The Australian Father Of The Year award is an Australian award to honor and showcase a fine example of Australian fatherhood. Spanning over fifty years, the ‘Australian Father of the Year’ has been awarded to high-profile, famous fathers, from prime ministers & politicians to sportsmen and business leaders, acknowledging the support, guidance and love they show to Australian children

The Shepherd Centre together with the Australian Fathers Day Council launch a campaign each year to find Australia's best father and the winners are announced at a luncheon, with all proceeds going to The Shepherd Centrehttp://www.shepherdcentre.com.au/. The Shepherd Centre is a charity which teaches deaf and hearing-impaired children to listen and speak using an early intervention program. The Shepherd Centre have been involved in the Australian Father of the Year Awards since 1998.
To view the latest on the The Shepherd Centre Australian Father of the Year visit www.fatheroftheyear.com.auhttp://www.fatheroftheyear.com.au The award is not associated with the Australian government run Australian of the Year

Australian of the Year

Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...

 awards.

Past recipients

Awarded	Name	Notes
2011	Angus Houston Angus Houston Air Chief Marshal Allan Grant "Angus" Houston AC, AFC is a retired senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force and was the Chief of the Defence Force from 4 July 2005 until his retirement on 3 July 2011...	Former Chief of the Defence Force Chief of the Defence Force (Australia) Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
2010	Guy Cooper Guy Cooper Guy Evans Cooper was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox . Listed at 6' 1", 185 lb., Cooper was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...	Former Chief Executive of the Taronga and Western Plains Zoos
2009	Li Cunxin Li Cunxin Li Cunxin is a Chinese-Australian former ballet dancer and current stockbroker.-Early life:Li was born into poverty in the Li Commune near the city of Qingdao in the Shandong province of People's Republic of China...	Dancer
2008	Paul Roos Paul Roos (Australian rules footballer) Paul Roos is a former Australian rules football player and coach in the VFL and Australian Football League.Playing the majority of his career with Fitzroy, Roos was one of the teams greats, captaining the side for a long time and was acknowledged as its best player for several seasons, being named...	Footballer
2007	David Koch	Television Presenter
2006	Ron Delezio
2005	Steve Waugh Steve Waugh Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...	Cricketer
2004	Prof Graeme Clark	Cochlear Implant Cochlear implant A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing...  Developer
2003	Dr Karl Kruszelnicki Karl Kruszelnicki Karl Kruszelnicki AM is a scientist, who is best known as an author and science commentator on Australian radio and television. He is often referred to as Dr Karl....	Scientist
2002	Steve Vizard Steve Vizard Stephen William Vizard, born 6 March 1956 in Richmond, Victoria, is an Australian media personality, comedian, businessman and writer.-Early life:...
2001	Jim Rafter
2000	Stephen Biddulph
1999	Slim Dusty Slim Dusty David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and producer, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson that represented the Australian Bush...	Musician
1998	Kandiah Kamalesvaran Kamahl Kamahl is the stage name of Kandiah Kamalesvaran , an Australian singer and recording artist, perhaps best known for "The Elephant Song", and his repertoire of popular music.-Early life:...
1997	John Howard John Howard John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....	Prime Minister Prime Minister of Australia The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
1996	R.A Peter Sinclair	Governor of New South Wales
1995	Mark Taylor Mark Taylor (cricketer) Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...	Cricketer
1994	Sir James Hardy
1993	Michael Chugg
1992	Bill Crews	Minister
1991	Dr Bruce Shepherd
1990	Peter Doyle
1989	Ken Done Ken Done Ken Done, AM is an Australian artist best known for his design work. His simple, brightly coloured images of Australian landmarks have adorned a very popular range of clothing and homewares sold under the "Done Design" brand.-Early life:...
1988	R.A David Martin
1987	A.H Pollard	Actuary Actuary An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....  and Statistician Statistician A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
1986	Gordon Moyes Gordon Moyes Gordon Keith Mackenzie Moyes AC is an Australian Christian evangelist, broadcaster and former politician.-Early life and career:...	Politician
1985	Sir Ian Turbott
1984	Prof Peter Rowe
1983	Bobby Limb Bobby Limb Bobby Limb AO OBE was an Australian pioneering radio and television entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s.-Career:...
1982	Alan Davidson Alan Davidson (cricketer) Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...	Cricketer
1981	Dr Bradney W Norington
1980	Jim Lees Jim Lees James Travers "Jim" Lees QPM was the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police from 1979 to 1981.Jim Lees was born in 1919 at Hornsby and went on to attend the Hurlstone Agricultural High School...
1979	Neil McLeod
1978	Sir Zelman Cowen Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, was the 19th Governor-General of Australia. He is currently the oldest living former Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...	Governor General
1977	Gary O'Callaghan	Radio Presenter
1976	Malcolm Fraser Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...	Prime Minister Prime Minister of Australia The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
1975	Major General Alan Stretton Alan Stretton Major General Alan Bishop Stretton AO CBE is a former senior Australian Army officer.Stretton began his military career serving with the 2/9th Battalion after graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon during the Second World War...	Jointly
-	Sir John Cornforth John Cornforth Sir John Warcup 'Kappa' Cornforth, AC, CBE, FRS , is an Australian scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1975 for his work on the stereochemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reactions....	Jointly
1974	Sir John Kerr	Governor General
1973	John Lloyd Waddy John Lloyd Waddy John Lloyd Waddy OBE, DFC was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force , who later served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and Minister of the Crown...	Politician
1972	Dr William McBride
1971	Sir William McMahon William McMahon Sir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH , was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia...	Prime Minister Prime Minister of Australia The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
1970	V.C. Fairfax
1969	W.M. Leonard
1968	Lord R. Casey Richard Casey, Baron Casey Richard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC KStJ PC was an Australian politician, diplomat and the 16th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...	Governor General
1967	Sir Lorimer Dods Lorimer Dods Sir Lorimer Fenton Dods LVO was a pioneer of specialised health care for children who founded, with assistance from Dr John Fulton, the Children's Medical Research Foundation...
1966	Sir Roden Cutler Arthur Roden Cutler Sir Roden Cutler, was an Australian diplomat, the longest serving Governor of New South Wales and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth armed forces.-Early life:Arthur Roden Cutler was born on...	Governor of New South Wales
1965	Bill Northam
1964	Sir Robert Menzies Robert Menzies Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....	Prime Minister Prime Minister of Australia The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
1963	Leslie James Herron
1962	Sir Norman Gregg Norman Gregg Sir Norman McAlister Gregg, MC was an Australian ophthalmologist, who discovered that rubella suffered by a pregnant woman could cause birth defects in her child .-Early life and education:...
1961	Adrian Curlewis	Judge
1960	Colin Delaney
1959	Joseph Cahill Joseph Cahill John Joseph Cahill was Premier of New South Wales in Australia from 1952 to 1959. He is best remembered as the Premier who approved construction on the Sydney Opera House, and for his work increasing the authority of local government in the state.-Early years:Joe Cahill, as he was popularly known,...	Premier of New South Wales
1958	Harry Jensen	Politician
1957	Sir Edward Hallstrom Edward Hallstrom Sir Edward John Lees Hallstrom was one of Australia's best-known philanthropists and businessmen of the mid-20th Century.-Early life:...

External links

• Australian Father of the Year