An AFL legend who helped raise more than $100m to find a cure for motor neurone disease (MND) after his own diagnosis has been named Australian of the Year for 2025.
Former Essendon FC player and later coach for Melbourne Demons, Neale Daniher AO co-founded FightMND after he was diagnosed with the disease more than a decade ago.
In accepting the award, Mr Daniher
Even in the advanced stages of his disease, Mr Daniher was public about his condition and remains a tireless campaigner in finding a cure and raising awareness for MND.
The 63-year-old has lived with the disease since 2013 despite the average life expectancy being just 27 months, and uses his footy experience to bring support to the cause.
Mr Daniher, nicknamed The Reverend, was born in West Wyong in NSW before attending school in Goulburn and later the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
Showing a love for sport, he competed with the Northern Riverina Football League during school before he was approached by both South Melbourne and Essendon in 1978.
Mr Daniher was ultimately recruited by Essendon and played for the club until 1990, including at one point alongside all three of his brothers.
In an Instagram post, Mr Daniher also revealed he was celebrating 40 years of marriage to his wife Jane Daniher, as the pair sat on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.
Mr Daniher will take over from 2024 winners and melanoma treatment pioneers Georgina Long AO and Richard Scolyer AO, following the ceremony in Canberra on Saturday night.
The professors were credited with “saving thousands of lives” from melanoma, Australia’s national cancer, and for developing pioneering, world-first melanoma treatments.
Other past winners also include survivor-advocate Grace Tame, who received the honour in 2021, followed by former Paralympian and disability advocate Dylan Alcott in 2022.
Musician and cultural leader Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala and child protection advocate and researcher Professor Leah Bromfield were among the other 2025 nominees.
‘Help us’: Senior Aussie of the Year’s plea
A former priest from the Pilbara who helped deliver more than 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs to kids in more than 80 countries is 2025 Senior Australian of the Year.
Brother Thomas Oliver ‘Olly’ Pickett AM co-founded Wheelchairs For Kids in 1996 to provide free adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy for kids in developing countries.
Wheelchairs For Kids has since recruited more than 250 retiree workshop volunteers and is one of Western Australia’s largest volunteer-led charities, with an average age of 74.
Mr Pickett dedicated the award to “all our wonderful volunteers, both inside and outside the factory” and said nothing could be achieved without good people around.
From church groups and nursing homes to seamstresses to occupational therapists, the former priest praised the work of his hundreds of volunteers.
“There’s no one else in the world, making this unique wheelchair,” he said.
“Our wheelchairs cost $275 for our wheelchair … and for this sum (of) money, a child with a disability receives a new life by getting off the ground, having dignity as well as mobility,” he said.
“They can now go to village school and have an education. They mix with their friends and feel included.
“Any donations, no matter how big or how small, will enable us to make more wheelchairs.”
A further 550 people from aged care and community groups sew a range of items, including covers for children’s wheelchair soft supports, as well as crochet rugs and even soft toys.
Mr Pickett also led the development of a world-first innovative and low-cost wheelchair design to World Health Organization standards that grows as the children do.
A retired Catholic school teacher, Mr Olly was nominated earlier this year by former students at St Patrick’s College in Geraldton after sharing the organisation’s story at a school reunion.
The 84-year-old told his charity, Wheelchairs for Kids, that he was honoured to win the nomination which “came out of the blue” and that helping children was reward enough.
“Without the wheelchairs, children in poorer countries are often left on the ground, waiting for help,” he said.
“These wheelchairs have helped thousands of children go to school, play with their friends and lead a more fulfilling life.
“I have seen the smiles on the faces of so many kids and it has all been worth it.”
Past winners include Professor Tom Calma AO, one of Australia’s most respected human rights and social justice campaigners, and St John Ambulance volunteer Valmai Dempsey.
For the 2025 gong, Mr Pickett beat out Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM, a beloved scientist known among many Australian children and adults for his youth-centric scientific explanations.
Young Aussie of the Year revealed
The 2025 Young Australian of the Year has gone to Dr Katrina Wruck, a proud Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman whose research is aimed at giving back to remote communities.
Based on her research, Dr Wruck established a profit-for-purpose business, Nguki Kula Green Labs, which aims to transform consumer goods through “green chemistry”.
Accepting the award, Dr Wruck spoke to her Indigenous heritage and said she “wasn’t supposed to succeed”.
“Today, we still exist under the structures of the British Empire,” she said.
“Tomorrow, January 26, is known by many names: Australia Day, Invasion Day, Survival Day.
“To some it is a day of celebration, a public holiday. To others, it is a stark reminder of the violent dispossession, a legacy that continues to this day.”
Dr Wruck said “representation matters” and called on the next generation of First Nations children to dream big.
“This award is not just for me, it’s for the young people daring to dream big, and the communities fighting for justice, and the elders who continue to keep the fire burning,” she said.
“Thank you for this honor. I carry it forward with pride, knowing there is still so much work to do.
“Together we can build a future where culture, science and equity, walk hand in hand.”
Dr Wruck’s method of converting mining by-products to zeolite LTA – which can remove contaminants from water that cause hardness – is poised to be commercialised.
In a video for the awards, Dr Wruck said zeolite LTA, the main ingredient in laundry detergent, could be used in a reusable laundry system – the first of its kind.
“In Australia, there is something called rheumatic heart disease and it is a disease of poverty that affects predominantly indigenous people in remote communities,“ she said.
