Drs Alison Taylor and Michael Archinal are improving the health of dogs and people in remote Aboriginal communities. Since 2011, Alison and Michael have made a twice-yearly trek from their veterinary surgery in Canberra to Utopia in the Central Desert, a 10,000 square kilometre region in the Northern Territory. Leading a team of volunteers and at the invitation of traditional owners, Alison and Michael have desexed more than 1,000 dogs, treating thousands more for worms and skin mange. The program has reduced the number of dogs in Utopia, while decreasing skin sores amongst locals by 87 per cent. Community members are very grateful for the help in controlling a major source of illness and stress. Each trip takes great effort and cost to organise, with the $40,000 annual expenses covered through dedicated fundraising. Despite flies, heat and onlookers, the pair have adapted their skills and adjusted their procedures to accommodate operating in a challenging environment, while making an invaluable contribution to animal and human health in remote Australia.

Few would expect a tough-as-nails Chief of Army to be recognised internationally for his commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion. But when former Lieutenant-General David Morrison ordered misbehaving troops to ‘get out’ if they couldn’t accept women as equals, his video went viral and he started a cultural shift that has changed Australia’s armed forces forever. Since then, the number of women joining the army has grown by two per cent and the culture is more accepting of racial, ethnic and sexual diversity. In 2014, David was invited to speak at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, sharing the stage with US Secretary of State John Kerry and actor and activist Angelina Jolie, and arguing that militaries that exclude women ‘do nothing to distinguish the soldier from the brute’. David retired in 2015 after 36 years in the Australian Army, and four years as its Chief, but he continues his commitment as a champion of human rights in his new role as the Chair of the Diversity Council Australia.

In 2015 Australia commemorates the centenary of Anzac and as Director of the Australian War Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson has been at the centre of the planning and delivery of this significant national event. The former Minister for Defence, Brendan assumed the reins as Director of the Australian War Memorial in 2012 and has since helped the nation look beyond the statistics to the people who fought and died for their country. Overseeing a significant upgrade to the Memorial’s World War One galleries and personalising the honour roll, Brendan has turned the Last Post ceremony into a new national institution in its own right. Leading an extraordinary range of events and activities to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landing, Brendan has breathed life into the Australian War Memorial, encouraging Australians to reconnect with the Gallipoli campaign, to re-examine the story of the Great War and making Australia’s history live in the heart of the nation.

For 33 years, Dr Helen Watchirs has dedicated her career and worked unstintingly as a volunteer to improve human rights and end discrimination. As the ACT Human Rights Commissioner and the Discrimination Commissioner for more than a decade, Helen has supervised the handling of more than 1,000 discrimination, vilification and sexual harassment complaints. The ACT community has benefited from Helen’s diligent advocacy with better anti-terrorism, discrimination, mental health, guardianship, tenancy and criminal legislation. Helen has audited detention centres for human rights abuses, driven debate to increase transparency and accountability of government and pioneered community education projects. An expert on HIV and AIDS issues, her advice has been called on by the United Nations. After suffering the tragic loss of her husband, Supreme Court Judge and former ACT Attorney-General and Health Minister Terry Connolly, Helen took on yet another unpaid role as an advocate for organ and tissue donations. Radiating quiet strength, Helen is driven to ensure Australia’s legal system is compatible with human right.