Australia Day Ambassadors

Alison Alexander OAM is a Brisbane-based food consultant and the inaugural Queensland Food Fellow. She was also awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Order of Australia Awards. Alison is renowned for her food knowledge, her celebration of Queensland producers for more than 40 years and is held in high regard by local industry. Alison has been a guest presenter on ABC Radio for 23 years and has written for numerous publications. She regularly leads food tours within Queensland and interstate to encourage awareness of regional produce and also appears as a guest chef, cookery teacher and speaker at events. She is often asked to judge food competitions and is Chief Judge for the Royal Queensland Show Preserves section.

Robert (Bob) Atkinson AO APM commenced working with the Queensland Police Service in 1968, serving as Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service for 12 years until his retirement in October 2012. In a 44-year career with the Queensland Police Service, Bob served throughout Queensland from Goondiwindi to Cairns. He was a detective for approximately 20 years and acted as the police prosecutor in various Magistrates Courts during this period. Bob oversaw reforms after the Fitzgerald inquiry from 1990, as well as the Public Sector Management Commission Review and Report Recommendations of the Queensland Police Service in 1993. Bob was named a Queensland Great in 2019.

Dr Tim Baker is a successful author, thought leader and international consultant. He has written eight books, including his latest, Bringing the Human Being Back to Work, through international publishing house and London-based Palgrave Macmillan. Tim is a specialist in organisational performance with a successful track record in transforming organisational capability through change programs and leadership capability development for 18 years.

Elijah Buol OAM is of South Sudanese Australian background and came as an unaccompanied minor refugee to Australia in 2002. He is a criminologist with a Master of Law, Master of Justice in Intelligence, Graduate Diploma of Dispute Resolution, Graduate Certificate in Intelligence, Bachelor of Human Services from QUT and is currently studying Juris Doctor at Australian National University. Elijah was the 2019 Queensland Local Hero of the Year in the Australian of the Year Awards and was honoured with the Medal of Order of Australia for his service to the community. Elijah established and sits on several government and not-for-profit organisation boards and advisory committees.

Justine Christerson moved with her family from Biloela to Brisbane in 2012, and started up her program assisting thousands of patients, carers and families who are required to travel to Brisbane to access health care services not available locally. Justine spends her days providing free services to many, including airport pick-ups or drop offs, cooking and delivering home cooked meals, toiletries and advice on the health care system, patient travel subsidy scheme, accommodation options or just general information about getting around Brisbane.

Jerry Coleby-Williams is an internationally experienced horticultural botanist, a conservationist, a writer and Director of the Seed Savers’ Network Inc. His career has varied from managing the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, to creating ‘Bellis’, a unique, affordable, sustainable house and garden in subtropical Brisbane, by retrofitting a century-old Queenslander house.

Emeritus Professor Ken Donald AO has had a long career in medicine and medical education. As an academic he has published extensively in peer reviewed journals and textbooks. He has held numerous senior positions including Head of the School of Medicine at The University of Queensland, Director of Pathology Royal Brisbane Hospital, Deputy Director-General of Queensland Health, General Manager John Hunter Hospital, and Director of Medical Services Royal Darwin Hospital. Ken’s loyalty and commitment to the health of Queenslanders is unrivalled. He was honoured as a Queensland Great in 2012 and awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia for contributions to medicine, education and veterans’ health.

Dr Dimity Dornan AO is an entrepreneur, bionics advocate, speech pathologist, researcher, Founder and Chair of Bionics Queensland, member of The University of Queensland Senate, a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and Fellow of the Queensland College of Arts and Sciences. In 1992 she established Hear and Say as a leading not-for-profit for deaf children learning to listen and speak, particularly with surgically implantable hearing technology like the bionic ear. Dimity is aiming to bring outcomes similar to those legendary ones possible for many people who use the bionic ear to other new spin-off devices (e.g. bionic eye, deep brain stimulation, bionic organs and limbs etc.).

Peter Dornan AM has for more than 50 years been a physiotherapist in the fields of sporting injuries and manipulative therapy, working with many international sporting teams, including the Queensland rugby union team, the Wallabies and the Kangaroos. He has also been an Olympic Games Advisor and Commonwealth Games physiotherapist. He is Co-Founder of the Queensland Branch of Sports Medicine Australia, and as a Fellow of Sports Medicine he has written two successful books on sporting injuries, as well as designing and marketing a video exercise program. For his achievements in sport, he was awarded the Commemorative 2000 Australian Sports Medal. In 2002 Peter was appointed as a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM), and was honoured as the 2020 Queensland Senior Australian of the Year.

