Mick Dodson receives top honour
Peter Jean | January 25, 2009
ABORIGINAL leader and Reconciliation Australia co-chair Mick Dodson is the 2009 Australian of the Year.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made the announcement at a ceremony in Canberra on Sunday afternoon.
Prof Dodson, a self-described "persistent bugger", has spent his adult life fighting for justice for indigenous Australians.
He was the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and worked on the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
African community leader Dr Berhan Ahmed is the Victorian Australian of the Year.
The Young Australian of the Year is Queensland homicide victims' support worker Jonty Bush. The Senior Australian of the Year Award went to Victorian Philantrophist Pat La Manna.
The "local hero" award went to West Australian sea rescue volunteer Graeme Drew.
Former Cricketer Glenn McGrath is the NSW Australian of the Year for continuing his late wife Jane's work to assist sufferers of breast cancer.
Earlier today, McGrath said it was an honour to be short-listed for the national award.
"I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who probably deserve it more than me," he said.
"I'm just trying to get through life at the moment and sort of make the most of it, and live the way I think anyone would do it.
"And to be acknowledged this way is something very special."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24960922-661,00.html
