Gold Coast Women of the Year winners announced
The winner of the inaugural Gold Coast Bulletin Woman of the Year award has been announced, along with nine other category winners. SEE THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Women of the Year
Don't miss out on the headlines from Women of the Year. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The winners of the inaugural Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year awards have been announced at a gala luncheon at The Star Gold Coast.
More than 200 guests attended the Garden Kitchen & Bar, with demand for tickets requiring a live stream of the awards direct to The Lawn at The Star Gold Coast to hundreds of attendees.
The overall Women of The Year Award went to Bleach* CEO and artistic director Louise Bezzina.
The People’s Choice award, which was voted on by more than 4000 people, was won by Katrina Springer.
Winners of eight special categories were also announced.
Gold Coast Bulletin Editor Rachel Hancock said the calibre of the entries had been extremely high.
“We have been blown away by the calibre of women who were nominated for these awards.”
“From women who are the backbone of our junior sports to visionary entrepreneurs running
multi-million dollar businesses right here on the Gold Coast, our community is engaged and strong and it is fitting that we celebrate their contribution on International Women’s Day.”
Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page agreed: “The people who voted, the women who were nominated and ultimately the winners of the Gold Coast Women of the Year are making their individual contributions because they love where they live.
>>> SCROLL DOWN TO SEE FULL LIST OF WINNERS
“These women aren’t passengers, they know that they are responsible for the quality of life that the Gold Coast offers. This is a city with real neighbours and neighbourhoods; where local club coaches care more about the individual child than the team score and you can build a business and raise a family. That elusive work life balance can be found right here on the Coast.”
Ironwoman Courtney Hancock accepted the award for the Sporting Superstars category and said she was “inspired” by other winners’ stories.
“There’s so many women I look up to in this room,” she said.
“I just want to go out and do more, that’s why today is so importantfor us to be able to appreciate what everyone does.”
The award’s judging panel, hosted by the Gold Coast Bulletin’s Commercial Editor Brooke Stoddart, took to the stage in the afternoon to share their “life hacks”.
102.9 Hot Tomato breakfast host Emily-Jade O’Keeffe said for her it was important to prioritise what she values in life, sacrificing a blow dry in the morning for time with her family in the evening.
Harvey Norman’s Katie Page said it was important to “look after your people”.
Rebecca Frizelle, from Frizelle Automotive Group, said that her family had always been supportive and never made her feel that being a female was a disadvantage.
“We grew up thinking ‘don’t screw up this amazing opportunity we’ve been given’ and we weren’t well-off by any means,” she said.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE GOLD COAST BULLETIN - JUST $1 FOR THE FIRST 28 DAYS
The panel also offered advice for women of all ages, urging women to get engaged with money and numbers.
Professor Carolyn Evans, Vice Chancellor of Griffith University, said it was very important that girls are properly educated in order to reach leadership roles.
“It is absolutely critical that we don’t have a generation who are afraid of numbers,” she said.
“If we could change just one thing for the next generation it would be to keep girls in maths for as long as possible.
“We have women who think they can’t read (business documents), you can.”
Head of Westpac Private Bank in Queensland Kellie Robertson agreed, and said women needed to educate themselves on money.
“We need to start with the basics, pennies shouldn’t be dropping in your 30s and 40s,” she said.
“Know where the money is in your family, and if you’re not interested, get someone who does know it on your team.”
The Bulletin asked guests what the day means to them.
“It’s about empowering women to use their own voice,” Kimberly Welman said.
“Use your superpowers.
“There’s still room to improve the gender balance in society.”
Gold Coast GP Dr Sonu Haikerwal arrived with her team from Gold Coast Hospital foundation board.
“Today is about celebrating women. It’s so important to recognise what we do for the community,” she said.
WOMAN OF THE YEAR AND ‘ENTERTAINERS’ CATEGORY WINNER: LOUISE BEZZINA
PRESENTED BY: The Entertainers presented by The Star
Louise had a vision for a small cultural festival on the Southern Gold Coast in 2012.
That vision has now grown to be a 12-day artistic extravaganza which will see 28 events and hundreds of performers turn the Gold Coast into their stage.
Eight years ago Connecting Southern Gold Coast consulted with Louise to create a festival to complement the Quicksilver and Roxy Pro. Bleach* was born.
“I met them and came up with the concept of what a cultural festival could be that would complement that,” she says.
“They liked the idea and the rest is history. I came on board, created it from scratch and built the festival to be an arts program that was connected to the sand and beach culture of the Gold Coast.”
In her role as Bleach* CEO and artistic director, Louise has seen the festival grow every year. “It grew beyond the southern Gold Coast to the whole of the city, the natural environment and the beach,” she says.
