SA’s rising stars of politics, business, health, arts, hospitality, sport, media and science
Meet South Australia’s 40 young rising stars of business, sport, politics, food, space, science, the environment and more.
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With sharp minds, bright eyes and youthful intensity, South Australia’s rising stars shine in The Advertiser’s list of the state’s 40 movers and shakers under 40.
Whether born here, or drawn here – to Australia’s most liveable city – these inspiring young South Australians are helping to shape our future.
Finally, it seems the brain drain has stopped and the pool of talent is filling up, with creative innovators and entrepreneurs, artists and scientists, heroes and leaders.
South Australia provides fertile ground for new ideas and the environment is just right for seeds of thought to shoot, grow and bear fruit, with cross-fertilisation from collaboration.
We are the Festival State, the Wine State, the Defence State, and now, as the natural home of The Australian Space Agency, we are exploring a new frontier.
Explore the list and see how many names and faces you recognise, then get to know the ones you don’t. Some have already made great strides in their young lives, while others are full of potential and poised at the precipice of greatness.
From the Kaurna leader providing unprecedented access to the language of our state’s first people, providing a force for reconciliation and cultural healing, to the inventor building electric flying cars to race in a global Grand Prix, there’s something for everyone here. Enjoy.
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT
JACK BUCKSKIN, 35
Language teacher / cultural trainer
Vincent “Jack” Buckskin has spent almost 20 years learning and teaching the Kaurna language of the Adelaide Plains.
At 19 years of age, Mr Buckskin walked into a language class being led by Dr Rob Amery, former head of linguistics at the University of Adelaide.
Since then, he has dedicated his life to understanding and sharing his culture with those willing to learn.
He has played a crucial part in reviving Kaurna, which was almost extinct after the language ceased to be used as an everyday language in the 1860s.
Thanks to his dedication, Mr Buckskin is now the most fluent living speaker of Kaurna.
Mr Buckskin’s company Kuma Kaaru, or “one blood”, is a “one stop shop” for Aboriginal culture that offers cultural awareness training as well as performing often during Adelaide’s festival season.
Mr Buckskin’s children are the first generation of Kaurna people in over 150 years to be raised speaking their ancestors’ language.
TKAY MAIDZA, 26
Rapper/singer
Zimbabwean-born Australian singer-songwriter and rapper Tkay has been making some serious inroads in the world of music. In 2021 she nabbed her first ARIA award for Best Soul/R&B Release for her EP ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol.3’. More recently she was crowned Best Solo Act From Australia at the BandLab NME Awards 2022.
Earlier this year Tkay went from playing intimate gigs to supporting one of the world’s biggest stars- touring alongside Billie Eilish on her massive North American tour.
She’s also recently been announced as one of the Bonds ambassadors for 2022 alongside model and activist Mahalia Handley, Heartbreak High star Ayesha Madon, non-binary environmentalist Daila Melkins and model Dechen Grenfell.
LEWIS MAJOR, 33
Dancer/producer
Award-winning choreographer, director and creative entrepreneur Lewis Major has been making waves for a number of years.
In 2015 he established his company Lewis Major Projects as a vehicle for artistic activity and to initiate international exchange.
Originally based in Lyon, France, and resident at the Centre National de la danse, in 2016 the company relocated its base to Australia and has since created 17 different works both independently and on commission and having presented them on six continents to critical acclaim.
Lewis’ work has been presented at Aarhus (Denmark); Sadler’s Wells, The Royal Opera House, The Place (UK); Festival de Mayo (Mexico) just to name a few.
Lewis was awarded The Frank Ford Award at this year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival.
ZAC TYLER, AND AMELIA RYAN, 37
Husband and wife duo Zac and Amelia Ryan have a long history, both on and off the stage. Performers in their own right, the couple have toured globally with their own shows. Now the pair have combined forces to try their hand at producing.
They were the brains behind activating the Queens Theatre in the 2021 Adelaide Fringe Festival, bringing a sophisticated music and cabaret program to Adelaide’s West End.
