massive need to try and make a change and show people that there is no place for bullying.”
From Milingimbi country to triple j: A voice for young people
Danzal Baker has been named Young Australian of the Year at a ceremony in Canberra for his work inspiring and encouraging young people in remote areas.
Better known as Baker Boy, the Northern Territorian rose to fame in 2017, coming in at 17th place in triple j’s Hottest 100 for his single Marryuna.
The honour comes as a result of his work on behalf of Indigenous youth, as a rapper, dancer and visual artist.
A Milingimbi and Maningrida man, he expressed a clear objective early on: to be Australia’s first Aboriginal artist to rap in an Indigenous language, going on to release Cloud 9, in which he raps in Yolngu Matha.
“I don’t see or hear anyone that raps in language in Australia … I wanted to be the first Aboriginal rapper to rap in language, so I started writing,” he told the ABC in 2017.
He was also a winner at the National Indigenous Music Awards and has signed a record deal with Select Music.
He regularly tours to remote and regional areas of Australia to meet with and perform for children and young people.
“They see me as a role model, [I’m] going to communities and they spin out that ‘this guy’s rapping in language and it’s amazing’,” he said.
Canberran honoured for standing up for children’s rights
After decades working as a paediatrician, Suzanne Packer of the Australian Capital Territory was named Senior Australian of the Year for her work advocating for the rights of children and in child abuse prevention.
The Canberra resident said she recalled treating an eight-week-old baby as being a catalyst for her goal to help more children affected by neglect and abuse.
“I observed for the first time in my career this baby freeze, almost not be able to see the baby breathing, no sign of life,” Dr Packer said.
“It was absolutely shattering to look at this and to realise that experiences in the first eight weeks of life could produce this profound result.”
Her work has focused on early intervention to prevent long-term harm for the developing brain, leading to recognition by education and government agencies.
Dr Packer was also instrumental in creating child-friendly space in hospitals and ensuring the role of play was recognised for its importance in recovery in children.
The Australian of the Year Awards said Dr Packer was being honoured for her work internationally and at a volunteer level.
“Sue stands up for the rights of children at every opportunity and encourages others to do the same,” the judges said.
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