Sunday Life

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Sunday Life’s Trailblazers: 25 women reshaping Australia

For our special anniversary edition, we’ve selected 25 of Australia’s most influential change-makers; the courageous, whip-smart women who have inspired us over the past 25 years, as well as those leading the charge ahead.

By Genevieve Quigley and Julia Naughton

November 13, 2022

This story is part of Sunday Life’s most popular cover stories of 2022.See all 10 stories.

As we celebrate 25 years of Sunday Life, we’ve asked a panel of judges selected from our team – Jamila Rizvi, Brooke Boney, Pat Ingram, Monique Farmer and Damien Woolnough – to nominate Australia’s most influential change-makers: the courageous, whip-smart women who have inspired us over the past 25 years, as well as those leading the charge ahead.

Ellyse Perry

Athlete, 32

Arguably the best athlete in Australia, Ellyse Perry is not only the youngest-ever cricketer, male or female, to have represented Australia at international and Test level, she is one of the few Australians to have represented her country in two different sports: cricket and soccer.

When asked about her greatest achievement, Perry says, “Having the opportunity to play sport for a living at an incredible time of change and progress for women.”

On that topic, Perry has also released a book series that encourages girls to get active and pursue their goals. She says it’s an exciting time for women’s sport, as “young girls can now turn on the TV and see women competing and doing what we love”.

More recently, she’s designed a line of cricket gear called Staple, aimed at making a game she’s passionate about more accessible. “I love playing sport and being a part of a team,” she says. “Every year gets a little bigger and a little more exciting than the last!”

Julia Gillard

Author and speaker, 61

In terms of achievement, it’s hard to beat being Australia’s first and, as yet, only female prime minister. Reflecting on her political career, Gillard tells Sunday Life her proudest achievements are creating the NDIS, calling the royal commission into child sexual abuse and Labor’s education reforms.

But many would argue that her misogyny speech should be up there, too. It’s a huge part of her legacy, launching Gillard into the world of viral TikTok content and inspiring millions of women and girls around the world. In turn, who inspires her? “Women, like those in Iran and Afghanistan, who dare to resist oppressive regimes,” she says.

When asked what she’d still like to achieve, Gillard says, “I’d like to see the world achieve gender equity and to play a part in that.”

For those wanting a slice of advice from Australia’s 27th prime minister, she shares this practical piece of wisdom: “Write your purpose, your mission in life, on a sheet of paper and keep it with you.”

Nakkiah Lui

Actor and writer, 31

First Nations writer and actor, Nakkiah Lui, is best known for her work on ABC television’s Black Comedy and Preppers. But she has also been a prominent activist, championing Indigenous voices on programs like The Drum and Q&A.

Last October, when she was three months pregnant with her first child, her career launched into the stratosphere when she was offered a two-year television writing deal with HBO in the US.

“I didn’t even know what a playwright was a decade ago until I decided to be one,” she says, reflecting on her success. “And I did – I became a playwright. How funny is that?

“I made myself a writer. I figured out what I loved and have somehow made a living doing it. I’m really proud of that.”

On the best advice she’s ever received, Lui shares this insight: “Fail gloriously”, before adding words she clearly lives by: “Good work, good manners, and do your best.

Amanda McKenzie

Climate change leader, 39

Nine years ago, Amanda McKenzie co-founded the Climate Council. Her goal? To fundamentally change the public conversation about climate change in Australia. “What started off as a conversation between myself and a few colleagues has transformed into an organisation of 55 staff and a community of half a million people pushing for change,” she says.

Under McKenzie’s leadership, the organisation has published 130 reports across climate science, informed policy at all levels of government, and worked with 170 local governments to make their communities more sustainable.

“My mission is to help build the demand and political will to make the huge changes required to tackle climate change, phase out fossil fuels, build a renewable-powered nation and support communities facing extreme weather,” she says.

McKenzie also has this message for Australia’s executives: “Do you want to be remembered as the leader who got it right or the one who didn’t do enough?”

Georgie Stone

Actor and activist, 22

At the age of 10, Georgie Stone (who was assigned male at birth) was the youngest person to receive hormone blockers in Australia. This landmark decision set a precedent that eventually changed the law requiring transgender children and their families to apply to the Family Court of Australia to access stage one treatment. Her high-profile role in the battle for trans rights led to a role on Neighbours.

