The Australian of the Year Awards celebrate extraordinary Australians who make a profound impact on lives, communities and society. Their challenges and triumphs, of reaching beyond professional achievements, reflect each recipient’s unique life journey. While the Awards focus on the year of recognition, they also honour the individual’s lifelong and ongoing contributions to the nation.
District 9800 has received an invitation from the Australia Day Victoria committee to nominate ordinary Victorians for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards, which close on 31 July 2025. Anyone can make a nomination for one of four categories:
- Australian of the Year
- Senior Australian of the Year
- Young Australian of the Year
- Australia’s Local Hero
The organisers are seeking the assistance of Rotary and its Rotarians to help in spreading the word and encouraging nominations within the local community.
Attached is a stakeholder pack for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards nominations. The pack includes background information, suggested social and eDM copy, videos and images. Posters are also available to print and display. It is hoped that Rotary Clubs will share these materials on social media and distribute to any interested parties in the community and other networks. Another source of publicity is in your e-bulletins and on Club websites.
Helpful links
- To learn more about the awards and nominate, visit the Australian of the Year Awards website.
- To hear the stories of the 2025 Victorian award recipients, visit the Victorian Government website.
Thank you kindly for your support. If you have any questions, please get in touch via awards@dpc.vic.gov.au.