Zac’s company, Release Creative, has produced shows like The 27 Club and Disco Wonderland, alongside business partner Ruth Blythman and more recently the Barossa Contemporary Festival, which will activate the wine region this September and October.
The couple has also started programming Woodville Town Hall’s Seasonal Sessions, which saw sold out crowds flocking to the west just last week.
On stage, Amelia is working on her new Adelaide Cabaret Festival show Simply Brill alongside Michael Griffiths and Michaela Burger as well as touring the country with Libby O’Donovan with their hit show Unsung.
BUSINESS
ELOISE HALL, 23 / ISOBEL MARSHALL, 23
Co-founders TABOO
The co-founders of TABOO are truly a case of “be the change you want to see in the world”. Back in 2016, the then-high-schoolers came across the social enterprise model of business, and decided to tackle period poverty by selling their own range of products and using the revenue raised to support the OneGirl program in Sierra Leone and Uganda, as well as now running their “pad it forward” program in Australia. The pair harnessed not only their passion for the cause, but also a savvy business sense, working with mentors and taking advantage of grants and business accelerator programs to develop their social enterprise, which now employs more than 10 people. Both are studying at university – medicine in Ms Marshall’s case and business for Ms Hall, and between them have accrued a number of accolades including Young Australian of the Year in 2021 for Ms Marshall and both shared in The Advertiser’s Woman of the Year Rising Star award in last year.
DAVIE FOGARTY, 27
Founder, The Oodie
Has Davie Fogarty single-handedly brought more joy into the world than any other South Australian over the past couple of years? Our totally unscientific survey, based on feedback of people who’ve bought an Oodie says yes. Mr Fogarty, 27, is a serial entrepreneur who tried his hand at a number of ventures before hitting the bigtime with The Oodie. While the product – an oversized plush hoodie – has customers falling over themselves to recommend it, Mr Fogarty’s secret sauce is the behind-the-scenes process of testing new products and online marketing techniques, and adapting quickly to adopt the ones which work, and discarding those that don’t. The company has a suite of products, including weighted blankets and the Pupnaps dog bed range, and is testing and launching new products all the time. Mr Fogarty is generous with his advice, posting YouTube videos sharing his online marketing techniques to his 155,000 subscribers, and his success in building a business, which has turned over hundreds of millions of dollars to date, saw him recognised as EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Central Region National Finalist.
TOBI PEARCE, 29
Co-founder Sweat
While Kayla Itsines remains the recognisable face of Sweat, it was her former partner and co-founder Tobi Pearce who spent years working behind the scenes to create the digital fitness phenomenon that attracted millions of followers across the world. Selling out for close to $400m to US fitness giant iFIT last year, Pearce formally departed the business in February at the tender age of just 29. He’s clearly still got plenty to give. The young entrepreneur has several investments in other local start-ups, and also spends time advising founders about how to scale their own businesses. While the journey with Sweat may have come to an end, Pearce speaks regularly about his passion for business and the local start-up ecosystem, and his incredible success at such a young age is sure to inspire a new generation of South Australian innovators and entrepreneurs. Local business circles will be keeping a close eye on his next move.
BEN TRIPODI, 29
Founder and chief executive Lumin Group
Former triathlete Ben Tripodi is what you would call a serial entrepreneur – starting his first sports technology venture at 24, and going on to establish four more related businesses over just five years. Backed by investors including former AFL stars Matthew Pavlich and James Begley, the 29-year old founded Lumin Sports in 2018, using advanced data and analytics to track the wellbeing and performance of professional athletes. The software is now used by more than 20 sporting organisations including Hawthorn Football Club, Adelaide United and Cycling Australia. In the midst of Covid-19 last year the Lumin group branched out into the corporate wellbeing market with the launch of the Hoap platform. And Tripodi’s business nous has impressed investors. In January he secured $1.15m from investors to expand Lumin and Hoap, valuing the group at $12.5m ahead of an expansion into the lucrative US market next year. It could be a game-changer for the company and for Tripodi, who has ambitions of reaching two million users and $100m in revenue by 2030.
