This was published 1 year ago
A song, a cake, an award: Brett Sutton named Victorian of the Year
By Lachlan Abbott
Brett Sutton had tried to decline the award. But there he was, standing in front of a choir singing Happy Birthday to Victoria while a cake packed with candles marked the state’s founding in front of a small crowd at Melbourne Town Hall.
The Victoria Day Council – a small non-profit body established to celebrate Victoria’s foundation on July 1 – named the outgoing chief health officer as its Victorian of the Year 2023 at a ceremony on Friday morning.
No, not that Victorian of the Year. The one you’re thinking of is the Victorian Australian of the Year, which is part of the Australian of the Year celebrations. This one is a bit more niche.
Previous Victorian of the Year winners include ex-AFL coach and player Kevin Sheedy last year; AFL legend and MND campaigner Neale Daniher in 2019; former Western Bulldogs president Susan Alberti in 2018; former chief scientist Alan Finkel in 2016; and former Seekers singer Judith Durham in 2015.
“I said look, ‘Can I decline?’,” Sutton said he responded after learning of his Victoria Day honour. “It was just my discomfort with having it individually recognised for me, when it really was the collective efforts of the state that got us there.”
The outgoing chief health officer also acknowledged there would be some controversy about his honour.
“They’ll be some divisions around it – there’s no question about that,” Sutton said. “I don’t want it to be about me, particularly. I want it to be a recognition of the way that we looked out for each other.”
Sutton became a high-profile figure when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Victoria in 2020, overseeing tough measures – including lengthy lockdowns – as the state battled significant outbreaks.
He announced his resignation earlier this month to take up a new public health role at the CSIRO later this year.
Pandemic health orders handed the chief health officer enormous power during the protracted COVID-19 health emergency, giving Sutton the right to veto state government decisions.
New pandemic laws passed in December 2021 ended the chief health officer’s dual role by enabling the health minister to issue pandemic orders, returning executive power to the government.
Sutton told this masthead he was appearing at the Victoria Day event in a private capacity, but he was still keen to promote public health messages before he departs from his role later this year.
“I’m always happy to. And I am keen to. My weekly messages are out there, they will continue to be out there, and I’m happy to promote them,” Sutton said.
Young Victorian of the Year was awarded to Madeleine Buchner, founder and chief executive of Little Dreamers Australia – a charity that supports young carers after she grew up looking after her mother and brother, who had multiple health issues.
The Castlemaine Art Museum won the Victoria Day Award for the Arts; the Victorian Women’s Trust was awarded for its community service; and the Pratt Family’s Visy Industries received the Good Corporate Citizen honour.
The Trustees of the Victoria Day Council, which is composed of previous winners, picked the recipients.
Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.