She continues to advocate for transgender children, but as she said when promoting her recent documentary, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, “In an ideal world I wouldn’t have had to have advocated in the first place, I would have just been able to exist. I have a sinking feeling that I’m going to have to be fighting for most of my life. But hopefully that means there’s a generation coming after mine who won’t have to fight as much.”

When it comes to who inspires Stone, she nominates her mother. “She is an incredible woman, and someone I have looked up to all my life.”

Melanie Perkins

Entrepreneur, 35

Looking back on Melanie Perkins’ early life, it’s clear she was born to be an entrepreneur: she started her first business selling handmade scarves at shops and markets throughout Perth when she was just 14. She credits this experience with developing her entrepreneurial drive, saying she has never forgotten “the freedom and excitement from building a business”.

In her early 20s, Perkins launched Canva, an online platform that allows users, even if they are novices, to create graphic designs. Today, Canva has more than 10 million users in 190 countries, making Perkins one of the youngest female CEOs of a tech start-up valued at over $1 billion – and one of Australia’s richest women.

But for Perkins it’s not just about making the big bucks; there are 250,000 non-profits around the world using Canva to fundraise. As Perkins has said, “That’s what makes all of the work worth it.”

Shemara Wikramanayake

Chief executive officer, 60

As one of Australia’s highest-paid chief executives, Shemara Wikramanayake doesn’t credit luck when talking about her career success. Rather, she is refreshingly honest. “I married in my late 30s and had children then, and my husband elected to be the one who became primary carer in our family,” says the CEO of Macquarie Group.

Born in London to Sri Lankan parents, Wikramanayake migrated to Australia at 13. She studied commerce and law and worked as a corporate lawyer before joining the investment bank in 1987.

The “optimistic” CEO – as her peers describe her – steered Macquarie through the first year of COVID-19 with a record $3 billion profit. She credits the result to the company’s diverse culture – something she likens to Australia’s immigration policy. “Bringing in people with different perspectives makes us think differently. It challenges us and helps us cater to different needs and also brings a level of hunger in people coming in.”

Jaguar Jonze

Musician, 30

Since releasing her debut single in late 2018, Jaguar Jonze (aka Deena Lynch) has become known as the public face of the #MeToo movement within the Australian music industry. She first spoke out in 2019, documenting a number of incidents of sexual assault and harassment, including her own.

Since then, she has not shied away from speaking about the toxic culture in the Australian music scene. Her debut album, Bunny Mode, was written during her advocacy work.

“I wanted to create a safe space for those who felt isolated and having to harbour the trauma alone in the shadows,” she says. “It was difficult to be an artist writing on behalf of hundreds of voices while trying to hold an industry accountable. It also tested my resilience and fortitude to express my vulnerability.”

While still best known for her advocacy, Jonze wants to show Australia and the music industry that she has as much value as an artist.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to push creative boundaries.”

Kate McClymont

Journalist, 64

Kate McClymont doesn’t fit the typical hard-nosed journalist stereotype. She’s warm and bookish, with a wicked sense of humour. You only need to follow her Twitter commentary and listen to Liar Liar – the podcast she co-hosts on the disappearance of fraudster Melissa Caddick – to witness her comic talents.

Her journalism is an alchemy of holding the powerful to account and standing up for those without a voice, her exposés of the sexual misconduct of television personality Don Burke and High Court judge Dyson Heydon being just two examples.

McClymont is the recipient of multiple Walkley journalism awards, including the Gold Walkley in 2002 for her exposé of the Canterbury Bulldogs’ salary cap breach. When corrupt NSW politician Eddie Obeid was sentenced in 2016 to a maximum of five years in jail after tireless work by McClymont, she cried. “The long struggle to expose his corrupt activities took its toll on me,” she says. “But in the end, the truth prevailed and justice was done.”

Magda Szubanski

Actor and advocate, 61

Already a national treasure for her comedic roles, most memorably as loveable Sharon Strzelecki in Kath & Kim, the country’s respect only grew for Magda Szubanski when she began her work as an advocate for LGBTQI+ rights.

