Category winners, people’s choice award for 2024 NT News Woman of the Year announced
Eight Northern Territory women – who are professionals, leaders and change-makers in their respective fields – have been recognised for their contributions to community at the NT News Woman of the Year Awards. View the winners.
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This category was too close to call for the judging panel, with two selfless women who devote time and energy to helping others for no attention or reward sharing the title.
This category was too close to call for the judging panel, with two selfless women who devote time and energy to helping others for no attention or reward sharing the title.
Caroline Thomspon is on a mission to make sure women’s voices are heard.
The Top End mum has been a long-time volunteer with both the Australian Military Wives Choir and the Scouts, between guiding students as a careers co-ordinator with Charles Darwin University.
Ms Thompson said she had always loved singing, but found her joy while joining with others to create “beautiful harmonies and sounds”.
From behind the camera lens, mother and nurse Danielle Phillips sees every gentle caress and teardrop as new parents hold their babies for the first and last time.
The Heartfelt volunteer has spent the past six years capturing intimate portraits of stillborn or premature infants with their Territory parents.
Ms Phillips said the photo shoots allowed families to experience tender moments with their child, who may have only had a few breaths of life before passing away.
“You’re trying to give them a lifetime of memories just in one session,” she said.
“They’ll never get to cuddle their baby again.
“So it’s really important to capture that and prove that baby existed.”
Industry Professionals - sponsored by NEC
When it came to selecting a lady at the top of her field and a leader, the judges couldn’t go past Ruth Palmer.
Ms Palmer has taken her never say die attitude all the way to the top as executive director of the Property Council NT.
After taking over the role nine years ago, Ms Palmer says she almost immediately hit a glass ceiling, experiencing the impostor syndrome familiar to many women in high powered roles.
Now, after having more than doubled the council’s membership during her tenure while also completing a Masters in Business, Ms Palmer is on almost a dozen boards and committees and tries to instil the importance of education and hard work in her own two daughters.
She was also recently appointed Neighbourhood Watch NT’s new president.
Public Sector - sponsored by the Sunday Territorian
When it comes to recognising outstanding service by an employee of Commonwealth, state or local governments, Dorothy Close’s 30 years of work with the NT Government stood out from the rest.
A Monash University graduate, Ms Close joined the NT Geological Survey in 1995 and in that time has focused on the growing awareness of the Territory as a resources hub, with a longer-term view of expanding exploration and development.
She has great belief the Territory will become a significant resources contributor to the Australian economy.
Ms Close said the agency’s role is to de-risk exploration so explorers can better target resources and to provide information to government for police development, and it’s a job she does with relish.
“If you enjoy doing what you’re doing, then it’s not a job,” Ms Close said
Champions of Sport - sponsored by Steeline GRP
This award is for a woman who is the backbone of local sport, dedicated to organising or volunteering or simply achieving on the field or in play and there is no better fit than Jackie Edwards.
Mrs Edwards, fondly known as Aunty Jackie, is the matriarch of the Nightcliff Dragons, and it’s by no fluke, as she’s devoted more than 50 years of her life to the club and sport.
She has headed the club’s sponsorship and marketing, washes all the players’ jumpers and cooks dinners for the teams – and that is just scratching the surface of her contribution not only to league, but to many sports across the region.
Mrs Edwards has also played a massive role in the growth of female voices in the sport, forming part of the initial women’s committee at Nightcliff.
First Nations Person - sponsored by McArthur River Mining, a Glencore company
Dr Donna Odegaard AM has been awarded an Order of Australia, Indigenous Alumni Award, Honorary Doctor of Letters, Naming Lady and Commissioning Lady for HMAS Larrakia and can now add the award for First Nations Person to the list.
Dr Odegaard is an advocate for land rights and native title, is co-chair on the Trans Tasman Indigenous Trade Partnership and champion for Indigenous women and girls, global First Nations relations and trade and economic development.
Her media business, First Nations Broadcasting Australia, is the largest privately owned media network in Australia.
“Even as a small child, I wanted to do something to change the world – very ambitious for a little kid from the bush,” Dr Odegaard said.
Stars of Tourism & Hospitality - sponsored by Mindil Beach Casino Resort
As a fishing tragic, Emma Cartwright discovered she was a woman in a man’s world.
When she started the Territory’s first all-female fishing tournament 23 years ago, one well-known angler told her that, unlike a barra, it would never catch.
She now runs the Anglers Choice Fishing Safaris charter, the number two-ranked Darwin touring experience on TripAdvisor.
The Reel Women Barra Classic tournament has grown to more than 200 contenders a year on average, and Ms Cartwright said she was staggered to learn that more women than men went fishing in the Territory last year.
People’s Choice - brought to you by the Northern Territory Government
From the seven categories, all finalists went into a ‘People’s Choice’ award – voted by ntnews.com.au readers - and the results came down to the wire.
In total, 1842 readers cast their vote, with Champions of Sport category winner Jackie Edwards and Industry Professionals finalist Michelle Duggan both receiving 165 votes.
Mrs Edwards has had a profound impact on the Territory community, as has young lawyer Ms Duggan.
After practising law for seven years, Ms Duggan set up her own firm Duggan Family Lawyers at the age of 30 in July 2022.
Ms Duggan said she had built a “colourful calendar” as she navigated her Katherine and Darwin clients through divorces and separations, property settlements, domestic violence matters and child protection disputes.
She also volunteers at the Top End Women’s Legal Service and the Darwin Community Legal Service.
The inspiring individual stories of all winners and category finalists will feature in a special liftout to be published in the NT News on Friday, May 31.
Originally published as Category winners, people’s choice award for 2024 NT News Woman of the Year announced
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