Pride of Australia winners revealed: our unsung heroes in the spotlight
ROSIE Batty delivered an impassioned plea for son Luke’s death to not be in vain and the issue of domestic violence to never go back “behind closed doors” after winning a Pride of Australia medal.
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ROSIE Batty has delivered an impassioned plea for her son Luke’s death to not be in vain and the issue of domestic violence to never go back “behind closed doors”.
The brave crusader won the Herald Sun Pride of Australia Courage medal yesterday and was met with a standing ovation from a crowd including Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay, ex-premier Jeff Kennett and media stars.
She was among 16 unsung heroes saluted at the 10th annual awards, for epitomising the Aussie spirit through remarkable bravery, generosity and enduring acts of kindness.
The Project’s Carrie Bickmore broke down as she read the award citation for Ms Batty, who eight months ago turned personal tragedy into a fight to help others.
Hobbling up to the podium on crutches after foot surgery, Ms Batty said the issue must stay at the top of the community agenda.
OPINION: ROSIE BATTY’S MISSION FOR LUKE
EDITORIAL: MUM’S COURAGE BEYOND WORDS
She said she accepted the award on behalf of all the other women who were victims of family violence.
“I urge all of you to ensure it doesn’t go behind closed doors,’’ she said.
“To challenge our views, to extend compassion and understanding to people who are not able to live safely.
“One woman a week is murdered in family violence, one child out of four experiences the permanent effects of it.
“With these statistics, I want you to consider why Mr Lay believes this is one of our most serious issues.”
Mr Lay was one of scores of Victorians to nominate the grieving mum and said yesterday she had made the community a better place.
He has now called on that community to support Ms Batty as she faces reliving her son’s shocking murder at the hands of his father during an upcoming inquest.
“She’s challenged the police, she’s challenged government departments, she’s challenged the community to be so much better in family violence,’’ he said.
The “Rosie Batty effect”, as Mr Lay has dubbed it, had inspired Australians far and wide, so much so that another category winner paid tribute to her in his speech.
Detective Senior Constable Danny Shaddock, who won the Heroism award with fellow officer Jenny Wiltshire for saving four farmers’ lives, said: “To be in the same awards as Rosie Batty is quite extraordinary.’’
Ms Batty remarked to Mr Lay during the lunch that it is the “ordinary people who make up the world’’.
“It seems unless you are skinny, beautiful, or can sing, you struggle to be recognised,’’ she said. “These awards are about recognising that ordinary is special.’’
It was a cavalcade of community champions who graced the stage at Federation Square.
There was big-hearted Gina Poulos, the Fair Go medal winner who opened up her own home to feed the disadvantaged. “It’s been 50 years this week that I had a birthday party and had food left over, and I thought — ‘What am I going to do with this?’,’’ she told a delighted crowd.
“So I put it in boxes and went around and gave it to people. They thought it was a regular thing, so that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.’’
Then there were the three kids who fronted the crowd for the Child of Courage award, hearts full and eyes shining.
Eric Watkins, 8 dressed in his best cream suit jacket to accept the award for helping save his mother’s life after a quad bike crash. He was too shy for a speech but told the Herald Sun after: “I’m very nervous but very happy.’’
While only 16 sterling silver medals were handed out, there were 41 heroes yesterday.
All winners are now in contention for a national award in their category.
THE WINNERS
Danny Shaddock and Jenny Wiltshire (joint winners)
Heroism Medal
A TOTAL disregard for their own safety in the fight to save four others has earned heroic cops Danny Shaddock and Jenny Wiltshire the Heroism Medal. The Senior Constables were the first emergency services on scene at a Cloverlea farm where four semi-conscious men were trapped in a tank filled with a lethal substance. With Sen-Constable Wiltshire holding onto his belt, Sen-Constable Shaddock waded into the tank 15 times – saving all four men, three of whom were just seconds from death. The two police officers were taken to hospital following the rescue.
