Minister Barr: Exceptional Canberrans celebrated at 2023 ACT Australian of the Year Awards
- Written by ACT Government
Released 09/11/2022
Four outstanding Canberrans have been announced as the 2023 ACT Australians of the Year at a ceremony at the National Gallery of Australia today.
The Australian of the Year Awards celebrate strong people who support and uplift their communities. It was an honour to recognise and celebrate these notable Canberrans today.
I thank everyone who was nominated for their commitment to bettering the lives of their fellow Canberrans, and for making our community a progressive, innovative and exciting place to live.
The 2023 ACT Australian of the Year is Olympia Yarger for her ground-breaking work as an insect farmer and founder of agri-tech start-up Goterra.
Olympia is an insect farming pioneer and has developed an innovative waste management system that uses maggots to process food waste and reduce greenhouse gases. Olympia’s system has processed more than 35,000 tonnes of waste and saved more than 66,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The 2023 ACT Senior Australian of the Year is Tom Calma AO, human rights and social justice advocate, consultant, and volunteer.
Tom, a Kungarakan Elder, has worked for more than 45 years championing the rights, responsibilities, and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Currently Chancellor of the University of Canberra, Tom is a passionate volunteer and the co-chair of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament co-design group.
The 2023 ACT Young Australian of the Year is Kofi Owusu-Ansah, award-winning performer and songwriter.
Performing under the stage name Genesis Owusu, Kofi’s 2021 album, Smiling with No Teeth, won four ARIA Awards. A deeply personal record, Kofi explores the impact of two distinct but entwined ‘black dogs’ – racism and depression.
The 2023 ACT Local Hero is Dr Shamaruh Mirza for her work supporting culturally and linguistically diverse Canberrans.
Shamaruh is a medical scientist and the co-founder of SiTara’s Story, a volunteer-run not-for-profit that provides a safe space for women to support and empower each other.
Congratulations to our four commendable recipients, who will represent the Canberra community at the 2023 Australian of the Year Awards on 25 January 2023. I wish them all the best of luck and look forward to seeing all they achieve in their year as ACT Australian of the Year.
- Statement ends -
Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