While it wasn’t always easy, Louise says she had no doubt it would be successful and an unwavering belief in how important it was for the community. “I really hoped that it would get big and worked really hard to convince a lot of people that it had great potential.
“It’s exceeded my expectations but it’s wonderful to see the growth,” she says.
“People want to connect, be challenged, be inspired.
“Young people want to grow up on the Gold Coast and expect their city to have a really rich offering.”
This is Louise’s final year as artistic director.
“It’s definitely going to be hard to let it go, but I’m ready for something new,” she says.
She will be farewelling Bleach* for the Brisbane Festival, but she’ll be going out with a bang with 2019 set to be the biggest yet.
“I applaud the City of Gold Coast for its unwavering support of Bleach* and for enabling this cultural revolution to take place.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER: KATRINA SPRINGER
The toddlers that once starred in her tales have grown into teens and her simple blog has become a full-time job, but Gold Coast mum Katrina Springer says there’s no greater reward than helping her readers.
The 40-year-old is the brains behind The Organised Housewife, sharing cleaning tips, easy meals and parenting advice accessed by other mums around the world.
“The first eight years I was running the blog out of a bedroom in our home,” she says.
“Last year I hired two staff to help me as I couldn’t keep up with everything that needed to be done to run the website full time.
“It got a little cramped in a small bedroom, so we moved out into a local office space, which has been a huge game changer.”
Katrina now manages four staff and has just started a series of workshops focusing on everything from meal planning to the less tangible but equally valuable “how to keep mum sane”. She’s heard back from hundreds of mums over the years, saying the blog is a way to connect and share the joy and struggle of parenting.
“By sharing the good, the bad and the ugly with them, I give them hope, as I am another mother they can relate to,” she says.
“I let them know that they’re not alone. I used to cry behind the closed bathroom door, whenever groundhog day got to me when the kids were toddlers. We all go through it, but most of us don’t want to share the truth of it all. I share it all so that others know they aren’t alone and it’s possible to get out of the rut like I did.
“Simple things from what I do with the dirty laundry, how I organise under my kitchen sink, to what I cook the family each night inspires the beautiful community that follow me every day.
“It’s little things that make such a difference inside many homes.”
Katrina’s supporters inspire her in return. “I received this message: If you won it, congratulations. If you didn’t, remember who you are, the most wonderfully helpful woman in my world. You are a genuine treasure and I am sure your family is just as proud of you, with or without a trophy, as the people you constantly help sort themselves out are. You are our champion.”
ENTREPRENEURS WINNER: VICTORIA BEATTIE AND EMMA HENDERSON, THE BEACH PEOPLE
PRESENTED BY: Frizelle Sunshine Automotive
“She’s my bestie,” Victoria, the younger of the duo says. “We are complete opposites which kind of works in both a friendship and a working relationship. We love working together.”
Emma adds: “Vic is the best! I couldn’t imagine doing business with anyone else.”
The pair were sitting on the beach in 2013 watching their husbands surf when Emma said: “I’m thinking of making tacos for dinner and also round beach towels. How do you think they would go? Do you want to do that with me?”
So Emma the ‘dreamer’ and Victoria the ‘doer’ drew up a “sister contract” vowing to always play to their strengths.
“We know what each other is good at, we know each other inside out and there would be no Beach People if it wasn’t for Victoria ... because the girl gets stuff done and is unbelievably motivated. I’m more of the dreamy person looking at a Pantone colour chart. We have the perfect balance of logic and creativity.”
The humble idea of the “roundie” resulted in the birth of The Beach People, a luxe seaside accessories brand run out of the Tweed with an office in Miami, and stocked in more than 600 stores in 90 countries including Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman and Selfridges.
“Our goal was to start a family and have flexible work hours around our children with very little expectation of running a global business,” Victoria says
Emma adds: “We are living our dream though as we are able to live seaside and raise families while working our dream roles, it’s pretty amazing.”
They recently opened a flagship store in Byron Bay and the brand is moving into beach bags, hats, chairs, umbrellas, sunscreen and resort wear.
CHAMPIONS OF EDUCTION WINNER: VICKI HAYWARD
PRESENTED BY: Griffith University
In her very first year of teaching in her native Melbourne, Vicki Hayward became incredibly passionate about helping disengaged and at risk young people have a fighting chance at a better life by focusing on emotional wellbeing.
Almost 30 years later, Vicki has made a career out of working with vulnerable youth, helping thousands gain an education and go onto secure further education, jobs and start families of their own.
At Arcadia College, a small school in Varsity Lakes which offers a safe, inclusive and future focused curriculum, Vicki mainly works with Indigenous and LGBTQI+ students - helping them navigate issues such as sex education, healthy relationships, domestic violence as well as the standard english and history curriculum.
