Readers have their say on the 100 Greatest Country Australians

Sir John Monash is untouchable as No. 1 — but our 100 Greatest Country Australians top 10 is not going unchallenged. See if you agree with the feedback.

Readers have overwhelmingly backed Sir John Monash as The Weekly Times’ choice of No. 1 on our list of the list of the 100 Greatest Country Australians — but the top 10 did not go unchallenged.

After the list was revealed on theweeklytimes.com.au last week, readers have had the chance to vote online on whether we had rated each entry in the list correctly, too high, or too low.

War leader and engineer Monash, from Jerilderie, remained the undisputed No.1 among readers, with 77 per cent of votes as of Monday agreeing with his positioning on the list. Political leader Edith Cowan’s position in second was also backed by a 55 per cent majority, while 18 per cent felt she was too low.

But readers’ votes promoted war surgeon Edward “Weary” Dunlop from fourth to third, swapping places with cricketing great Don Bradman, while Royal Flying Doctor Service founder John Flynn and the sainted Mary MacKillop also swapped — Flynn moved to fifth, MacKillop to sixth.

Meanwhile bushranger Ned Kelly fell to ninth, with 78 per cent of votes cast indicating he was too high on the list in his initial seventh place.

There were movements throughout the list, but another big mover was Neale Daniher — only 30 per cent of votes agreed with our ranking of 78, while 60 per cent felt it was too low. On the readers’ list he moved to 75.

Other entrants that more than half of readers voted had been placed too low included nurses Vivian Bullwinkel and Elizabeth Kenny, clothes manufacturer David Fletcher Jones, Olympian Cathy Freeman, Victoria Cross recipient Albert Jacka and artist Albert Namatjira.

And as well as Bradman and Kelly, others that the majority of readers voted were too high included billiards ace Walter Lindrum and former prime minister Malcolm Fraser.

You can still vote on the list here.

GREATEST COUNTRY AUSTRALIAN BOOK COMPETITION WINNERS

Edith Cowan is the Greatest Country Australian because she excelled at a time when women were not encouraged to take part in life outside the home and used her position to promote services to better the lives of ordinary women in society.

M. Berry, Nagambie VIC

Banjo Paterson because who does not love a poet whose words have been immortalised through our Australian vernacular.

S. McHours, Katherine NT

The winners will receive a pack of the six books that were short-listed for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award.

The winner of the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award will be announced on Wednesday at 4pm live on YouTube.