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| Australian of the Year Neale Daniher with his wife Jan and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after taking out the award. (AAP: Mick Tsikas) |
By Charlotte Gore and Georgia Roberts
An AFL giant, motor neurone disease (MND) sufferer and activist for others with the condition, Neale Daniher has been crowned Australian of the Year for his work to end the illness he describes as a beast.
Daniher was diagnosed in 2013 with MND, a neurodegenerative condition that takes away a sufferer's use of their arms and legs, before their ability to eat, speak and breathe.
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| AFL great Neale Daniher has been named the 2025 Australian of the Year. (AAP: Mick Tsikas) |
Since then Daniher has been a tireless campaigner in the fight for awareness, and has raised more than $100 million for medical research to find a cure.
An Officer of the Order of Australia for his work co-founding charity FightMND, Daniher has lived with the debilitating disease for over a decade, defying its average life expectancy of 27 months.
The now 63-year-old has dedicated the rest of his life to helping to prevent the suffering of those diagnosed with MND in the future.
After receiving a prolonged standing ovation, Daniher accepted his award as Australian of the Year with the help of his wife, Jan.
Due to his disease Daniher is no longer able to speak, so a prerecorded audio version of his acceptance remarks was played for the audience.
He said he was deeply honoured to receive the award, which he said belonged not just to him but to the entire MND community, including families, carers, researchers and volunteers.
"Motor neurone disease [is] a beast of a disease — it doesn't discriminate. It robs you of your ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe," he said.
"But it did something else, too: it lit a fire within me. A determination to fight for those who are currently affected, and those who will face it after me.
"I chose to fight because if I didn't, how could I expect anyone else to? I chose to hope because I believe in the decency and generosity of Australians. I thought, if people truly understood the challenges we face, and joined the fight with me, and you have, oh, how you have."
Born in 1961 as the third of 11 children in the small NSW Riverina town of Ungarie, Daniher's football career began at Essendon Football Club when he was 18.
He played for the team between 1979 and 1990, and was appointed the club's youngest captain as a 21-year-old in 1982.
After retiring due to injury Daniher went on to coach for Essendon, Fremantle, and Melbourne football clubs as inaugural CEO of the AFL Coaches Association, and as general manager of football operations with the West Coast Eagles.
Beanies sold through his charity FightMND became synonymous with the organisation, with AFL fans sporting them for the Big Freeze, it's push for donations to fight the cause every year.
"To everyone who has bought a beanie, donated a dollar, or spread the word — thank you. You are proof that when Australians unite, nothing is impossible," he said.
Wheelchairs For Kids co-founder named 2025 Senior Australian of the Year
The co-founder of a charity that has been providing adjustable wheelchairs to children in developing countries since 1996 has been named the 2025 Senior Australian of the Year.
Since Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett co-founded Wheelchairs For Kids nearly three decades ago the not-for-profit has gifted more than 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs to children in over 80 countries.
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| Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett took to the stage to accept the Senior Australian of the Year Award on Saturday night. (AAP: Mick Tsikas) |
With more than 250 retiree workshop volunteers, Wheelchairs For Kids is one of WA's largest volunteer-led charities, and since the average age of its volunteers is 74, one of Australia's oldest.
Another 550 people from aged care and community groups sew covers for wheelchair soft supports, and crochet rugs and soft toys.
A member of the Order of Australia, 83-year-old Brother Pickett also spearheaded the world first development of an innovative, low-cost wheelchair design to World Health Organization standards that adjusts as the child grows.
Accepting his award at the National Arboretum, Brother Pickett said he felt humbled.
He dedicated the award to the Wheelchairs For Kids volunteers both in and outside of the charity's factory.
"As the co-founder of Wheelchairs for Kids Australia, nothing can be achieved unless you have good people around you," he said.
"This is why our project has become a large Australian charity, everyone who makes the wheelchairs is a volunteer."
He also read out a review he received from a young girl called Mercy from Zambia who received a wheelchair from the charity.
"She says: 'Dear friend, thank you for the wheelchair and the teddy bear and the beautiful rug that you gave me. You have made my heart rejoice again. I can now go to school and be with my friends'."
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| Katrina Wruck was named the 2025 Young Australian of the Year at the National Arboretum in Canberra. (AAP: Mick Tsikas ) |
Queensland's Katrina Wruck named 2025 Young Australian of the Year
A chemist researching how to turn dangerous "forever chemicals" in water into benign ones has been named the 2025 Young Australian of the Year.
Katrina Wruck uses her chemistry research to give back to remote communities through her profit-for-purpose business Nguki Kula Green Labs.
Aiming to change the consumer goods sector by using green chemistry, Dr Wruck's method of converting mining by-products to zeolite LTA — which can remove contaminants from water that cause hardness — will be commercialised.
The proud Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman has also long been an advocate for First Nations knowledge, and participates in community engagement programs.
Dr Wruck is frequently told by the students she speaks to that she's the first Indigenous scientist they've met, inspiring others to consider a STEM career.
Accepting her award Dr Wruck acknowledged both her immigrant and Torres Strait Islander heritage as integral parts of her identity.
“Representation matters. When kids, especially Indigenous kids, see someone like me in this position, it tells them that they belong, that their dreams are valid and their voices are powerful,” she said.
She also discussed the different things the date January 26 means to different Australians.
“Rooted in my deep connection to country, my work as a lecturer and researcher in green chemistry and material science at the Queensland University of Technology is driven by a commitment to addressing urgent global challenges, championing environmental sustainability and pioneering solutions to combat harmful contaminants.”
Social enterprise co-founders named joint Local Heroes for 2025
Local Heroes Hannah Costello (left) and Vanessa Brettell during the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards.
(AAP: Mick Tsikas)
The co-founders of a social enterprise harnessing the power of hospitality to create employment pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse women have been jointly named Australia's Local Heroes for 2025.
Canberrans Vanessa Brettell, 31, and Hannah Costello, 32, created Cafe Stepping Stone, a sustainable vegetarian cafe with two locations where workers also receive on-the-job training and qualifications through registered training organisations.
Ms Brettell and Ms Costello's inclusive employment practices target female workers who are the sole income earners in their household, newly arrived in Australia, experiencing homelessness, know limited English, or have minimal employment history.
The pair also run a range of events through Stepping Stone with a focus on social justice and community connection, including afternoon craft sessions, silent books clubs and a monthly menopause cafe.
n future Ms Brettell and Ms Costello hope to grow Cafe Stepping Stones so it can provide more training opportunities for more women.
Accepting their joint award in Canberra, Ms Brettell said she and Ms Costello had been afforded many privileges like quality education, security, and a safety net that allowed them to try new things.
"In recognising our privilege, we felt compelled to use our skills and experience to help those who have not had the same opportunities," Ms Brettell said.
"It is cheesy, but at 21 I was inspired by the quote 'be the change you want to see in the world', and this was the driving force to start our work integration social enterprise Stepping Stone."
Ms Costello said by connecting through food women can share knowledge and culture, enriching society through diversity.
"It is about providing opportunities, stability and hope to people who just like us, just want a chance to make something of their lives," Ms Costello said.
"Everybody deserves a fair chance to thrive, feel safe, and have access to meaningful work and be part of a community."
First published at ABC News, January 25, 2025
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