Vicki said the levels of homelessness, self harming and suicide rates in the LGBTQI+ group is amazingly high compared to other groups in society, a statistic she is trying hard to change.
“I am always amazed that by the end of the year my young people had jobs or courses to go to, had somewhere to live and were alive,” Vicky says.
“Two years ago I worked with a particularly vulnerable group and I was crying tears of joy when we all made it to formal in one piece (and then they made it through schoolies).
“It is an amazing feeling to have supported a group of young people through to high school completion when sometimes they are the first person in their family to do so.”
Vicki also started Women in the Waves in the early 1990s in conjunction with Surfing Queensland after being annoyed at the low participation rates of women in the sport compared to men.
“Women could meet others who wanted to learn to surf and compete in surfing events in a safe and supportive environment,” she says. “I promoted the sport to women of all ages and advocated for gender equity across all levels of the sport.”
‘STYLE ICONS’ WINNER: LEINA BROUGHTON AND FLEUR RICHARDSON
PRESENTED BY: Oscar Oscar Salons
A chance meeting for two Kiwi women, both experienced in fashion and fashion production, and who had both moved to the Gold Coast for a seachange has turned into a lucrative and rewarding partnership.
“There was an instant synchronicity between us as we realised we had such complimentary skill sets and a very similar approach to work and life,” Leina Broughton, Creative Director of Leina Broughton says. “Within six months of meeting we were heading into a formal business partnership together.”
Leina and Fleur Richardson head up the Burleigh Heads based fashion house, which is leading the charge for body positive fashion for women of all ages - designing and manufacturing quality garments for sizes 8-24.
Leina says: “Fleur is brave, smart, sassy and talented. I love her fearless approach to new opportunities. She always weighs up the risks and is able to look at each situation without bias and then leads the jump, brilliant.”
All of the labels garments are made on the Gold Coast, they use customers as models and each week they unveil small releases of new designs and prints - which often sell out in minutes due to the “cult” following of customers they have across Australia and abroad.
Fleur says: “We took the risk and jumped in together to build this business,” she says. “It has been such a huge journey with many peaks and troughs and we have leaned into every part of it whole-heartedly.
“The incredible community we have built within our label is something we could never have planned for but we believe it’s our commitment to everything we do that has created that core foundation.”
Leina says they plan to grow the business and the volume of their output, while still focusing on including their customers as part of the design process.
“We believe what is niche about our business is our unique approach to involving our customers and being so customer focused, she says. “This is something we plan to make a key focus with our growth.”
‘WELLNESS WARRIORS’ WINNER: STACEY PANOZZO
PRESENTED BY: milon Premium Health Club
A fascination with an unusual type of botanical called “air plants” led Stacey Panozzo down a path which has become a calling and somewhat of a crusade to encourage and educate Gold Coasters on sustainable living.
Her interest in air plants or tillandsias, which have the unique ability to draw all the water and nutrients they need from tiny scales on their leaves, led to a side business retailing them online.
Stacey started attending gardening clubs and organised meetings, usually finding she was the youngest one there as most of them were geared towards seniors.
Couple with changing social attitudes and a desire for people to grow their own food, she created Botanical Bazaar in 2015, an educational gardening event which attracted 1700 people of all ages.
The event has grown since its inception, last year pulling in more than 5500 gardening enthusiasts and Stacey is now proud to call it a crusade.
“I was not intentionally out to make social change when first starting the festival, it was more of a way to unite like minded people in a relaxed, educational and entertaining environment,” she says.
“However I do like that term and it has evolved into being a way to campaign for social change. This is being done via educating people about like composting, growing your own food, upcycling, reducing the use of plastic, food sharing and community gardening.”
Stacey hopes her inclusion in the inaugural Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year will provide a platform for green living and composting.
“I would love people to learn more about the positive effects of composting,” she says. “I believe composting is the start of living a more sustainable lifestyle. It makes you think about reducing your food waste, reusing that waste, regenerating your soil from that waste and then growing your own food from your waste. How good is that!”
‘ANGELS AMONG US’ WINNER: CARLY FRADGLEY
PRESENTED BY: St Hilda’s School
Being able to contribute to the community in a significant way was always on the cards for Carly Fradgley.
The CEO and co-founder of charity Baby Give Back recently found an old journal from eight years ago which contained her thoughts and a mix of charitable ideas inspired by the Michael Jackson song ‘Man in the Mirror.’
“I never imagined that I would be CEO of a charity, let alone one I had the idea to start,” Carly says. “But I was raised to believe that with hard work, I really could achieve whatever I set my mind to so I don’t think I ever considered anything to be too big of a roadblock.
