Tasmania’s Australians of the Year unveiled for 2022

A humanitarian and refugee advocate, who escaped war-torn Sierra Leone in search of a better life, has been named the 2023 Tasmania Australian of the Year. Find out his story + our other winners.

Humanitarian and refugee advocate John Kamara, who escaped war-torn Sierra Leone in search of a better life, has been named the 2023 Tasmania Australian of the Year.

The award recipients were recognised at a ceremony at Hobart’s Crowne Plaza hotel on Friday afternoon.

Mr Kamara, 38, is the co-founder of the Culturally Diverse Alliance of Tasmania, as well as the African Communities Council of Tasmania.

He arrived in Tasmania in 2004 when he was still just a teenager. Today he draws on his own experience as a migrant to assist people who find themselves in a similar situation.

Seeking to shine a light on systemic disadvantages faced by migrants, Mr Kamara also helps new arrivals to the state find work and housing.

John Kamara. Picture: Richard Jupe

He and his wife, Mavis, have also established Kamara’s Heart Foundation, a charity providing assistance to children in Sierra Leone.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who attended the awards ceremony, congratulated Mr Kamara on his achievement.

“John is well known as a humanitarian and advocate for migrant and refugee communities, and this is a richly deserved recognition of the great work he does for so many in our community,” he said.

The winner of the Tasmania Senior Australian of the Year was Dr Frances Donaldson, a prisoner advocate who worked tirelessly on the frontline amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Donaldson, 80, started out as a nurse in Hobart, eventually being elevated to the position of Director of Nursing. She then went on to study medicine in her 40s.

Motivated by a passion for improving the level of health care in Tasmania, Dr Donaldson devoted herself for 12 years to improving the state’s under-resourced prison health service, pushing for better outcomes for prisoners.

She has most recently served as one of the lead doctors in the COVID@homeplus service, sometimes working seven days a week.

23-year-old marathon runner and registered nurse, Meriem Daoui, was named Tasmania Young Australian of the Year in recognition of her humanitarian work.

Meriem Daoui.

At just 16, the Morocco-born Ms Daoui ran her first marathon and raised more than $5000 for Syrians displaced as a result of the civil war.

Ms Daoui moved to Tasmania at age 10, experiencing racism upon her arrival and being bullied for wearing a hijab. Wracked by anxiety and depression during her teenage years, she says the support she received during times of adversity inspired her to give back to the community.

The keen runner has used marathons as a platform for raising awareness and money for childhood cancer research, recently raising more than $12,000 by completing the Everest Challenge.

The 2023 Tasmania Local Hero is ammunition technical officer Keith Parker, who has logged more than 1500 hours as a volunteer ambulance officer at Sheffield since 2011.

Mr Parker, 66, specialised in explosive ordnance during his army career and served overseas.

He helped the United Nations modernise its explosives storage when he managed an explosives safety trial at Woomera and acted as a national representative to help negotiate weapons surrender during a time of conflict in the Solomon Islands.

Today, Mr Parker holds the highest volunteer ambulance officer rank and helps train new recruits and occasionally works as a solo first responder if no paramedics are available.

National Australia Day Council CEO Karlie Brand said the award recipients were deserving of their honours.

“The Tasmanian recipients are wonderful humanitarians, working to help others and make a positive change in community,” she said.

The four recipients are automatically nominated for the national Australian of the Year Awards, which will be announced in Canberra on January 25, 2023.

OUR WINNERS

John Kamara, 38, Tasmania Australian of the Year

The co-founder of the Culturally Diverse Alliance of Tasmania, as well as the African Communities Council of Tasmania, John Kamara arrived in Tasmania in 2004 when he was still just a teenager, having escaped war-torn Sierra Leone.

Mr Kamara offers assistance to migrants and refugees, helping them find work and housing and highlighting the systemic disadvantages they face upon arrival in the state, including racism and labour exploitation.

Together with his wife, Mavis, he also established the charity Kamara’s Heart Foundation, which raises money to help children in Sierra Leone.

Mr Kamara sits on a number of different boards and is involved in numerous community groups.

Dr Frances Donaldson, 80, Tasmania Senior Australian of the Year

Dr Frances Donaldson is a prisoner advocate who has worked tirelessly on the frontline in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beginning her career as a nurse in Hobart, which eventually saw her elevated to the position of Director of Nursing, Dr Donaldson went on to study medicine in her 40s.

She devoted herself for 12 years to improving the state’s prison health service and pushing for better health outcomes for prisoners.

Dr Donaldson has served as one of the lead doctors in Tasmania’s COVID@homeplus service, which has sometimes required her to work seven days a week.

Prior to the state’s borders reopening in December 2021, she volunteered to care for seasonal workers in hotel quarantine.

Meriem Daoui, 23, Tasmania Young Australian of the Year

A registered nurse and keen marathon runner, Meriem Daoui has made a name for herself by raising thousands of dollars for childhood cancer research.

The Morocco-born Ms Daoui ran her first marathon at 16 and raised more than $5000 for Syrians displaced as a result of the civil war.

Ms Daoui says the support she has received in times of adversity inspired her to give back to the community.

She has used marathons to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer research, recently raising more than $12,000 by completing the Everest Challenge, which involved running the Point to Pinnacle course every day for one week.

Keith Parker, 66, Tasmania Local Hero

Keith Parker is an ammunition technical officer who has contributed more than 1500 hours as a volunteer ambulance officer at Sheffield since 2011.

Mr Parker specialised in explosive ordnance during his army career, which saw him serve overseas.

He helped the United Nations modernise its explosives storage when he managed an explosives safety trial at Woomera in South Australia and acted as an Australian representative to help negotiate weapons surrender during a period of conflict in the Solomon Islands.

Today, Mr Parker holds the highest volunteer ambulance officer rank and helps train new recruits, occasionally working solo as a first responder if no paramedics are available.

Originally published as Tasmania’s Australians of the Year unveiled for 2022