Inspiring Aussies

MEET SOME OF THE IMPRESSIVE NOMINEES FOR THE 2026 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR

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CARRIE BICKMORE OAM

She might be most recognisable from TV and radio, but for those suffering from brain cancer in Australia, she's known for raising more than $27 million for research projects targeted at beating the brutal and, more often than not, deadly disease via her Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation. Bickmore, who was named the 2026 Victorian Australian of the Year earlier this month, has also opened the Brain Cancer Centre, where another $45 million is funding world-first clinical trials and treatments.

KATHERINE BENNELL-PEGG

The South Australian nominee is an absolute trailblazer, becoming the first Aussie to qualify as an astronaut after graduating from the prestigious European Astronaut Centre in Germany.