Awards
2010 Senior Australian of the Year - Results
2010 winners of the Senior Australian of the Year award
2010 Senior Australian of the Year
Maggie Beer - Cook and restaurateur
Maggie Beer is an exceptional regional business woman and Australian culinary icon whose passion for food brings joy to many Australians. Maggie’s focus is on using seasonal ingredients and educating people to make informed food choices. To this end she opened the famed Pheasant Farm Restaurant in 1979. Maggie and her husband ran it for just short of 15 years, winning a host of prestigious awards, before moving on to focus on producing gourmet foods.
In 1996, Maggie opened an export kitchen for the production of preservative-free gourmet foods for the national and international market, and in 1999 she returned to the original site of the Pheasant Farm and, having come full circle, re-opened Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop. She has written seven books and co-hosted the ABC cooking program, The Cook and the Chef. She also works with Stephanie Alexander to promote the Kitchen Garden Foundation. Maggie Beer hopes that through sharing her love of food she will inspire Australians to reconnect with food and appreciate what we eat.
Details about the 2010 Senior Australian of the Year State and Territory Recipients
NSW Lyn Thorpe - Surgical theatre nurse
Since 1993, 63 year old Lyn Thorpe has used her surgical theatre nursing skills to help others around the world, repairing cleft lips and palates, horrific burns, and birth deformities. In 2008, Lyn went to Cambodia and was part of a team that performed 100 cataract extractions that resulted in immediate sight. Lyn has also helped to raise $50,000 to bring a young burns victim from Papua New Guinea to Australia for treatment, nursing her in her own home after each operation. Lyn’s caring nature shines through in all that she does.VIC Nigel Dick AM - Odyssey House founder
During a long and distinguished career, 81 year old Nigel Dick has worked at the highest levels of the Australian television industry, but he has also made an exceptional contribution to the community. In 1979, he was instrumental in establishing Odyssey House in Victoria, a residential rehabilitation program for people with drug and alcohol addiction. He has transformed the lives of more than 8,000 clients, and reduced the impact and negative effects of drug and alcohol use in Australia.Top of page
QLD Ron Rankin AM - Surf lifesaving leader
Ron Rankin has been a volunteer member of Surf Life Saving Australia for over 46 years, on the Board of Directors for 25 years, and President since 2001.The 62 year old makes a significant contribution to drowning prevention and lifesaving development in the international arena and is Director of the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS) and Vice President of the ILS Asia–Pacific region. Ron’s dedication and commitment to an Australian tradition has saved many thousands of lives.WA June Butcher AM - Wildlife rescuer
June Butcher’s love of animals resulted in her founding Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in 1986. Since then it has cared for over 150 species of sick, injured and orphaned animals, and now has 140 volunteers. June is also involved with the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Western Shield endangered species captive breeding program. The 74 year old is now in the process of fulfilling her dream by moving Kanyana from her three-acre home to a 16-hectare site at Paxwold.TAS Bill Mollison - Permaculture advocate
Known as the father of permaculture, 81 year old Bill Mollison has influenced the lives of millions of people all over the world. Bill studied environmental science and in 1972 a Eureka moment led to the development of permaculture, creating stable productive systems that harmoniously work with nature, not against it. It has become accepted as a viable alternative to chemical-based agriculture. Bill continues to spread his message, teaching permaculture in almost every country.ACT Dr John Buckingham - Breast Cancer surgeon
Dr John Buckingham, 62, is a well-loved specialist breast cancer surgeon who pioneered the sentinel node mapping technique. His interest in breast cancer surgery began when he trained in the United States. When Canberra’s Calvary Hospital opened he joined its staff, and under his guidance Calvary was among the earliest institutions in Australia to undertake sentinel node biopsy. Each year 13,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and Dr Buckingham’s groundbreaking work is saving women’s lives.NT Alan Langworthy - Technological innovator
Alan Langworthy established and manages Powercorp, a world-leading and groundbreaking power systems engineering company whose technology is enabling remote communities to have city-quality power almost entirely from renewable sources. In the early 1990s, Powercorp also pioneered high-penetration wind diesel systems that now power remote communities from Antarctica to the Azores. This year, 60 year old Alan won a prestigious Clunies Ross Award for his contribution to science. Alan’s pioneering work has significantly impacted the global development of remote renewable energy.More details about the Australian of the Year Awards, including the Senior Australian of the Year Awards are at: http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/
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