Twenty-five years ago, Rachel Downie became an educator to help young people flourish. After losing a Year 9 student to suicide, Rachel decided she needed to find a way to support young people to speak up when things are not right. She discovered students often felt too frightened to come forward with possible life-saving information, because of peer expectations. This led Rachel to develop and self-fund Stymie (an old-fashioned word for stop) to allow students to anonymously report harm without fear. Rachel developed Stymie with extensive consultation and help from students and educators. Since 2014 she has presented Stymie to more than 300,000 students nationally. Implemented nationally and internationally, students are using Stymie to report family violence, bullying, cyber-bullying, depression, illegal activity, harassment, self-harm, and harm to their communities.

Tim Fairfax AC is a Company Director, pastoralist and philanthropist . Tim takes an active leadership role in promoting philanthropy in Australia.  He is passionate about supporting rural, remote and regional communities, particularly students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. He has a range of business interests including operating nine rural properties in Queensland and New South Wales involving beef cattle, fine wool and grain.

Tim is Chairman of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.  He is also the Director of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, Australian and Philanthropic Services, and Ningana Giving Pty Limited. He is the President of the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art Foundation, a member of the National Portrait Gallery Foundation, the National Gallery of Australia Foundation and Australian Schools Plus. Tim is Patron of the AMA Queensland Foundation, the University of the Sunshine Coast Foundation, the Flying Arts Alliance Incorporated and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Vanessa Fowler’s life changed on 20 April 2012 when her sister, Allison Baden-Clay was reported missing.  After a major police investigation Allison’s body was found and her husband charged with her murder. Allison’s story was a high-profile case, so Vanessa thought the family needed to use that publicity to help others and established the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation. A school teacher and 2019 Ipswich Citizen of the Year, Vanessa is on a journey to educate and raise awareness of domestic and family violence. In conjunction with Griffith University, she has launched a national training workshop program called Allison’s Gift which educates people on recognising the signs of domestic and family violence and how to be an effective bystander.

At just 16 years of age, Jordyn Francis established her own not-for-profit organisation, Chant4Change, now known as The Rescue Movement. Since the organisation’s inception, Jordyn’s fundraising concerts have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the work of Destiny Rescue, a charity which frees girls from sex-trafficking in South East Asia and provides them with a home, skills training and a fresh start to life. In July 2012, Jordyn received the Queensland Day Community Award, and in 2014 was named Queensland's Young Australian of the Year. Jordyn now works in the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, a Federal government initiative led by the Australian Federal Police. Jordyn’s role is to liaise with federal government agencies, non-government organisations and law enforcement to develop strategies, campaigns and educational programs which aim to help prevent children in Australia and South East Asia falling victim to online child exploitation.

Olivia Hargroder was a Queensland nominee for Young Australian of the Year in 2018 and named Moreton Bay’s Young Citizen of the Year in 2019. A graduate of NIDA’s Young Actors Studio she is forging ahead with her career as an actor. She has released a short film ‘See Me For Who I Am’ and is one of La Boite Theatre’s emerging artists. Olivia is driving the campaign, Change The Box to have athletes with Down syndrome included in the Paralympics. Told she would never speak, Olivia uses the gift she was to be denied, advocating for change and equality. She has taken her message across Australia, through the United Kingdom to Scotland and addressed the United Nations in New York. Tireless in her efforts, she genuinely has a message that she wants the world to hear and the world is listening.  

Gitie House OAM is the President of the Toowoomba International Multicultural Society, Chair of the Toowoomba Languages & Cultures Festival and served on the inaugural Queensland Multicultural Advisory Council for three years. In 2017, Gitie was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her services to the community. Gitie was named Multicultural Ambassador for Queensland in 2013 and received many awards including the Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom Peacewoman, Young Women's Christian Association 125 Leading Women in Queensland and the United Nations Zonta Woman of the Year. Gitie’s professional background is in project management of software development projects and she has also co-authored books on understanding wild birds and their socially rich lives.

Over the past 20 years, Gail Ker OAM has achieved vast industry experience and arguably unrivalled expertise in the Australian multicultural, humanitarian and community sectors which has seen her change countless lives for the better. A nationally lauded and award-winning visionary, Gail is the CEO of Access Community Services Ltd where she leads tirelessly in creating social, cultural and economic experiences and opportunities that transform the lives of individuals and communities. Informed and working at the cutting edge of policy and sector engagement, Gail’s knowledge is actively sought by politicians, industry leaders and research bodies alike, both nationally and internationally.

After his son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Jay Larkins became passionate about Paralympic football. Jay established the Brisbane Paralympic Football Program in 2006, and today coaches more than 100 children with a disability, giving them an opportunity to engage in team sport and exercise. As Director, Jay oversees a team of assistant coaches, managers, volunteers and regular physiotherapists and occupational therapists, who are all committed to helping the young athletes be the best they can. Jay’s ‘never say never’ attitude has been inspirational to many participants in the program, with four athletes representing Australia and others working towards selection for the Australian Paralympic football team. In 2020 Jay coordinated with the Australian Catholic University campuses in Melbourne and Sydney to supply them with online opportunities to complete their community engagement requirements while they were in lockdown.