“I have always known that I wanted to give back in a significant way so it’s not surprising to those close to me that I ended up starting Baby Give Back.”
When her two children started to outgrow their baby furniture, clothes and toys Carly was looking for somewhere to take them. Inspired by St Kilda Mums, a Melbourne charity which re-homes baby goods, the Gold Coast born and raised lawyer started Baby Give Back with a group of like-minded mums.
The charity has a busy Burleigh warehouse, manned by hundreds of volunteers who devote their time to helping those in need.
“(We have had) significant growth in the two years we have been operating but this is just the start for us,” Carly says.
“We are determined to grow enough to meet all of the need in our community and then expand to Brisbane and beyond.
“Our mantra is that every baby deserves an equal start, a safe start to life. No matter the circumstances into which they were born or where their family lives.”
Carly said the most rewarding part of BGB is hearing the countless stories of how much of a difference these donations were making to struggling families, usually from the social workers at the coalface.
“(The donations) represent safety for babies, kindness from strangers, a sense of community, a village around those families who need us most and sometimes can be just enough to set the family back on the right path and flip their world right again.”
‘CHAMPIONS OF SPORT’ WINNER: LINDA MONRO
PRESENTED BY: Harvey Norman
Loved by generations of Gold Coast netballers, Linda Monro has dedicated hundreds of thousands of hours of her time playing, coaching and supporting the sport on the Gold Coast over the past 30 years.
Not only does she take her players through the on-field skills and drills, she supports and encourages them off the field - running goal setting and vision board workshops with her young charges.
Last year and at the age of 60, Linda played in the Masters Games held here on the Gold Coast. Her teammates were in their 30s - women she had trained as children - and still in her life now.
One of the nominations she received for the Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year was from Rebecca Plant, a woman now aged 37 and who Linda had trained as a teenager.
“Linda’s ability to give young women something outside of themself to focus on and contribute to, has been a key to her success as a coach - and the success of the teams she has coached, Ms Plant wrote.
“I have carried a quote card she gave me at the age of 16 in my purse ever since - I am now 37. The quote card was given to me as a teenager, when I wasn’t sure where I fit in, or whether I could really make my life goals achievable.
“I then went on to achieve career success, in addition to playing for Queensland, the QAS and the ACT in the Australian Netball League. Linda instilled in me at an early age to always chase my dreams and never give up. And, that it was OK to stand out. I love her dearly for the impact she has had on my life.”
‘SPORTING SUPERSTARS’ WINNER: COURTNEY HANCOCK
PRESENTED BY: Harvey Norman
Courtney Hancock is the epitome of the Gold Coast’s healthy and active beach lifestyle. She is the only woman in history to win all major Ironwoman titles in the same year, the prestigious Coolangatta Gold, Australian Ironwoman title and Kelloggs Series.
She is s supreme athlete who looks like a supermodel. But it is her engaging and positive personality coupled with a strong sense of social justice and contribution to her community which make her a truly beautiful person.
Her love for the ocean is what first drew her to her chosen sport, as well as seeing legendary athletes Trevor hendy and Karla Gilbert on television as a young nipper in Sawtell - where she grew up living by the beach with her parents and three sisters.
“Seeing them on the TV in the Nutri-grain series, competing and being out there in the water running on the sand, and the way they spoke afterwards - I fell in love with what they did and the people who they were, “ she says.
“I really wanted to be a part of something in life which was more than just a competition, it was something that is so much more than just a sport.
“When you’re training you’re spending so many hours improving your skills and getting fit, fast and strong, and I think it’s the only sport where you do this, but you’re also spending hours on patrol and learning skills to save people in the ocean.”
At the age of 30 and with fellow competitor Shannon Eckstein announcing his retirement from the sport, the inevitable questions about her exit from the sport have been asked.
“Even though he’s five years older than me, I’ve been with racing with him for a long time so people really care and want to know what’s next?,” she says.
“Age is a number baby and it really is, as long as you look after yourself and you’re mentally happy with what you’re doing, then age is not going to stop me.
“I like to keep planning and making goals, in all aspects of my life, to keep moving forward and making them happen - if you have a goal you make it happen, just keep believing in yourself and have a strong network around you, they will help you through.”
‘Nobody knew what was happening’: Behind marine biologist’s confronting film
Marine conservationist who has dedicated years to wildlife education and protection has revealed people were shocked by her documentary on shark nets, saying it’s not what they expected. FULL STORY
The Gold Coast women of the year winners: Where are they now
They are the 2023 stars of the Gold Coast Bulletin Women of the Year awards by Harvey Norman. We catch up with Lynne Benzie, Patsy Tierney and Linda Osman one year on.