ENVIRONMENT/SCIENCE
Dr ERINN FAGAN-JEFFRIES, 31
Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Adelaide and Honorary Research Associate at The South Australian Museum
Entomologist and science communicator Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries specialises in parasitoid wasps, which lay their eggs on, or in, the bodies of other insects. Dr Fagan-Jeffries has discovered and named more than 50 new species, giving them formal descriptions so they can be identified by other scientists and the public. She also looks at how these species are related to each other through time. During her PhD and postdoctorate she concentrated on wasps that depend on butterfly and moth caterpillars to complete their life cycle, which is bad for the caterpillars but good for gardeners and farmers who want help to control caterpillar populations. She has extra qualifications in science communication outreach and has performed in the Adelaide Fringe with family show ‘Science vs Magic’ alongside local magician Rob Ellinger. She has also guided school groups in elaborate outdoor activities to find, name and describe species in their own backyards. Insect Investigators involves 50 schools across Australia in 2022.
JASON TYNDALL, 38
General Manager, Nature Play SA
Through storytelling, poetry, photography and art, Jason Tyndall brings people closer to nature. He draws on almost two decades of experience in the environment sector, culminating in his current role at Nature Play SA. Having trained in environmental management and specialised in environmental education, he has written countless valuable nature-based resources, delivered hundreds of workshops and presentations all over the state and engaged with thousands of educators, children and adults to deepen understanding and help people find a true and meaningful connection with nature. His latest book ‘Where birds sing and wildflowers dance: a companion for exploring South Australia’s National Parks’ (2021) is a triumph.
PROFESSOR JUSTIN CHALKER, 39
Flinders University
Converting waste materials into valuable polymers that protect the environment drives synthetic chemist Professor Justin Chalker, winner of the Prize for New Innovators in the 2020 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science. His research has led to a global commercialisation and distribution agreement with the company Clean Earth Technologies, which is now investing in SA, building a manufacturing facility and expanding the research effort. The new class of polymers, or polysulfide materials, have multiple applications. They can be used to capture heavy metal pollution, such as mercury, clean up oil spills, or extract and recover valuable metals such as gold, to name a few. Professor Chalker is also developing new materials, such as recyclable rubber. The raw materials are sulphur (a by-product of the petrochemical industry) and renewable, low-cost plant oils such as limonene and canola.
DR CASEY DOOLETTE, 34
University of South Australia
Improving soil fertility and increasing the nutritional quality of grain crops is the current focus of soil chemist Dr Casey Doolette. Soil samples from the Eyre Peninsula have been subjected to intense analysis at the Australian Synchrotron. The project has funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation to help improve Australian crop management practices and profitability nationwide. Dr Doolette also has experience in environmental contamination, assessing the potential risks of industrial chemicals, including those used in fertilisers and mining operations, cosmetics and textiles. Earlier research focused on understanding manufactured nanoparticles in the environment, their behaviour in wastewater treatment plants and their effects on soil and plants.
ANITA NEDOSYKO, 38
Oceans Co-ordinator, The Nature Conservancy and associate lecturer at Flinders University.
Marine biologist Anita Nedosyko leads large-scale marine restoration projects for the Nature Conservancy. This includes restoring the lost shellfish reefs of Gulf St Vincent by reconstructing an entire ecosystem. There are now new reefs at Ardrossan (Windara Reef), Glenelg and O’Sullivan Beach. Her work has garnered the support of government, traditional owners, researchers, fisheries, and the wider community. These projects will leave a lasting benefit, increasing biodiversity, improving fish stocks, storing carbon and cleaning the water. Before joining The Nature Conservancy, she worked as co-founder of the Saving Nemo Conservation Program at Flinders University. The popular animated Pixar film Finding Nemo increased demand for clownfish as aquarium pets, placing huge pressure on wild populations. The not-for-profit program at the university educated the community about the marine aquarium fish trade and established a captive clownfish breeding program to reduce reliance on wild capture.
