Sydney Awards: Sydneysider of the Year is former Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University Barney Glover
The 2024 Sydneysider of the Year has used his platform to champion the ‘extraordinary’ people and institutions of Western Sydney. See all the award winners here.
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Our freshly minted Sydneysider of the Year has used his platform to champion the “extraordinary” people and institutions of Western Sydney, and call on governments to continue to invest in the region.
A “tremendously thrilled and surprised” Barney Glover stepped on stage to receive the top gong at the Sydney Awards gala last night, honoured for his contributions as the former Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University and past president of the Museum of Applied Arts and Science Trust.
“Sydney is a truly great and successful global city and I’m fortunate to have had a chance to contribute to this place with a strong Western Sydney focus,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
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“The next few years are so exciting for Sydney with the opening of the new airport, the transport links opening and a world class museum in Parramatta.
“I’m so honoured to receive the award and in a small way to have contributed to the journey Western Sydney and Sydney are on.”
The Jobs and Skills Australia Commissioner also made mention of The Daily Telegraph for “its role in holding governments to account on the importance of investment in the west”, and quipped about how “great it is to see” Sydney’s AFL teams “dominating” the code’s finals.
The Sydney Awards, hosted by the Committee for Sydney think tank, also wined and dined the city’s lesser-known decision-makers – urban planners, builders and policymakers whom Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised his government would support to help Sydney flourish.
“It’s the city that has done so much to shape who I am as a person, and as I’ve grown and changed, I’ve seen Sydney grow and change,” Mr Albanese told the crowd gathered in Crown’s Pearl Ballroom.
“In so many ways it is like a living organism, and at its big heart is the hum of creativity and excitement, of ideas and personal connections, of possibility and opportunity – all the magic that becomes possible when you bring together people in a place like this.”
The Prime Minister commended the winners and finalists for having “made Sydney better in your own way”.
Young Sydneysider of the Year, medical student and children’s health advocate Alexia Paglia, said the award had motivated her to continue writing her series of kids’ books which started with My Strong Heart.
“I just have the absolute biggest buzz, it’s the … biggest privilege to represent the medical community and women in STEM,” she said.
“I’m so passionate about health literacy and democratising access to medical education – this isn’t just recognition of what I’ve done so far, but an impetus to keep going.”
Co-chair of philanthropic movement Impact100 Corinne Kemp took out the Unsung Hero award, but said the accolade truly belongs to the group’s donors, who fund grants for good causes in the community such as housing for vulnerable women and career mentoring for kids in juvenile detention.
“While I’m deeply honoured to receive this recognition, the real heroes are the many donors who made Impact100 an incredible movement for change and social investment in Sydney,” she said.
Project of the Year went to Football Australia for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Matildas star and Central Coast Mariners striker Kyah Simon, attending as a guest of Football Australia, said the win was a “huge honour” not only for the team, but for women’s sport in Australia, and a point of pride for the playing group
“It’s also an acknowledgment of the tireless hours put in behind the scenes to make this World Cup happen,” she said.
“Specifically, here in Sydney, it showed we can put on a great show for fans from around the world.
“Being a Sydney girl myself, I obviously have a lot of pride in this city.”
The Coles People’s Choice for best project – awarded based on a public vote – went to the newly opened Sydney Metro.
Peter Regan, chief executive of the Sydney Metro, said he and his team had been “somewhat blown away” by the positive reception to the newly opened network, with the teething pains, construction delays and other challenges all but forgotten.
“We knew it worked … but to see trains pulling in, full of people only two hours after it opened, was an amazing moment,” he said. “It appears to have captured people’s imagination in a way we hadn’t quite expected. People are going for lunch in Sydney from North Sydney, they’re coming to Barangaroo just for a walk, travelling by Metro — it is truly city shaping.”
The individual People’s Choice winner was 17-year-old youth voice of Muslim Women Australia Khadijah Habbouche, whose volunteer work has included running swimming lessons for women escaping domestic violence.
Ms Habbouche, 17, attended the gala with Muslim Women Australia CEO Maha Abdo, a previous Sydney Award winner, is among the finalists for Young Sydneysider of the Year.
“To win would be recognition of work I’ve done with community … I’m advocating for people who are often overlooked,” she said.
“Their voices aren’t always heard, and I’ve certainly experienced that myself.”
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Originally published as Sydney Awards: Sydneysider of the Year is former Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University Barney Glover
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