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2025 Australian of the Year Awards finalists for Western Australia announced

  • 31 October 2024

A man making football for children more inclusive, a microbiologist solving antibiotic resistance, an Olympic pole vaulter, a woman dedicated to helping others through therapeutic horse riding, an Indigenous business leader and a young man ensuring education for everyone are just some of the nominees for the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards for Western Australia.

The 2025 award finalists for Western Australia are (clockwise from top left):

2025 Australian of the Year for Western Australia

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Kim Collard – Founder, Kulbardi, Kooya Australia Fleet Services and Bibbulmun Fund

Dianne and Ian Haggerty – Agriculture pioneers

Dr Kieran Mulroney – Inventor and applied microbiologist

Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg – Paediatric anaesthetist

 

2025 Senior Australian of the Year for Western Australia

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Professor Patricia Dudgeon AM – Mental healthcare advocate

M’liss Henry OAM – Founder, Claremont Therapeutic Riding Centre

Angi McCluskey – Dementia care champion

Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett AM – Co-founder, Wheelchairs For Kids

 

2025 Young Australian of the Year for Western Australia

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Jack Anderson – Co-founder, Elucidate Education

Shelley Cable – Accountant and advocate for First Nations economic empowerment

Isabella Choate – Intersectional living experience advocate

Nina Kennedy – World champion and Olympic gold medallist, pole vault

 

2025 Local Hero for Western Australia

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Cristiana Anca – Social entrepreneur and founder, Chris’ Kitchen

Jennifer Ball – Founder, Worthy Australia

Rob Geersen – Founder, Starkick

Dr Jacinta Vu – Oral medicine specialist

Find out more about each of the finalists here.

The Western Australian 2025 Australian of the Year Awards’ recipients will be announced on Tuesday 12 November 2024 at a ceremony at Government House in Perth, which will also be available to watch online at australianoftheyear.org.au.

They will then join the other state and territory recipients as national finalists for the national awards announcement on 25 January 2025 in Canberra.

Auspire – Australia Day Council WA CEO, Morgen Lewis, congratulated the finalists.

“All 17 of these extraordinary individuals are driving positive change across a number of areas, and they all deserve to be celebrated for their wonderful contribution.”

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