FOOD, WINE, HOSPITALITY
OLIVER BROWN, 31
Business owner and entrepreneur
Less than ten years since launching his first venture, Oliver Brown’s footprint on Adelaide hospitality already looms large.
After completing a viticulture and oenology degree at Adelaide University, Oliver was just 23 when he opened his first business, a pop-up East End wine bar called Red Trousers in 2014.
It didn’t take him long to follow up with US-themed craft beer and whiskey bar NOLA Adelaide, just off Rundle Street, in 2015. It’s still one of the area’s most popular nightspots.
Three years later, he formed hospitality consulting company, The Big Easy Group, and started Prospect Road eatery Anchovy Bandit – which expanded this year – before taking over the iconic Stag Public House, among several businesses in the CBD.
Earlier this year, he helped open the doors on suburban craft brewery, Bowden Brewing, in the new Plant 3 warehouse.
If that wasn’t enough, he’s also playing an important role helping drive SA’s growth as a board member of the Adelaide Economic Development Agency.
JUSTIN JAMES, 35
Chef, Restaurant Botanic
The executive chef of the newly revamped Restaurant Botanic takes the term “native ingredients” to the next level. Think the spiky fallen branches (as opposed to the nut) from a nearby bunya bunya tree, used to flavour a semi-frozen cream and matching syrup. Or lemon aspen jelly, with finely diced kohlrabi and halves of twice-shelled green peas that look like minuscule lily pads on the surface of a pond. With an impressive CV that includes time at two World’s Best restaurants (Eleven Madison Park, New York; Noma, Copenhagen), it’s no surprise that Justin James can cook, but it’s his artful play with ingredients found in the surrounding Botanic Gardens that makes his plates sing. At a time when many in the industry are keeping it simple, Restaurant Botanic is pushing the boundaries. The experience has been described as “extraordinary” and “transcendental”, and the restaurant is fast becoming the must-visit dining destination in Adelaide. Not bad for an American expat who has only been in town for a year.
CLARE FALZON, 29
Chef, Hentley Farm
She may be just 29 years old, but Clare Falzon is already mentoring the next generation of chefs in the kitchen of award-winning destination restaurant, Hentley Farm.
The youngest apprentice under her wing is 15.
“It’s very energetic,” Falzon says of her kitchen. “Everyone is so passionate and open to learning.
“It can be a challenge because there isn’t that foundation (of experience) for them to fall back
on, but it is great that they have open minds and are willing to push themselves.”
Falzon was just 15 years of age herself when she began washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen and took up an apprenticeship the following year. She worked in Gordon Ramsay’s London restaurants including Maze and Petrus before returning to Sydney.
Back in Adelaide in 2018 she began cooking alongside Hentley Farm founding chef Lachlan Colwill, and quietly took charge at the beginning of last year.
A quiet achiever, she has fast earned praise for her food, transforming produce from the property into fine dining fare. Hentley Farm is as popular as ever, booked out on weekends for months ahead.
RILEY HARRISON, 36
Winemaker, Harrison Wines
Talented winemakers are not in short supply in SA, but mention the name Riley Harrison to anyone in the industry, and they’ll likely agree he’s one to watch. He’s a Young Gun of Wine finalist and was recently chosen to be part of Langhorne Creek’s Project 5255 – an opportunity that gives young winemakers two tonnes of a selected variety to play with. And he plays well. The 2015 Fleur de la Lune Grenache was the first vintage for his Harrison Wines label, which he followed with a roussanne, a grenache-roussanne blend, and a syrah. There’s no snobbery – this is about making something delicious. On his website, he describes his craft as a “pursuit of perfume, texture, and drinkability”, weaving between conventional and minimal-intervention techniques. Sourcing fruit from Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, he encapsulates the best of South Australia in the glass.
