For the past 55 years, every Australia Day, the ‘Australian of the Year’ is announced, usually by the Prime Minister in a ceremony outside Parliament House. It’s become a major occasion, and is televised.
The Award was originally designed to bring some deeper meaning and a focal point to Australia Day itself. These days the winner is picked by the National Australia Day Council (NADC), in order to honour the Australians who make us proud to be Australian.
Glancing down the list of 59 (no doubt worthy) recipients, we see a distinct skew towards Science and Sport ~ with 15 Scientists and 14 Sportspeople honoured. That’s half the total list. 9 politicans & activitists and 9 entertainers make them quite a common category as well … then it’s a bit of a drop off to 4 business people, 3 military personnel, an artist, an author, a Bishop, a Cardinal and a judge. There are only 9 women, so it’s 85% male.
I love my sport like the next guy or gal, but surely they get enough recognition already? And not to mention their many accolades, wages, endorsements and everything else. When 4 win it in a 7 year stretch from 1998-2004 you think things have gone a bit over the top, even considering the sports mad Prime Minister we had at the time. How can you really compare the spray on skin brilliance of a Prof Fiona Wood with a tennis player, or an Indigenous leader with a cricketer? And why so few women?
If we are trying to inspire our kids, then whose example are we trying to promote? Science is for boys and sports are so important the best ones are to be placed on another pedestal?
All hail Rosie Batty, the 2015 recipient and a campaigner against domestic violence. I’d like to see far more women, and more business people honoured too.
The first business person was Alan Bond in 1978 (oops!), then Dick Smith in 1986. Recently there has been a bit of a rush on with Simon McKeon (2001) and Ita Buttrose (2013), who were honoured more for their post business work than what they did in business.
4 business people in 60 years? Slim pickings you might say.
Is this the tall poppy syndrome rearing its ugly head? Is it somehow ‘dirty’ to be successful in business? Are we only interested in what James Packer is up to with Mariah Carey, or Clive Palmer’s latest absurd remark? Are there no other admirable people in business who have served their organisations and communities well, creating jobs, wealth and happiness for tens of thousands? Well, yes there are, and I could name plenty. I’ve found the higher up you go and meet people, the more impressive they are. Not show offs, but working people, working hard, with the right attitude to their staff, clients and the community in which they operate. Most of them quietly get on with it. They give back in bucket loads. They pay a lot of tax, as do their companies. They pay dividends.
It’s not bad to be successful, and we should applaud those that are. Those that have worked hard over many decades, created the backbone of the economy, and have made this country the one that simply has the best lifestyle in the world. No exaggeration, even our cities get in the best places to live. And Australia gets even better when you step out of the cities!
So, come on NADC. Let’s see some positive reinforcement of the excellent business people out there. Women and men. Good people who can inspire the young of today, show them they can get out there and do it. Show them that they don’t need to settle. They can build up a great company themselves. Yes, they can do science and maybe sport or entertain, but equally they can create a whole organisation, or go into one and transform it, building wealth for many (yes, including themselves) in the process.
Maybe not Clive Palmer. But perhaps Michael Chaney, Gail Kelly, Scott Farquhar, Jack Cowin, Stan Perron, Janine Allis, Radik Sali, Carla Zampatti … and many more besides. If you look, you will find thousands to choose from.