Szubanski first came out on live TV in 2012 in support of same-sex marriage. In a recent tweet, she celebrated the 10-year anniversary of that moment. “One of the best decisions of my life,” she wrote. While it remains one of her most notable public achievements, her proudest feat has been more personal and closer to home. “Nursing my mum through her dying days was a privilege,” she says.

Asked what she’d still like to achieve, the unstoppable Szubanski admits, “I’m sure it’s totally uncool to say but I’d fricking love to win an Oscar.” And who inspires her? “My friend Jane Vadiveloo, who started Children’s Ground. I’m in absolute awe of the years of dedication, care and sheer hard slog she has put in.”

Maggie Beer

Chef and author, 77

It wasn’t until she was in her mid-30s that Australia’s matriarch of food found her calling. It started with a pheasant farm in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. Next came a farm-gate shop, then a restaurant. This eventually led to a media career, writing newspaper columns, before becoming a regular TV fixture in shows such as The Cook and the Chef and MasterChef.

In 2010, Beer was named the Senior Australian of the Year, and more recently has been campaigning to improve the quality of food in aged care facilities. “Even though I’ve been working on this since 2014, I feel I’m only just starting,” she says. “What I want to achieve is for every cook or chef in aged care to be given the specialised education needed for this complex arena and be given the respect and conditions they deserve.”

When asked about the best advice she’s ever received, Beer has this to say: “No one person or organisation can bring about change alone – collaboration is essential.”

Tanya Hosch

Executive and social advocate, 51

The constitutional recognition of First Nations Australians is a cause that South Australia’s 2021 Australian of the Year, Tanya Hosch, has been championing for years. In 2013, she became the public face of the Recognise campaign with a powerful address at the National Press Club, where she spoke of how meaningful recognition would enable current and future generations of Australians to be enriched by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

As the first Indigenous person and only the second woman appointed to the AFL’s executive team, Hosch championed the first statue of an Indigenous player, Nicky Winmar, and helped secure an apology for Adam Goodes following the league’s mishandling of the 2015 booing scandal. This is a woman who holds to her principles, even when they make her unpopular, a woman not prepared to wait for someone else to fix a problem.

And who inspires her? “Those who seek justice, who are self-reflective and seek to never give up.”

Mehreen Faruqi

Politician, 59

As the first Muslim woman to serve in any Australian parliament, Dr Mehreen Faruqi’s pathway into politics was a masterclass in resilience. “[It’s] the tale of a political outsider – a brown, Muslim, migrant, female engineer – breaking into a whitewashed world of power and privilege,” she says.

Growing up in Pakistan, Faruqi trained as a civil engineer before emigrating to Australia to complete her doctorate at the University of New South Wales. In 2004, she joined the Australian Greens and in 2013 was elected to the NSW upper house, where she introduced the first bill to decriminalise abortion.

Faruqi’s constituents chose an academic and an activist who was outspoken on matters of racism and misogyny and, most significantly, brought a fresh perspective. “I am unapologetic about having done it with integrity and on my own terms,” she says. “I’m there to shake things up, not cave in and conform.”

Camilla Freeman-Topper

Fashion designer, 41

Designer Camilla Freeman-Topper and her brother Marc Freeman didn’t set out to create a movement that would drive lasting change for women’s gynaecological health. But when the founders of one of Australia’s most successful fashion brands set a goal of raising $1 million for ovarian cancer research in just three years, the challenge was set in motion.

“My brother and I lost our mum to ovarian cancer close to 30 years ago,” says Freeman-Topper. “The survival statistics have changed very little since my mother’s death and there is still no early detection test.”

In 2020, CAMILLA AND MARC began selling T-shirts, tote bags and hats adorned with the message: “Ovaries. Talk About Them”, with all proceeds going directly to developing an early detection test.

“Experiencing first-hand the devastating effects of this insidious disease,” she says, “has inspired us to dedicate ourselves to finding a detection test so that other families don’t have to suffer the loss we did.”

Layne Beachley

Surfer, 50

As one of the world’s most successful female surfers, Layne Beachley holds the record as being the only surfer, male or female, to claim six consecutive world titles, which she did between 1998 and 2003. She went on to win a seventh world title in 2006 before retiring in 2008.

In the 14 years since, she has been fighting for pay equity in surfing and providing scholarships through her Aim For The Stars Foundation to help young girls and women achieve their dreams. When asked what she’s most proud of, Beachley says it’s her legacy.