JAY MARINIS, 29
Pub owner, The Summit Hotel; Founder, The Topsoil Garden Project
When Jay Marinis bought an old pub in Norton Summit nearly two years ago, his plans were far greater than jazzing up the menu. The Scenic Hotel, rather, is the linchpin of a plan to improve the lives of people experiencing mental illness. Marinis, a provisional therapist, has teamed up with like-minded individuals to develop The Topsoil Garden Project, which will transform a 2ha patch of land opposite the hotel into a working produce garden for small group nature-based therapies. Participants will ultimately have the opportunity to sell the produce back to the hotel, which will then be used in pay-what-you-can dinners. It’s about bringing all members of the community together. “It’s about making everyone aware that everyone has intrinsic value,” Marinis says. In its down time, the Scenic will also be used as a training organisation, giving participants the opportunity to learn vital skills in nutrition and food preparation.
HEALTH/MEDICINE
DR HANNAH WARDILL, 31
NHMRC CJ Martin Biomedical Research Fellow, The University of Adelaide and SAHMRI
Dr Hannah Wardill is a dynamic medical researcher on a mission to eradicate the physical, emotional and financial burden of cancer and its treatment by providing personalised and proactive supportive care, tailored to the individual needs of the patient. When she entered the field, she was astounded at the lack of supportive care resources available for patients. She is now developing new ways to predict how individuals will respond to treatment and hopes to use this information to match specific treatments to specific patients. Dr Wardill has also shared the results of research on the gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy, such as diarrhoea, in the hopes of creating an open dialogue about the side effects of cancer therapy. Her contribution to the field of supportive care and medical research has been widely recognised, and she has been named the MASCC International Young Investigator, SA Young Achiever and Qiagen Microbiome Award winner.
DR YEE LIAN CHEW, 32
Mary Overton senior research fellow, Flinders University
Worms hold the key to preventing chronic pain, according to neuroscientist Dr Yee Lian Chew. Repeated stimulation of the cells that detect and transmit pain signals leads to heightened sensitivity and greater responses, even to harmless cues such as touch. But the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Dr Chew is using a tiny worm with only 300 brain cells as an experimental system to identify the chemical signals that drive pain sensitisation. She hopes to identify new drug targets and create better painkillers. Dr Chew also promotes equity, diversity and inclusion in academia by addressing barriers to retention for minority groups. In recognition of her research achievements and leadership, she won the VC Award for Emerging Researcher of the Year 2020. She is also one of Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM, the celebrity women scientists inspiring next generations.
MONIQUE NEWBERRY, 38
Co-Founder Be Well Co, and Operations and Projects Lead, SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre
Chartered accountant Monique Newberry co-founded the first company to spin out of the SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre, Be Well Co, which launched in December. Be Well Co puts people in charge of their own wellbeing, providing the skills they need to build mental health and grow through life’s challenges. The program is evidence-based, drawing in research at SAHMRI, and harnessing the power of the Centre’s measurement platform. Individuals, or businesses, can sign up for short courses and improvement plans. There is an app to track wellbeing and provide access to support and resources. Ms Newberry joined SAHMRI in 2015 as the Centre’s operations and projects lead, after nine years at Ernst & Young working with organisations of all sizes and across industries to improve their performance through a people, process and structural lens.
SETH WESTHEAD
Co-Lead, Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Program, SAHMRI
With family connections to the Awabakal and Wiradjuri nations of NSW, health scientist Seth Westhead is charting the nation’s first Roadmap to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Adolescent health. He firmly believes that young people must be central to this effort, quoting the common phrase “Nothing about us, without us”. Young people also bring unique perspectives and skills that are important to designing a better way forward. The planning process involves a governance group of young leaders as well as focus groups. Surprisingly, existing policies and services focus mostly on children and adults, even though adolescents and young people aged 10-24 years represent about a third of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Prior to his research work, Seth gained 10 years’ experience as a youth mentor across various government and non-government programs. He also sports a mean set of dreadlocks!
DR TESSA GARGETT, 38
Adjunct Research Fellow, Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia
Immunologist and cell therapy specialist Dr Tessa Gargett is providing a promising new cancer treatment for eligible patients in clinical trials at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy trains the body’s own defence cells to detect and kill the diseased ones. The approach has worked for leukaemia and other blood cancers, now it is being assessed in the treatment of melanoma and sarcoma (cancer of the bones and connective tissue such as fat and muscle). The scientists target a subset of white blood cells known as killer T-cells and then introduce new DNA, so they can recognise the tumour cells. Dr Gargett now has approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration to treat adult and children with aggressive primary brain tumours in clinical trials to begin in the 2022-23 financial year.
POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
DAVID SPEIRS, 37
Opposition Leader
Following their crushing election defeat in March, the state Liberals have pinned their hopes for renewal on 37-year-old David Speirs. Mr Speirs, who served as environment minister in the Marshall Liberal government, was comfortably elected leader at a joint party room meeting last month and has vowed to bring a new, fresh approach. In his first press conference in the role, he declared he was “not about keeping this seat warm for the future”. “We are firmly focused on winning in 2026,” he said. It’s an ambitious aspiration for Mr Speirs, who grew up in Scotland and migrated to Australia with his parents in 2002. He studied law and environmental studies before he was elected to represent the southern suburbs seat of Black in 2014.
ASHTON HURN, 31
Liberal Member for Schubert, Opposition health spokeswoman
The counting after the March 19 election had barely finished when Liberal insiders started spruiking new MP Ashton Hurn as a future leader of the party. And it’s easy to see why. Ms Hurn, 31, was a key adviser to former Premier Steven Marshall before becoming the Member for Schubert, and has been immediately elevated to the role of health spokesperson. New leader David Speirs has charged her with holding the new government to account on its pledge to fix the ambulance ramping crisis and other issues plaguing the health system. But, she says, chief among her main priorities in her first term is looking out for her Barossa Valley electorate. Ms Hurn’s family settled in the region more than 170 years ago, establishing a successful vineyard at Angaston.
OLIVIA SAVVAS, 25
ALP Member for Newland
Age is nothing but a number for Olivia Savvas, who became the youngest member of the state parliament after she won the northeastern seat of Newland at the state election. The 25-year-old, who delivered her maiden speech earlier this month, said she’ll use her youth to her advantage, advocating for young people and women. In an interview after the election, Ms Savvas said what she lacks in corporate experience, she makes up for in fight. “And what you need in a Member of parliament is a fighter and I’ve got that in droves,” she said. Ms Savvas, who won her seat with a 6.3 per cent swing, was elected to Tea Tree Gully Council in 2018. Outside of her political life, she studied law and politics at Adelaide University and has worked as an analyst in a major bank.
BRUCE DJITE, 35
Chief Executive, Committee for Adelaide
Bruce Djite has packed a lot into his 35 years. The chief executive of the Committee for Adelaide rose to prominence as a promising young soccer star, after he was signed to Adelaide United during the 2006-07 A-League season. He retired in 2019 following a glittering career, and he’s now heads up the organisation that brings together businesses, industry bodies, community and government to shape Adelaide. And, less than a year after he started in the role, he’s already built a reputation for contributing bold ideas to help improve the city. Earlier this year, he made headlines when he declared its population must grow to two million over the next decade. Mr Djite said with the pandemic inspiring Australians to look further than Sydney and Melbourne for new opportunities, Adelaide was uniquely placed to capitalise.
JAMES STEVENS, 39
Liberal Member for Sturt
A key player in South Australian politics for years, James Stevens has had a meteoric rise within the Liberal Party. Just a year after becoming the SA Young Liberals president, he was elected campaign co-ordinator for the fully-fledged party in 2006. The 39-year-old went on to work for long-serving cabinet minister Christopher Pyne and then became chief-of-staff to former premier Steven Marshall. In 2019, he was picked to take over Mr Pyne’s formerly safe federal seat of Sturt as a rising Liberal star. He now faces a tough challenge to hold on to the seat as the margin is slashed. While some blame him for Mr Marshall’s catastrophic state election loss in March, there’s no denying Mr Stevens’s enduring influence in the SA Liberal Party’s moderate faction.
