Australian of the Year

2027 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS: TASMANIAN NOMINEES ANNOUNCED 

People making an impact in health awareness, wildlife conservation, violence prevention, volunteering, education, social inclusion, homelessness and fostering kindness are among the Tasmanian nominees announced today for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. 

Sixteen people from across the state have been named as nominees for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards for Tasmania, with nominees recognised in each of the Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero categories. 

Among this year’s nominees are a man whose own spinal cord injury is driving awareness and fundraising for research, a hip-hop artist providing a creative outlet for marginalised people, the man who built Tasmania’s first wildlife hospital, a mother whose loss has created a program of kindness, a bowel cancer survivor who ran the length of Tasmania twice and a volunteer firefighter of five decades’ service. 

The nominees are: 

2027 Australian of the Year for Tasmania
Mathew Duggan - Bowel cancer campaigner (Huonville) 
Jennifer Hauser - Cystic fibrosis physiotherapist (Blackmans Bay) 
Dr Lila Landowski - Neuroscientist and science communicator (Bellerive) 
Danny Mayson-Kinder - Founder, b kinder foundation (Primrose Sands) 

2027 Senior Australian of the Year for Tasmania 
Christine Chilcott OAM - Community volunteer (Meander) 
Bruce Corbett AM AFSM - Volunteer firefighter and community transport volunteer (Wynyard) 
Sajini Sumar - Migrant and multicultural advocate (Hobart) 
Danny Walker - Homelessness outreach volunteer (Dodges Ferry) 

2027 Young Australian of the Year for Tasmania 
Grace Chia - Solo hip-hop and R&B artist (Claremont) 
Dr Abigail de Waard - Equitable healthcare doctor (New Town) 
Shakira Robertson - Campaigner against violence toward women and children (Hobart) 
Rosie Putland - Disability consultant, storyteller and public speaker (Burnie) 

2027 Australia’s Local Hero for Tasmania 
Louise Cowan - Founder, Shekinah House (Launceston) 
Daniel Edwards - Founder and CEO, GreenSTEM Education (Burnie) 
Greg Irons - Wildlife rescuer and conservationist (Richmond) 
Ryan Wiggins - Disability and mental health ambassador (Hobart) 

The Tasmanian nominees are among 130 people being recognised across all states and territories in the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. 

National Australia Day Council CEO Carrie Leeson said the nominees for Tasmania are people who are making a difference. 

"The nominees are people who identify a need and do something about it. They have lent a hand, stepped up to a fill a gap, or taken on challenges when change was needed," said Ms Leeson. 

The 2027 Tasmania award recipients will be announced on Friday 13 November in Hobart. The ceremony will also be available to watch via livestream at australianoftheyear.org.au 

The Tasmania award recipients will then join recipients from the other states and territories as finalists for the national Australian of the Year Awards, announced in Canberra on 25 January 2027. 

Photos for download: Photos provided by the nominees for editorial use can be downloaded from here: Tasmania Nominee Photos - supplied by nominees    (please use photo credits where noted on file names) 

Media contact:   Nicole Browne, media opps  0414 673 762   nicole@mediaopps.com.au