Lisa Gray
Care and Compassion Medal
LISA Gray is the ultimate super mum. She has cared for more than 70 children in her tireless work as a foster carer. Her Geelong home is filled with up to 10 children at any time one, including her two biological sons and the three children she permanently carers for. Her loving approach and enormous heart has turned around the lives of countless children in the past 14 years.
Eric Watkins
Child of Courage Medal
Eric Watkins is cool in a crisis. The eight-year-old showed composure beyond his years when his mother was knocked unconscious after crashing into a tree on a quad bike. The brave youngster stayed by her side, reassuring her that she would be OK and that help was on its way.
Melinda Shelley
Community Spirit Medal
KIDS across Australia are set to receive free books thanks to a can-do mum from the Mornington Peninsula. Melinda Shelley has distributed more than 12,000 free books to children on the peninsula through her foundation, 123Read2Me, and with the help of the Lions Club the program hopes to go national next year. She has also campaigned for better health services, founding the Breastfeeding Interest Group as a consultancy group on women’s health.
Les Smith
Environment Medal
NEARLY every pocket of Victoria has benefited from Les Smith’s green thumb. The 86-year-old, dubbed a “godfather of environmental advocacy”, is Environment Victoria’s longest serving volunteer and was instrumental in saving the Little Desert National Park from subdivision in the late 1960s. The former organic chemist with the CSIRO still gets his hands dirty each week, propagating native species.
Gina Poulos
Fair Go Medal
THERE is one word Gina Poulos cannot say – no. The cooking crusader has for decades run a foodbank from her home, handing out food parcels to the disadvantaged. She also opened her home in Morwell to families needing a bed, people with mental illness and those released from jail. While friends report that Ms Poulos never turns away someone in need, she also dips into her own pocket to ensure her charity continues to run.
Katherine Tsagaris
Inspiration Medal
KATHERINE Tsagaris is teaching her students more than mathematics or English. She is teaching them that they have options other than a life of crime. Ms Tsagaris, 29, leads a team of teachers at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct, where her students are juvenile offenders aged between 15 and 19. With a passion for providing better options for her students, she fast-tracks their education with a whole school year taught in just two months. It is, as Ms Tsagaris sees it, “the job of a lifetime”.
Rosie Batty
Courage Medal
FEW Victorians wouldn’t know Rosie Batty’s name or recognise her face. She became a spokeswoman for the fight against domestic violence after her 11-year-old son Luke was murdered by his father at cricket practice. She has bravely campaigned for reforms to the system that let her and Luke down. And she is making significant headway. The Victorian Government has announced an extra $30 million to tackle domestic violence, which Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay attributes to the ‘Rosie Batty factor’.
Sissy-Amelia Austin and Will Austin (joint winners)
Young Leader Medal
SIBLINGS Sissy-Amelia and Will Austin have leadership running through their veins. Trailblazer Sissy was the first in her family to finish VCE and study at university. The Gunditjmara woman, 20, is now inspiring others as the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer at Loreto College in Ballarat. Will, 18, who nominated Sissy for her award, is following in his sister’s inspirational footsteps. He is raising awareness of Australia’s devastating youth suicide rate, which is up to five times higher in Aboriginal youths. He volunteers as an RUOK? community ambassador, calling for a better understanding of mental health issues.
Rebecca Barbara, Rebecca Biron, Vinay Dass, Andrew Di Lollo, Jo McIntyre
Outstanding Bravery Medal
NEUROSURGEON Michael Wong has a group of five heroes, including a cancer patient, to thank for his life. Dr Wong was stabbed 14 times in the foyer of the Western Hospital in February. Without the help of nearby nurses and patients, including Andrew Di Lollo who was reporting for chemotherapy, Dr Wong could have bled out. The group distracted the attacker long enough to pull the surgeon out of harm’s way. Each holding an arm or leg, they carried him across the hospital to the emergency department where he underwent life-saving surgery.
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