“One of the driving factors of rheumatic heart disease is caused by a bacteria, strep. It’s highly contagious, and one way to prevent it is having access to laundry facilities.
“I really want to help the community to provide laundry facilities to stop rheumatic heart disease from happening.”
Dr Wruck said she was also passionate about helping disadvantaged peoples, including First Nations communities and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
“I grew up on the Gold Coast … we never had any scientists come and visit our school, we only had the army or the defence force come and recruit,” she said in the video.
“So, I wanted to give young people an opportunity to meet a real scientist and I quickly realised that what I was doing was very impactful.”
Dr Wruck’s post-doctoral research meanwhile examines how to break down dangerous “forever chemicals”, and is considered a possible foundation for reducing global contamination.
The 30-year-old is a member of the Queensland University of Technology’s School of Chemistry and Physics, with her research funded by the ARC Research Hub.
‘Be the change’: Aussie local heroes honoured
Two Canberrans harnessing the power of hospitality to lift and empower the most vulnerable in their community have been named joint winners of the 2025 Australian Local Hero award.
Vanessa Brettell, 31, and Hannah Costello, 32, operate Cafe Stepping Stone, a social enterprise employing women experiencing barriers to employment.
Ms Brettell said growing up in Australia, she wanted to minimise the insecurity and isolation her own grandmother experienced.
“Creating a home in Australia is not always easy,” she said.
“Finding economic security, community support and a sense of belonging is hard, and often for women can become very isolated and vulnerable.”
The women, mostly from migrant or refugee backgrounds, work at the sustainable vegetarian cafe’s two locations and gain access to pathways to employment, training, and qualifications.
The cafe partners with registered training organisations to deliver on-the-job training to the women, who are also often from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Ms Brettell and Ms Costello’s “inclusive employment practices” involve targeting female workers who are sole income earners in their household and new arrivals to Australia.
The pair also target women with limited English or minimal employment history, as well as women currently experiencing homelessness in the Australian Capital Territory.
The women are supported to gain skills and experience which can facilitate their return to the workforce, with a range of events run through the cafe focusing on social justice.
In a call to action, Ms Costello called on Australians to “chose social enterprise” to “lift others up”.
“Every dollar you spend is an investment in the world that you want,” she said.
“Choose social enterprise you have the power to create change.
“We dream of a society where diversity is celebrated, where all people are empowered and able to live the lives that they choose.
“The work we’re doing is far from over, and we’ll continue to create a stepping stone for others who need it.”
According to the cafe’s website, Stepping Stone began in 2015 when “three young Australian friends came up with an idea” to “use hospitality to change lives”.
“Having spent years working in cafes and restaurants, we knew firsthand how a job in this industry could teach skills fast and welcome all kinds of backgrounds,” they said.
The first cafe was opened in Cartagena, Columbia in 2017 where over three years more than 40 young people living in poverty were trained and the cafe received acclaim.
When Covid struck, the cafe was closed and two of its founders, Ms Brettell and Ms Costello, returned to Australia for “an opportunity to continue creating change closer to home”.
In August 2020, Stepping Stone found its new home at Strathnairn Arts in West Belconnen, followed by a coffee van in Ginninderry until April 2023 and a second site in Dickson.
Nominees gather in Canberra for star studded ceremony
The 2025 Australian of the Year will be announced at a star-studded event at the National Arboretum in Canberra on Saturday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will hand out the award during the ceremony which will be broadcast live from 7.30pm.
The Prime Minister said on Australia Day we remember those who served, those who farmed the country, and the many migrants who made a life here.
“The story of Australia is not a simple one. There are so many strands that intertwine to create a powerful whole,” he said.
“We are a modern nation on an ancient continent, a vibrant modern society that is proudly the home of the oldest continuous culture on earth.”
Mr Albanese said the nominees embodied the spirit of innovation, of “always finding ways to do things better, to make our country better”.
“It is that spirit that drives us as we look ahead and set about building the future for what burns in our hearts as brightly as our compassion, fairness and generosity is our ambition, our curiosity and our courage,” he said.
“That’s the spirit we see, embodied by every Australian of the Year, and by every Australian who has ever been nominated, every nominee who is here tonight is already an extraordinary part of the Australian story.”
The finalists, which includes a nominee from every state and territory, run the gamut from pioneering agriculturalists, to cultural singers and child protection leaders.
They include Australian Centre for Child Protection Professor Leah Bromfield and AFL legend and motor neurone disease advocate, Neale Daniher AO.
Other nominees include cultural singer Grant Ngulmiya Nundhirribala, children expert Megan Gilmour, and scientists Sam Elsom and Dianne and Ian Haggerty.
Awards for Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year, and Local Hero will also be handed out.
Among them are Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus, nominated for Young Australian of the Year, and beloved TV scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki for the seniors category.
The Australia Day National Network, an affiliate group that facilitates the award, said the gong is mean to “promote the meaning of Australia Day and being Australian”.
Awardees are recognised for their contribution to Australian society and the betterment of Australia, including in the areas of the science, the arts, and social policy.
Last year’s winners were Georgina Long AO and Richard Scolyer AO, professors credited with “saving thousands of lives” from melanoma, Australia’s national cancer.
Other notable previous recipients include survivor-advocate Grace Tame, who was in attendance on Saturday, as well as Paralympian and disability advocate Dylan Alcott.
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