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A broad field of candidates are in the running for the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards.
Thirty-three Australians have been listed as finalists across four award categories: Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero.
National Australia Day Council chief executive Karlie Brand said following a year of bushfires and the coronavirus pandemic, the finalists showcased the extraordinary ways Australians responded amid times of crises. The past year has been particularly challenging and many of the finalists have shown incredible leadership or stepped up to help in extraordinary ways, she said.
Young Australian of the Year finalists committed to helping those in need
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Be it a passion they are born with or one they learn through circumstance, this year s Young Australian of the Year finalists all share the same drive to better the world for others.
Key points:
This year s contenders all share a passion for helping others in need
The Australian of the Year awards will be broadcast live by the ABC on January 25
But with a variety of backgrounds behind their drive, including poverty, disability, misfortune or a foundation in humanitarianism, any award will be a footnote on what is already a long list of achievements.
SHE may only be 24-years-old but when Tara McClelland talks, people listen.
And as the 2021 ACT Young Australian of the Year, Ms McClelland will be using her achievement to make sure young people have a voice.
“I feel that, as a society, we undervalue the power of youth and I really want to change that,” she says.
“Our voice is just as important, just as loud and deserves to be heard.
“We are in a time where the future is uncertain, we’ve had a global pandemic and we are facing a climate catastrophe; why are we not listening to young people? Young people have incredible knowledge, insight and ideas we need to give them a seat at the table.”