SPACE / TECHNOLOGY
MATT PEARSON, 35
Founder Airspeeder
Having a vision to build electric flying cars and race them in a global Grand Prix series is one thing. Getting some of the biggest brands in the world to back your vision is another – and it’s happening right here in Adelaide. Serial entrepreneur Matt Pearson’s Airspeeder has won the support of global names such as DHL and IWC Schaffhausen, as the company builds its plans for electric car races held at locations around the, world streamed to an audience of potentially billions. The company has attracted experts from motorsport icons Ferrari, Brabham, Rolls-Royce and McLaren as it puts the finishing touches to its Mk3 EXA flying cars, which are designed to race at speeds of up to 150km/h. Airspeeder last year held a “drag race” in the South Australian outback, as a prelude to full-scale racing, and the company hopes to move quickly to human-piloted craft once the racing series is up and running.
SPORT
HENRY HUNT, 25
After making the tough decision to move to South Australia from country New South Wales to chase his cricket team, Hunt has become one of the sport’s most exciting young players.
Three years after SA cricket boss Tim Nielsen headed east to recruit the classy opening batter, Hunt captained the Redbacks at Sheffield Shield level for the first time against Queensland in March, standing in for Australia players Travis Head and Alex Carey.
“I feel really privileged to have come over here a few years ago, been able to make my way through the pathway, and now to be named skipper, I am really honoured,’’ Hunt said of his elevation to the key leadership post.
Hunt, who led SA to its first Shield win in two years in the final game of the season against New South Wales, appears destined to join fellow Redbacks Head and Carey in earning a Baggy Green cap.
He represented Australia A against England A last summer and has been selected in the Australia A squad to tour Sri Lanka next month.
“I’m ticking some boxes,’’ he said.
MATTHEW DULDIG, 37
South Australian National Football League general manager football
A rising star of the SA State League football competition, Duldig was appointed to his current senior executive role two years ago after four years as SANFL community football manager and head of community football.
A highly experienced football administrator, Duldig joined the SANFL in 2010 as football operations manager after three years as a development officer with the Adelaide Crows.
Originally from Millicent in the state’s south east, he is a former SANFL key forward who played 94 league games and kicked 163 goals for Glenelg from 2003-09 and 73 games (173 goals) for Sturt from 2011-15.
He started his football administration career with a traineeship in game development with Glenelg while studying a degree in sports management at the University of SA.
Duldig, who will spend two weeks in Spain, including a stint at soccer giant Real Madrid, this month to complete his Master of Business Administration degree, is now responsible for overseeing all football competitions and programs delivered by the SANFL across the State.
He said he felt privileged “to be given the opportunity to lead the future direction of football in SA’’.
GEORGIE HORJUS, 19
Adelaide Thunderbirds netballer
Only in her third season of the Super Netball competition, Horjus – a 172cm attacker – has established herself as a fan-favourite among Adelaide’s netball supporters.
Hailing from Kangaroo Island, Horjus comes to netball equipped with a rare versatility of being able to play either the wing attack or goal attack position and the positional flexibility she displays on court has become a key part of the Thunderbirds game plan: last season she averaged 252 centre pass receives (the most for the T-Birds), 118 goal assists and 183 goals of her own.
Horjus, who was named the 2021 Thunderbirds Club Champion, is now on the path to Australian representation, having been selected for the Diamonds’ development squad.
She’s come a long way from staring her netball journey with the Parndana Netball Club before joining Contax in the Premier League and representing South Australia in the National Netball Championships.
ELOISE JONES, 23
Adelaide Crows footballer
She might be only 23, but the tenacious footballer is already a dominant force for the successful Crows AFLW team, having played 41 games across five seasons, winning two premierships while she was at it.
Jones is seen as a future superstar of women’s football, having given up a United States college basketball scholarship to pursue the Australian game.
She was a part of the Crows’ 2019 and 2022 premiership wins and this season was also named in the AFL Players Association’s prestigious 22 under 22 side.
In 2022, she averaged the fourth-highest disposals per game – 14.5 – for the dominant Crows, behind the established stars Anne Hatchard (24.3), Ebony Marinoff (24.3) and Erin Phillips (17.2).
