Brett Sutton announced as Victorian of the Year

The outgoing chief health officer received a top gong before finishing in his role that thrust him into the spotlight during Covid-19.

Outgiong Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, with Premier Daniel Andrews, has been named Victorian of the Year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Victoria’s outgoing chief health officer professor Brett Sutton has been declared Victorian of the year.

Dr Sutton, who recently announced he would leave the state’s Department of Health after 10 years and resign as CHO after four years in the job, accepted the gong in a Victoria Day Council Awards ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday.

The award is separate to those given by the National Australia Day Council on January 26.

Congratulations to the new Victorian of the Year @VictorianCHO Prof Brett Sutton! And thank you for launching our book, Head On last week at our Annual Delegates Conference. pic.twitter.com/0wbFRkjFvf

— ANMF (Vic Branch) (@anmfvic) June 30, 2023

After he won the award for public and community service, Dr Sutton joked he may not have won the gong if soon-to-be English premier league Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou still lived in Victoria.

“It was a privilege to steward Victorians though very very choppy waters … the crisis of a lifetime. It was an achievement not of mine but of the people of Victoria,” Seven News reported Dr Sutton said.

He added: “we did it together and for that we are richer and stronger”.

Former Labor premier John Brumby presented the award to Dr Sutton, and said he was a “trusted public face” during the pandemic.

Dr Sutton was a controversial figure during the Covid-19 pandemic, when his health advice allowed Premier Daniel Andrews to impose curfews, playground bans and 262 days of lockdown.

The Covid-19 rules lead to Melbourne being crowned the most locked down city in the world, along with other restrictions that included travel limits and homeschooling children.

He joined premier Daniel Andrews most days to deliver updates on infection numbers and to urge the community to heed health warnings to restrict movement in a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19, particularly when the community was not widely vaccinated.

Victorian agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney praised Dr Sutton amid news he received the top gong.

“He was an absolute stalwart right through the Covid pandemic. He put in so much time and effort and energy in making sure that we had the right settings and I absolutely applaud his work,” she said.

Opposition special Minister of state David Davis tweeted he did not believe Dr Sutton’s appointment was the “right choice”.

“Controversial. He kept key documents secret, was part of failed management of Covid in Victoria: worlds longest lockdown, failed quarantine,” he said.

About two weeks ago, Dr Sutton announced he would leave his CHO role to take up a position as director of health and biosecurity at the CSIRO in September.

At the time, he said it would be a “relief” to be away from the public scrutiny of the CHO role.

“I accept that in a crisis that has to sit on your shoulders, there’s no escaping that, and I was in the midst of that beast for a long time,” he said.

“On the one hand, it’s helped me to grow personally and professionally, on the other hand it nearly crushed me, and it certainly weighed upon my family life and I don’t want them to have to carry that in the same way ever again. They won’t.

“But, what a rock for me to have the family that I do have, and my enormous thanks to them for really carrying me through those times.”

The Victoria Day Council awards were created to celebrate the day Victoria was founded, on July 1.