Australian National Living Treasures

Australian National Living Treasures are people who have made outstanding contributions to Australian society in any field of human endeavour. In 1997 the National Trust of Australia (NSW) called for nominations from the public for 100 Australian Living Treasures and each nomination was counted as one vote. The nominees had to be living and had to have made a substantial and enduring contribution. The choice of those who were named as National Living Treasures was made via more than 10,000 Australians voting. Their votes determined who was chosen. The first list of 100 Living Treasures was published in 1997.

In 2004 the list was refreshed with 15 names, following the deaths of notable Australians and the exclusion of disgraced former Justice Marcus Einfeld,^[1] following an identical process to that used in 1997 – a public nomination and vote.

On 23 January 2012, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) joined with Woman's Day magazine to launch a nationwide search for seven new National Living Treasures. They were announced, amid controversy,^[2] on 4 March 2012.^[3][4]

On 30 July 2014, the board of the National Trust of Australia (NSW) voted to remove Rolf Harris from the list after his conviction on twelve charges of indecent assault between 1969 and 1986, and to withdraw the award.^[5] Harris had been among the original 100 Australians selected for the honour in 1997.

Current list

The current list, in alphabetical order, acknowledges the contributions made by 86 living Australians:^[5]

Phillip Adams, humanist, social commentator Marie Bashir, a former Governor of New South Wales, professor John Bell, actor Geoffrey Blainey, professor, historian Raelene Boyle, Olympic runner, sports commentator Frank Brennan, social commentator Bob Brown, politician, Australian Greens activist Julian Burnside, barrister, refugee rights advocate, author Don Burrows, musician Tim Costello, social activist, commentator Bill Crews, social activist Russell Crowe, actor Betty Cuthbert, Olympic runner Judy Davis, actress William Deane, former High Court judge and former Governor-General of Australia Ernie Dingo, indigenous Australian television personality Mick Dodson, indigenous Australian leader Pat Dodson, indigenous Australian activist/leader Peter Doherty, immunologist, professor, Nobel Prize winner Ted Egan, musician, activist, administrator Herb Elliott, Olympic runner John Farnham, entertainer Dawn Fraser, Olympic swimmer, former politician Ian Frazer, scientist Cathy Freeman, indigenous Australian sportsperson, Olympic runner Margaret Fulton, writer, food expert Peter Garrett, politician, former singer and social activist Jennie George, ACTU trade union leader, politician Evonne Goolagong Cawley, indigenous Australian tennis player Shane Gould, Olympic swimmer Germaine Greer, writer, social activist Catherine Hamlin, physician John Hatton, independent NSW politician Basil Hetzel, medical researcher, public health advocate Peter Hollingworth, former Governor-General of Australia Gabi Hollows, social activist, philanthropist Janet Holmes à Court, business leader, philanthropist John Howard, politician, former Prime Minister of Australia Barry Humphries, entertainer Barry Jones, former politician, author, polymath Caroline Jones, television personality, social commentator Paul Keating, former Prime Minister of Australia

Thomas Keneally, writer Cheryl Kernot, former politician Nicole Kidman, actress Ian Kiernan, businessman, social activist Michael Kirby, lawyer, judge, social commentator Karl Kruszelnicki, scientist, author, media personality John Landy, Olympic athlete, former Governor of Victoria Rod Laver, tennis player, businessman Michael Leunig, cartoonist, social commentator Ted Mack, politician, social commentator David Malouf, novelist Garry McDonald, actor Walter Mikac, survivors' advocate Kylie Minogue, singer, actress Jack Mundey, trade union leader Graeme Murphy, dancer, choreographer Les A Murray, poet John Newcombe, tennis player, television commentator Olivia Newton-John, singer, actress Greg Norman, golfer, businessman Gustav Nossal, scientist, administrator Lowitja O'Donoghue, indigenous Australian leader Pat O'Shane, magistrate, indigenous Australian leader[6] Clive Palmer, mining magnate Mary Paton, founder of the Nursing Mothers' Association Noel Pearson, indigenous Australian leader Kieren Perkins, Olympic swimmer, television commentator Pat Rafter, tennis player Henry Reynolds, historian Ken Rosewall, tennis player Dick Smith, businessman, social commentator Fiona Stanley, physician Richard Tognetti, violinist and conductor Anthony Warlow, singer Gai Waterhouse, racehorse trainer Steve Waugh, cricketer Robyn Williams, science broadcaster David Williamson, playwright Tim Winton, novelist Fiona Wood, physician Roger Woodward, pianist John Yu, medical doctor Galarrwuy Yunupingu, indigenous Australian leader

Deceased (formerly listed)

Betty Archdale, cricketer, educator (d. 2000) Faith Bandler, academic, activist and advocate for indigenous Australians and South Sea Islander people (d. 2015) Nancy Bird Walton, aviator (d. 2009) Arthur Boyd, artist (d. 1999) Jack Brabham, world champion Formula One driver (d. 2014) Don Bradman, cricketer (d. 2001) Harry Butler, naturalist and conservationist (d. 2015) Ruth Cracknell, actress (d. 2002) Bart Cummings, racehorse trainer (d. 2015) Roden Cutler, World War II hero, Governor of New South Wales (d. 2002) Don Dunstan, politician, Premier of South Australia, social commentator (d. 1999) Slim Dusty, singer, entertainer (d. 2003) Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2015) Hazel Hawke, social activist and former wife of Bob Hawke, a former Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2013) Donald Horne, academic, writer, author of The Lucky Country (d. 2005) Robert Hughes, art critic, author (d. 2012) Elizabeth Jolley, author (d. 2007) Leonie Kramer, academic, businesswoman (d. 2016)

Jimmy Little, indigenous Australian singer, (d. 2012) Colleen McCullough, author, writer, (d. 2015) Edward (Ted) Matthews, World War I soldier and last Gallipoli survivor (d. 1997) Judith Wright McKinney, poet (d. 2000) Mark Oliphant, physicist, Governor of South Australia (d. 2000) Margaret Olley, artist (d. 2011) Charles Perkins, indigenous Australian leader (d. 2000) Peter Sculthorpe, musician, composer (d. 2014) Mum (Shirl) Smith, aboriginal Australian activist (d. 1998) Joan Sutherland, opera singer (d. 2010) Mavis Taylor, humanitarian (d. 2007) Tom Uren, politician (d. 2015) Alan Walker, social commentator/activist (d. 2003) Morris West, author (d. 1999) Gough Whitlam, former Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2014) Margaret Whitlam, social activist, wife of Gough Whitlam (d. 2012) R. M. Williams, businessman (d. 2003)

Removed while living

• Marcus Einfeld, disgraced former judge; removed 2008^[7]
• Rolf Harris, disgraced entertainer; removed 2014^[5]

References

1. "15 Australians honoured as 'national living treasures'". Australia: ABC News. 14 March 2004. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
2. Christine Sams, Cosima Marriner: National living treasure uproar, The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 March 2012. Accessed 16 March 2012.
3. "Kylie, Olivia and... Clive?". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 4 March 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
4. "National Trust announces seven new National Living Treasures" (Press release). National Trust of Australia (NSW). 4 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
5. "List of National Living Treasures". National Trust of Australia. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
6. Clennell, Andrew; Wood, Alicia (24 January 2013). "O'Shane to retire from life on bench". The Australian. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
7. Daniele, Linda (1 November 2008). "Marcus Einfeld: From living treasure to liar". The Australian. Retrieved 18 July 2010.

External links

• National Trust of Australia (NSW)