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From a hero firefighter to an injured fighter pilot: The complete Australian of the Year shortlist – so who’s your winner?
- New South Wales has announced its 2021 Australian of the Year winnersÂ
- Former fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons won Australian of the YearÂ
- He led a statewide response to the devastating 2019/2020 bushfire seasonÂ
New South Wales has announced its 2021 Australian of the Year winners.Â
Former fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has been recognised as the state’s Australian of the Year after guiding it through one of the worst bushfire seasons in history.
Mr Fitzsimmons led a statewide response, including a 74,000-strong crew of mostly volunteers, to the 2019/20 bushfires that devastated many parts of NSW before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 51-year-old consoled the loved ones of deceased firefighters, helped coordinate the massive response effort with government leaders and became one of the faces of the crisis in his daily press conferences.
Former fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (pictured) has been recognised as the state’s Australian of the Year after guiding it through one of the worst bushfire seasons in history
Pictured: Shane Fitzsimmons with wife Lisa (far left) and daughter Sarah (centre)
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said working alongside Mr Fitzsimmons during the bushfire season was an ‘unforgettable experience’.
‘In times of devastation and great heartache, he remained authentic and excelled in his role both operationally and emotionally,’ she said in a statement on Monday.
‘The people of NSW trust and respect Shane and he is worthy of being our Australian of the Year.’
Fitzsimmons and the other NSW award winners could go on to be named Australian of the Year at a national level.Â
Wiradjuri elder and Stolen Generation advocate Isabel Reid has been declared NSW senior Australian of the Year.
Ms Reid, 88, is the oldest living survivor of the Stolen Generation.
In 2016 she was appointed as an inaugural member and chair of the Stolen Generations Advisory Committee.
Wiradjuri elder and Stolen Generation advocate Isabel Reid (pictured) has been declared NSW senior Australian of the Year
The 2021 NSW Young Australian of the Year is Nathan Parker (pictured), a pilot and Invictus Games gold medallist
Ms Reid also played a key role in the NSW government offering a $74million reparation package to those forcibly removed under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909-1969.
The 2021 NSW Young Australian of the Year is Nathan Parker, a pilot and Invictus Games gold medallist.
Mr Parker, 25, was on his way to becoming a fighter pilot when a military bus crash left him so badly injured his left hand had to be amputated.
He was the first upper-limb amputee to graduate from the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Migrant and refugee women’s advocate Rosemary Kariuki (pictured) has been named the 2021 NSW Local Hero
Mr Parker was medically discharged in 2019 before becoming a commercial pilot.
Migrant and refugee women’s advocate Rosemary Kariuki has been named the 2021 NSW Local Hero.
Ms Kariuki, who fled Kenya by herself in 1999 to escape family abuse and tribal clashes, is the multicultural community liaison officer for the Parramatta police.
The 60-year-old helps migrants who are facing domestic violence, language barriers and financial distress.
Queensland and Western Australia are yet to announce their state heroes.
The National Australia Day Council board will then comb through the winners from states and territories before announcing the people who have won at the national level.Â
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