John Lazarou is an Australian businessman and one of the co-founders of The Coffee Club. In 1989, John bought into The Coffee Club, which is now one of Australia’s largest franchise operations with more than 400 Coffee Club stores throughout Australia and across nine countries. John is also well known for his philanthropic work. He supports and sponsors a wide range of charities and initiatives such as The Coffee Club Telethon Ball, which raises $12 million every year for the Children’s Hospital Foundation. He also supports the Special Children’s Christmas Parties and Young Achiever Entrepreneur Awards. He is an Ambassador for The Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre, has a strong public relations background and is an honorary member of the Brisbane Greeters.

Professor Peter Leggat AM is Co-Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Vector-Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases at James Cook University in Townsville. His passion for more than 30 years has been combating some of the world’s most lethal and disabling tropical diseases. His other passion is for St John Ambulance Australia, where he has given several decades of volunteer community service, including assisting with major disaster events. He was also promoted to his current rank of Colonel in 2013 after spending 30 years as a doctor-soldier in the Australian Army. In 2019, he was appointed as Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General.

Associate Professor Richard Lewandowski graduated from the University of Queensland Medical School in 1981 and become a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in both General Surgery (1990) and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (1993). He also completed a Graduate Diploma in Craniomaxillofacial Surgery in the United States in 1995. Richard founded Operation Smile Australia for which he received a Queensland Greats Award in 2004. He is a plastic surgeon at Mater, Queensland Children’s, Greenslopes, Gold Coast and Cairns Hospitals, as well as being an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, University of Queensland. His numerous leadership roles include Director of Surgical Specialties, Mater Adult’s Hospital.

Over the past 37 years, Alistair McCooke has been rescuing people and saving lives in his capacity as both a surf life saver and a senior crew member of the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service. Alistair’s professional occupation as a mobile intensive care ambulance paramedic helped drive his passion for saving lives. Throughout the early 1990s, Alistair served in Saudi Arabia establishing an emergency response service program for Saudi national army nurses to become army medics. He was subsequently an active member of the United Nations’ humanitarian mine clearing project in Iraq. In 2004, Alistair was awarded both the Victorian and Surf Life Saving Australian of the Year from a field of 33,000 active surf life savers. To raise funding and awareness for the Australian Myeloma Foundation in 2020, Alistair and his wife Tracey launched the Cookie Monster’s CK Paddle and Walk. This has been a highly successful event on the Gold Coast calendar and will continue into 2021.

A medical practitioner specialising in child health, Dr Robert (Bob) McGregor has made an outstanding contribution to Queensland’s community. Bob has devoted more than four decades to his role as consultant paediatrician at Ipswich Hospital. Many of his current patients are the children or even grandchildren of former patients. Bob was also the long-time chair of a hospital fund which raised more than $110,000 for medical equipment, child-friendly nurses’ uniforms and toys for the special care nursery. He has been involved in community outreach programs to prevent child abuse and has presented many papers at medical conferences. He is equally dedicated to his community, working in a number of voluntary roles for local schools and Lions clubs.

Recipient of the Pride of Australia Medal for Care and Compassion, Australian Nurse of the Year and the Professor Catherine Turner Medal for Excellence in Nursing and most recently named a Queensland nominee for Young Australian of the Year 2021, Annabel McKay is an inspirational nurse and educator for the University of Southern Queensland. Born at 26 weeks gestation, Annabel suffers from a profound, bilateral, sensory neural hearing loss, however, she has not been defined by this disability, and her determination to assist those in need despite her impairment truly attests to the strong, independent young Australian she is. Described as humble and inspirational, this decorated nurse and clinical academic hopes her achievements will inspire others to be the best version of themselves.

Ross McKinnon AM is the retired curator-in-charge of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha. Internationally regarded as one of the world’s leading sub-tropical botanic gardens, it features significant plant collections including the world’s largest representative collection of Australian native rainforest plants. In June 2014, Ross was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the pursuit of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.

William (Bill) Nancarrow became involved in powerlifting training in 2000 after a motorbike accident in Townsville. In 2002, he met the team at Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in Brisbane and forged a great relationship with the team, attending several state and national competitions over the next few years, building on his strength and forming close friendships. In 2005, Bill had further surgery on his right leg as his hip had deteriorated to the extent that he was unable to walk on it. After some setbacks in 2006, Bill was offered an assistant coaching role at Sporting Wheelies, and the rest is history. Bill has held many assistant coach, coach and team manager positions over his coaching career with some highlights including the Beijing Paralympics and the recent Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Bill was awarded the Col Marsh Volunteer of the Year a few years ago and Coach of the year in 2017.

