Award for people of merit in Australia
National Living Treasure is a status created and occasionally updated by the National Trust of Australia's New South Wales branch, awarded to up to 100 living people. Recipients were selected by popular vote for having made outstanding contributions to Australian society in any field of human endeavour.
History
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 by more than 10,000 Australians voting. Their votes determined who was chosen. The first list of 100 Living Treasures was published in 1997. Phillip Adams, himself named as a National Treasure, gave his own opinion in an article on ANZAC Day in 2015 that when the list was first published in 1997, most were amused to find they were nominated; he suggested an alternative list to "celebrate those who make us happy".[1]
In 2004, the list was refreshed with 15 new names, following the deaths of some people on the list and the exclusion of former Justice Marcus Einfeld who was imprisoned subsequent to his retirement for perjury and perverting the course of justice relative to a speeding ticket,[2][3] 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, on 4 March 2012, when the National Trust refused to endorse the NSW branch's listing of the mining magnate Clive Palmer as one of the members.[4][5] Graeme Blackman, the chairman of the Australian Council of National Trusts, said that "I am telling you, as the chairman, it is not auspiced by the National Trust nationally."[5] However, the next day it was reported that "trust president Ian Carroll said the titles recognised that the country's culture was more than just our buildings and natural heritage."[6] It was later revealed that the vote for Palmer had been manipulated, with a number of internal emails having been sent to his company's staff, their family and friends, urging that they vote for "Professor Clive Palmer".[7]
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 12 charges of indecent assault between 1969 and 1986 and to also withdraw the award.[8] Harris had been among the original 100 Australians selected for the honour in 1997.
Current list
The 70 still-living people on the 2014 list which originally contained 93 living people:[8]
- Phillip Adams, humanist, social commentator
- Dame Marie Bashir, 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
- Tim Costello, social activist, commentator
- Bill Crews, social activist
- Russell Crowe, actor
- Judy Davis, actress
- Sir William Deane, High Court judge and Governor-General of Australia
- Ernie Dingo, Indigenous Australian television personality
- Mick Dodson, Indigenous Australian leader
- Pat Dodson, Indigenous Australian activist/leader, politician
- Peter Doherty, immunologist, professor, Nobel Prize winner
- Ted Egan, musician, activist, administrator
- Herb Elliott, Olympic runner
- John Farnham, entertainer
- Dawn Fraser, Olympic swimmer, politician
- Ian Frazer, scientist
- Cathy Freeman, Indigenous Australian sportsperson, Olympic runner
- Peter Garrett, politician, singer and social activist
- Jennie George, Australian Council of Trade Unions leader, politician
- Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Indigenous Australian tennis player
- Shane Gould, Olympic swimmer
- Germaine Greer, writer, social activist
- John Hatton, independent NSW politician
- Peter Hollingworth, Archbishop of Brisbane, Governor-General
- Gabi Hollows, social activist, philanthropist
- Janet Holmes à Court, business leader, philanthropist
- John Howard, politician, Prime Minister
- Barry Jones, politician, author, polymath
- Paul Keating, Prime Minister
- Thomas Keneally, writer
- Cheryl Kernot, politician
- Nicole Kidman, actress
- Michael Kirby, lawyer, judge, social commentator
- Karl Kruszelnicki, scientist, author, media personality
- Rod Laver, tennis player
- Michael Leunig, cartoonist, social commentator
- David Malouf, novelist
- Garry McDonald, actor
- Walter Mikac, survivors' advocate
- Kylie Minogue, singer, actress
- Graeme Murphy, dancer, choreographer
- John Newcombe, tennis player, television commentator
- Greg Norman, golfer, businessman
- Sir Gustav Nossal, scientist, administrator
- Pat O'Shane, magistrate, Indigenous Australian leader[9]
- Clive Palmer, mining magnate,[10] placed on list after his staff were instructed to vote for him[7]
- 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