Editorial: Search for our best and bravest in Pride of Australia awards

EVERY day, around our state and our nation, acts of kindness and kinship and of service bind our community together.

THERE are many ways of measuring the greatness of a society. Economists, for example, are fond of all sorts of metrics like growth and productivity and the like.

While the resulting graphs and charts radiate a certain authority, it is easy to take them too seriously.

A society is so much more than just an economy, so much richer and more complex and harder to measure.

The things that make our lives happy and fulfilling often cannot be measured — but they can be recognised.

Every day, around our state and our nation, acts of kindness and kinship and of service bind our community together.

Today sees the launch of the 14th running of the News Corp Australia’s Pride of Australia campaign, where the Mercury asks our readers to help us identify the people who help make our community such a great place to live.

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Inspired by the Liberty Medal established by The New York Post in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Pride of Australia Awards support the notion that there is no greater measure of a society’s strength than its ability to recognise, learn from and reward its true heroes. And there are so many unsung heroes that hold out community together.

And often they toil away in the background without thought of recognition other than the worthy reward of feeling that their contribution makes a difference.

Pride of Australia

The Pride of Australia is a chance to remedy that.

It is important that we show our gratitude and that the good that so many contribute in so many different ways is lauded.

It is not just the people of our emergency services — the firefighters and ambulance officers, police and State Emergency Service people, and the many volunteers who support them. It is our caring professions, our doctors and nurses. It is our teachers. It is our charity and youth and community services workers. But there are so many more.

For some giving is a vocation, for others it is the work of a lifetime, and for some, it is the action of a moment, of bravely or selflessly putting someone else first.

Nominations are now open for the 2018 campaign. and we are again on the lookout for unsung heroes. Please take a moment to think about who it is in your local community has gone above and beyond.

For most of us, it shouldn’t be hard to think of someone who stands out.

It might be a friend, a relative, or somebody at the local sports club or school, or community organisation.

Over the coming weeks, the Mercury will feature stories of the nominees who serve and inspire. During the last 14 years, we have uncovered 20,000 local heroes around the nation, and we are confident that there so many more.

We ask you, our readers, to help us find the those who are the true Pride of Australia and show them how glad we are for all they do to make Tasmania and Australia such great places to live.

For more information visit prideofaustralia.com.au