Lakeisha Patterson OAM, otherwise known as Lucky, has become Queensland’s very own golden girl. Lakeisha started swimming at the age of five as a form of hydrotherapy to help ease her muscle stiffness from Cerebral Palsy left Hemiplegia. After falling in love with the water and discovering para-swimming, she started competing nationally at 13. Lakeisha has since gone on to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, taking away gold medals at both events. An Ambassador for Aspirations for Kids in Sport, Epilepsy Queensland and an Order of Australia Medal recipient, when she isn’t swimming, Lakeisha studies at university, volunteers within the community, speaks at numerous events, and raises education and awareness about inclusion, diversity and resilience.

Taj Pabari is one of Australia’s youngest and most successful social entrepreneurs. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian School of Entrepreneurship (ASE), a social enterprise that helps develop the entrepreneurial skills of school students, young entrepreneurs and anyone aged 5 to 24 years with a passion for innovation. ASE has partnered with government, the private sector and educational institutions to deliver real and authentic entrepreneurial education for more than 90,000 students. Taj was named the Australian Young Innovator of the Year for 2014, an award given to Australia’s most exciting innovator and emerging talent. In 2017, Taj was awarded Young Australian of the Year for Queensland.

Upon completing high school, Dominique Rizzo embarked on a chef apprenticeship working at the busy Soup Kitchen in West End whilst studying at COTAH College of Tourism and Hospitality. Ten years later she launched Brisbane’s first organic restaurant, Mondo Organics, in West End. Mondo Organics brought a new concept of organic dining to Brisbane and positioned the team as leaders within the Australian restaurant scene. The restaurant received nationwide acclaim and Dominique’s career as a food advocate began to soar. In 2007, Dominique set up her own brand, Pure Food Cooking, a consultancy specialising in food and cooking, recipe development, hosting and guest presenting across all media platforms TV, radio and press and landed a ten-year residency on Channel 10’s Ready, Steady, Cook and role as presenter on Fresh on Sundays, a two-hour food program on Brisbane’s Radio 4BC. In October 2014, she opened the doors to Putia Pure Food Kitchen, a wholefood café/restaurant offering Mediterranean cuisine, cooking school and pantry, which she sold in 2019. Dominique recently relaunched her cookbook “My Taste of Sicily” showcasing a beautiful collection of delicious family-friendly Italian inspired recipes and hopes to launch a new restaurant soon.

Emeritus Professor Roland (Roly) Sussex OAM is a specialist in language, communication and culture, and health communication. His current research is focused on language, culture and society, technology and, more recently, pain and health. His talkback radio program, A Word in Your Ear has been broadcast every week on ABC Radio Queensland since 1997, and for the last 17 years to South Australia.

The daughter and granddaughter of dairy farmers, Nerelie Teese grew up in Victoria before her family moved to South-East Queensland. An award-winning bush poet, Nerelie has performed across Australia as well as in Canada and America. She was a travelling performer on The Ghan and appeared on TV’s Great Australian Doorstep. She co-founded the international literacy project, Books Through the Seas and was instrumental in sourcing thousands of books for school and community libraries in the Philippines.

Uncle Barry Watson is a descendant of the Wergaia people of Western Victoria and has lived in Logan City since 1979. He is the Elder in Residence with Communities for Children working in the early childhood field for many years. He has developed many early childhood resources and produced several children’s books. Uncle Barry provides cultural awareness training to his fellow staff members, funded community partners and other workers across government and non-government organisations.

Jenny Woodward is well known to audiences across Queensland as the ABC TV News weather reporter and presenter. In her long career, Jenny has worked as a writer, editor, producer and presenter, but has now become synonymous with weather reporting across the state. In addition to her nightly weather report, Jenny has done current affairs stories for Stateline and 7.30 Queensland and has regular spots on ABC Radio. In 2021 she will tour in her one-woman stage show, Weathering Well, a potted history of her long career featuring stories, laughs, fashion and live music. This year marks 35 years with the ABC and it’s believed Jenny is Australia’s longest serving weather presenter, a title she plans to defend for some time yet.

Distinguished Professor James Dale AO leads a research program at QUT involved in the genetic improvement of bananas, the world’s most important fruit crop. The most advanced project is to develop East African Highland bananas with high levels of pro-vitamin A to overcome the scourge of vitamin A deficiency in Uganda. East African Highland bananas are the staple food of Uganda and other countries in East Africa. The program has also produced Cavendish bananas with resistance to Panama Disease tropical race 4. This disease kills Cavendish and many other bananas and is moving as a slow pandemic from continent to continent, threatening the production of bananas worldwide including Australia.  James was the 2019 Queensland Senior Australian of the Year and was honoured as a Queensland Great in 2015.