Her average 14 disposals was a career best, along with 3.4 marks and 2.6 inside-50s.
Jones has been elevated into Adelaide’s leadership group for two seasons and has blossomed in the role, this month being awarded the 2022 AFLW Young Leader Award for her strong leadership across the competition.
JOSH RACHELE, 19
Adelaide Crows footballer
He’s only been in Adelaide for a few months but Josh Rachele looms as the next big star of SA footy.
He’s got the looks and has the game to back it up with the consensus that the Crows have already drafted a potential star of the competition.
In a big win for the Crows they have already got him to sign a new contract.
SPACE / TECHNOLOGY
FLAVIA TATA NARDINI, 38
CEO and co-founder Fleet Space Technologies
Flavia Tata Nardini and Fleet Space Technologies have been regarded as one of the trailblazers in positioning Adelaide as the centre of the national space industry. Nardini as chief executive and co-founder is quickly building a company that will extend around the world as well as into the heavens.
Late last year, the western-suburbs based company turbocharged its expansion plans raising $US26m from local and overseas investors, including billionaire Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. The new money valued Fleet at $US126m.
Fleet said it would use the money, in part, to hire about 70 new staff and has recently opened an office in Houston, Texas – the heart of the US space industry and home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Fleet, which employs about 100 people, currently has six satellites in space, with plans to build a constellation of about 140, providing Internet of Things connectivity to millions of earth-based devices.
Fleet also intends to build a satellite “hyper factory” in the planned Australian Space Park at Adelaide Airport, which will be the nation’s first dedicated space manufacturing hub.
ANTON ANDREACCHIO, 35
Co-founder of Convergen Group
Anton Andreacchio was 22 when he founded his first company with brother Carlo, captivated by the future possibilities virtual reality technology. Now, 13 years later Andreacchio’s animation business has developed more than 600 visualisation projects for major mining and infrastructure projects across Australia and New Zealand, while his virtual reality works have been featured at film festivals around the world, including Sundance and the Venice Biennale.
He is now investigating the “future of work” and how automation and artificial intelligence could have on industries ranging from engineering and mining right through to the arts. The question Mr Andreacchio poses is: “What is the role that humans will play in the future?’’
In 2019, the Andreacchios joined forces with Hollywood production veteran Michael Darren to establish Artisan Post Group at Lot Fourteen – a centralised post-production facility for sound and vision artisans.
Mr Andreacchio also sits on various boards including at the Adelaide Film Festival Board, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.
JOSEPH MERCORELLA, 38
Co-founder and chief executive Lumary
Joseph Mercorella established start-up digital healthcare software provider Lumary in 2017 with Matthew English. Now it is pursuing global expansion. In a short time the company has grown to about 150 staff, processes more than $2.5bn in NDIS funding for more than 200,000 users each year, and is on track for an 80 per cent increase in revenue this financial year.
Mercorella and English established Lumar after identifying a need for new software to manage the complex relationships between providers, consumers and others participating in the NDIS.
Last year Lumary raised $17m from investors including Salesforce, venture capital firm OneVentures and the SA Venture Capital Fund, to support its expansion.
It has its eyes on the lucrative US market, where it has opened an office in Denver and is in the process of launching a new product for autism therapy providers.
KATHERINE BENNELL, 37
Director of Space Technology, Australian Space Agency
Katherine Bennell has spent most of her working life looking to the stars. The Sydney Uni student, who graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in aeronautical and space engineering, then headed off to an internship at NASA and studied at the International Space University. She has also studied at Britain’s Cranfield University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Before joining the Australian Space Agency in 2019, Bennell worked for global aviation giant Airbus, ending as service operations lead for its Bartolomeo platform which is attached to the International Space Station.
Bennell was appointed the ASA’s director of technology in March, with the brief of streamlining processes that will help Australian companies make it into space through the federal government’s $65 million program Fast Tracking access to space initiative. Part of her role also looks at the possibility of an Australian astronaut program.
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Originally published as SA’s rising stars of politics, business, health, arts, hospitality, sport, media and science
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