“I’m proud that my peers and I left the sport in a better place than we found it. Witnessing the success of today’s champions fills me with satisfaction. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘For our success to be real, it must contribute to the success of others.’ ”

And who inspires her? “People who achieve great things, challenge the status quo or defy the odds and continue to embrace life, irrespective of the cards they’re dealt.”

Susan Kiefel

Chief Justice, 68

Susan Kiefel’s path to becoming Australia’s first female chief justice was less a story of overnight success and more one of determination. At 15, she dropped out of school in a bid for financial independence and found work as a receptionist at a Brisbane law firm while completing her high school certificate part-time. Leaving school was a move she later regretted, but it didn’t deter her from pursuing a law degree while working as a legal clerk.

In 2019, when she was advised of allegations that former High Court judge Dyson Heydon had harassed female associates, her actions prompted a historic reckoning of one of Australia’s oldest institutions.

Kiefel commissioned an independent inquiry and, when the women’s claims were substantiated, issued a statement apologising to the six women. What came next was a review of the court’s workplace processes. “We have moved to do all we can to make sure the experiences of these women will not be repeated,” Kiefel said at the time.

Ellie Cole

Athlete, 30

At two years of age, Ellie Cole was diagnosed with a rare tumour and, after unsuccessful cancer treatment, had her right leg amputated above the knee. Eight weeks after the surgery, she began swimming lessons as part of her rehabilitation and immediately showed talent in the pool.

Cole began competitive swimming in 2003, and would go on to become Australia’s most-decorated female Paralympian. For Cole, her greatest achievement is finishing her sporting career having achieved pay parity with her Olympic counterparts. “Sport has come a long way in embracing diversity and it makes me very proud to reflect back on a 16-year career and see how far we have come.”

But there is still plenty more she’d like to achieve. “My lived experience with a disability has always been celebrated due to my sport,” she says. “However, this isn’t the case for many Australians who are living with an impairment. There is plenty of work to do and I would really like to celebrate diversity in all areas, not just in sport.”

Zoë Foster Blake

Author and entrepreneur, 42

Dedicated fans of Zoë Foster Blake will know her from her days writing for magazines such as Cosmopolitan and her more than 10 books, ranging from beauty bibles to fiction and children’s literature. But Foster Blake says her greatest career achievement is her Go-To skincare business, “a brand and a company that makes good and useful things for people, that has attracted talented, passionate employees and loyal and supportive customers”.

In August 2021, Foster Blake sold a controlling stake of her business to ASX-listed beauty company BWX for $89 million. So, where to from here?

“I want to focus on how I raise my children and how we live as a family,” says the mother-of-two, who is married to comedian Hamish Blake. Foster Blake is an ambassador for the Look Good Feel Better charity and also supports The Orangutan Project and Safe Steps. “When my children are a little older and my business doesn’t need as much from me, the plan is to write, and give back,” she says.

Ash Barty

Athlete, 26

Ash Barty’s accomplishments on the tennis court are too numerous to list here. But the most significant is her being only the second Australian tennis player to be ranked No.1 in the world in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association – following in the footsteps of fellow Indigenous woman and Barty’s hero, Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Asked to name her proudest achievement, it’s no surprise that Barty lists winning Wimbledon in 2021. But on a personal level, she says it’s “working hard to become the best version of myself”.

While her retirement from tennis at just 25 years old may have been unexpected, Barty says that there are many things she’d still like to achieve. “Expanding my community work is a big priority for 2023. I’m excited to share a few things I have been working on in the coming months,” she hints. “Helping to nurture the next generation of tennis talent is another passion.”

Rosie Batty

Activist, 60

When Rosie Batty steps out in public, she’s still astonished (“and humbled”) that people know who she is. But this recognition is no surprise to the rest of us because when we think of family violence, it is Batty’s face – and her unimaginable pain – that inevitably enters our minds.

In 2014, Batty’s 11-year-old son, Luke, was murdered by his father during cricket practice in Melbourne. It triggered an outpouring of grief, and then anger at the rates of male violence against women in this country.

The following year, Batty was named Australian of the Year, which set her on a path of advocacy that ultimately changed the discourse around family violence by thrusting it into mainstream conversations.

