Australian of the Year

2027 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS: 16 WESTERN AUSTRALIA NOMINEES ANNOUNCED 

Australians making an impact across health and medicine, mentoring, community and social support, innovation, marine conservation and science are among the Western Australia nominees announced today for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. 

Sixteen people from across the state have been named as nominees for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards for Western Australia, with four nominees recognised in each of the Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero categories. 

Among this year’s nominees are a FIFO worker connecting families, a woman saving remote community lives with technology, a mentoring musician, the inventor of portable factories, an architect tackling homelessness, a woman whose simple ocean swim turned into a 30,000 strong community and the longest serving volunteer at Lifeline WA. 

The nominees are: 

2027 Australian of the Year for Western Australia 
Esther Oh - Telehealth innovator (Perth) 
Kav Temperley - Musician and mentor (Fremantle) 
Professor Michael Wear - Indigenous marine environmentalist (Denham, Shark Bay) 
Dr Emily Zhen - Organ transplant pioneer (Perth) 

2027 Senior Australian of the Year for Western Australia 
Tina Baldwin - Long-serving Lifeline volunteer (Bedford) 
Michelle Blakeley - Community housing champion (Perth) 
Sheena Edwards - Digital technology mentor (Rockingham) 
Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi - World-leading oceanographer (Nedlands) 

2027 Young Australian of the Year for Western Australia 
Pheobe Ho - Mental health advocate (Perth) 
Tara Jeisman - Founder of Sea Gals community group (Perth) 
Kurt Krispyn - Marine scientist and communicator (Perth) 
Joshua Wigley - 3D-manufacturing innovator (Denmark) 

2027 Australia’s Local Hero for Western Australia 
Adam Desmond - Indigenous community leader (Bellevue) 
Michael Elwan - Social worker and mental health advocate (Mandurah) 
Victoria (Vicky) Pellowe - FIFO community leader (Perth) 
Dr Dayna Pool - Neurological rehabilitation pioneer (Ferndale) 

The Western Australia nominees are among 131 people being recognised across all states and territories in the  2027 Australian of the Year Awards. 

National Australia Day Council CEO Carrie Leeson said the nominees for Western Australia were all exceptional in their areas of achievement and contribution. 

“The nominees for Western Australia are improving the world we live in today and for the future, whether it is through their grassroots community contributions or their groundbreaking innovations and research,” said Ms Leeson.  

“They show us what can result when passion, commitment and action are applied to any opportunity or challenge.” 

The 2027 Western Australia award recipients will be announced on Friday 30 October 2026 in Perth. The ceremony will also be available to watch via livestream at australianoftheyear.org.au 

The Western Australia award recipients will then join recipients from the other states and territories as finalists for the national Australian of the Year Awards, announced in Canberra on 25 January 2027. 

ENDS 

Detailed nominee biographies follow and are also available at australianoftheyear.org.au. 

Photos for download: Photos provided by the nominees for editorial use can be downloaded from here:  Photos Nominees WA (supplied) (please use photo credits where noted on file names) 

Media contact:   Nicole Browne, media opps  0414 673 762   nicole@mediaopps.com.au