ACT Australian of the Year Awards

When her son survived a traumatic illness, Megan Gilmour vowed to support the 1.2 million Australian children at risk of missing school due to chronic medical and mental conditions.

Megan co-founded MissingSchool to keep these students connected to school from hospital or home.

Her 2017 Churchill Fellowship started the world’s first telepresence robot service, reconnecting over 7,000 Australian classmates in real-time.

Megan now champions 'learn-from-anywhere' globally as vital school policy for students unable to attend physically.

Peter Ralston OAM and his wife Marilyn Ralston have made it possible for people with vision impairment or other disabilities to walk or run at mainstream events.

Peter is founder and president of Achilles Running Club Canberra, which he and Marilyn began in 2013. Volunteer guides team up with people with disability at fun runs, club training and the weekly parkrun.

In the past 3 years, Peter has guided blind athletes 120 times at parkrun. Achilles Canberra has helped several blind members to each achieve hundreds of parkruns.

In recognition of his service to sport for people who are blind or have low vision, Peter was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020.

Daniel Bartholomaeus is a 21-year-old artist with an innate ability to inspire and motivate others, especially within the neurodiverse community.

Daniel, who has autism and ADHD, hasn’t had an easy time. In 2022, even though his portfolio had just won him a place at university, his mental health was at its lowest point.

Today, Daniel is a mentor with The With Friends Initiative, a social group for neurodivergent young people. He has worked with Daydream Machine, the National Gallery of Australia and the United Nations to help young people.

Daniel uses his art for self-expression, but also to forge common pathways for people with mental ill-health and different abilities, bridging the gap between neurotypical and neurodiverse people.

Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello are harnessing the power of hospitality to lift and empower those most vulnerable in their community.

Their business, Cafe Stepping Stone, operates as a social enterprise. It employs women from migrant and refugee backgrounds and others who experience significant barriers to employment, including:

• female workers who are the sole income earners in their household
• new arrivals to Australia
• those with limited English or minimal employment history
• those experiencing homelessness.

The employees are supported to gain skills and experience, facilitating their entry or return to the workforce.

Hannah and Vanessa also run a range of events through Stepping Stone, creating a welcoming hub for community to grow, with a focus on social justice and connection.