That same year, Australia’s Royal Commission into Family Violence was completed. Batty describes her campaigning as “critical work”.

Her north star? The complete eradication of violence against women and children. “As unrealistic as that may seem, you can’t aim for anything less than that,” she says.

Penny Wong

Politician, 54

On her first day as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong addressed Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific with a message of unity: “I’ve become Foreign Minister at a time when our region faces unprecedented challenges, but we will face these challenges together … That is why we will do more, but we’ll also do it better.”

It was the kind of move we’ve come to expect from the South Australian politician, whose ability to display both empathy and intellect while pulling no punches is a rare sight in today’s Parliament.

But Wong is no regular politician. In 2013, she became the first woman to hold the position of leader of the government in the Senate, a role that saw her help to steer the Labor Party into government this year.

Who does she look to for inspiration? “Susan Ryan, a Labor senator and minister in the Hawke government. Her legacy lives on in every woman and girl, who is equal under the law because of Susan.”

Grace Tame

Activist, 27

As a survivor of child sex abuse, Grace Tame’s activism – and fierce defiance – is borne of necessity. She does not mince her words. Nor does she smile on cue. She was 15 when she was repeatedly sexually abused by her 58-year-old maths teacher. Unable to advocate for herself, she lived in shame and silence while her convicted abuser could speak freely.

Years later, her case would become the catalyst for the #LetHerSpeak campaign that changed Tasmania’s Evidence Act so survivors could speak publicly about their experiences. After being named 2021’s Australian of the Year, Tame established her eponymous foundation as a framework to drive structural and cultural reform.

In August, Tame was notified of the national review of sexual assault legislation. “To both be a part of and observe this historic moment wherein child sexual abuse survivors are reclaiming their stories and the dial of power is recalibrating away from perpetrators is phenomenal,” she says.

Megan Davis

Lawyer and activist, 47

Megan Davis says her mother loathed hubris and boasting. “My siblings and I were all good at sport and excelled at school but she refused to speak of it,” recalls Davis. “Even though we were extremely poor – we grew up as underclass – she always urged us to be humble and grateful.”

Davis is a Cobble Cobble woman of the Barrungam nation in south-west Queensland and has consistently fought for the rights of First Nations people and for governments to face up to the often hard truths about Australia’s racist past. As a member of the federal government’s Referendum Council, she played an integral role in the two-year process that led to the history-making Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous, and professor of law at the University of NSW has been vocal on the failure of Australia’s Closing the Gap agreement while steadfastly advocating for Indigenous constitutional recognition, starting with the referendum to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament.

Sophia Hamblin Wang

Cleantech expert, 33

Sophia Hamblin Wang has a goal of helping the world achieve a prosperous net-zero future as quickly as possible. In 2021, her project to turn industrial carbon emissions into building materials found an international audience at COP26 in Glasgow.

The Australian National University graduate and chief operating officer of Mineral Carbonation International had been invited to the conference to showcase Australian climate-change technologies. The experience saw her win the Clean Energy Pitch Battle.

“It was extremely empowering to demonstrate the calibre and vision of our decarbonisation technology on an international stage and win first place among 2700 entrants worldwide.”

So, what drives someone with her vision? Hamblin Wang says her differences are her strength. “If you don’t look or sound like anyone else in the room, that doesn’t mean you don’t belong, it means you have the opportunity to provide viewpoints that have not yet been considered.”

Linda Burney

Politician, 65

Linda Burney understands the power of perception. In 2016, the proud Wiradjuri woman became the first Indigenous woman to be elected into the House of Representatives and opened her maiden speech in her native tongue while holding a coolamon. It was a tribute to the scene she witnessed following the Rudd government’s historic 2008 National Apology, when two women handed the prime minister and opposition leader an empty coolamon.

“Friends, a coolamon is what we carried our babies in, which is what made it such an amazing, generous thing to do,” Burney explained. “I carry this empty coolamon into this place today as a reminder of that moment, of the power we exercise in this building today, and that it must be for the good of all.”

Six years later, newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Burney as Minister for Indigenous Australians. She is the first Indigenous woman to hold the position.

In 2022, who inspires Burney? “The resilience and optimism of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and all the activists from across the country, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who have worked so hard to try to achieve progress and address the injustices of the past.”

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