19th November 2010

Published November 19th, 2010

The Queensland division of the Australian of the Year Awards was held last night in Brisbane at Customs House.  I was amazed at the preparation and the number of men in business suits and so many women dressed so beautifully. 

The categories of the awards were Local Hero, Young Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year and lastly Australian of the Year.  All the finalists were called out in each category and either shook hands or kissed Anna Bligh.  At least I have met Anna Bligh and she knows my name and the sort of work I do – at least she knew it last night.  Im not sure whether that will carry much weight when it comes to funding but hey, its a start!

All night I was wondering how Hayley was going and whether she was, at that moment in hospital in labour.  Thankfully for me she is still keeping her little baby close to her chest but I’m sure that she has reached the stage where she would be very pleased to get her second little boy – O U T !

Back to the awards – The Local Hero was a vey nice Doctor who works for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  I reckon if i were ill, i would want someone like him looking after me.  He just oozed caring and compassion and appeared to be a very humble man. 

The young Australian of the Year was of course Jessica Watson but there were three other young people who were utterly exceptional.  I certainly don’t begrudge Jessica her award, but there was a young man who had come to Australia as a refugee from Ethopia – God knows what sort of horrors he had seen – who had started up a program for at risk youth – he couldn’t have been more than 21 years of age; then there was a young girl who had founded youth without borders – just so admirable and so young.  The Senior Australian of the year went to a lady who is an activist for the gay and lesbian community because her son is gay – I reckon I could get on with her really well. 

The Queensland winner of the Australian of the Year went to Dr Noel Hayman who amongst other things was the first Aboriginal Doctor in Australia.  I can barely believe i was in the same category as someone like him.  I have to admit that i was and am disappointed that i didn’t win.  I was so hoping that a win would help launch FASD in Australia and help me get funding for the rffada and NOFASARD to carry on the work that Sue Miers started.  Also i feel that i have let Lynn and Marie down by not winning.  They went to such trouble nominating me.

I have the opportunity now to say how much I appreciate the nomination and the work that must have been put into the nomination and the referee process.  I believe that Carol Bower, Sue Miers, Vicki Russell and Jan Hammill all agreed to be referees. Thank you all!  I’m honoured to even know you all, let alone have been nominated and referred by such people as you. 

But i must tell you about my husband’s attire at the event.  You might recall earlier that we had a difficult time with him nervous about what he might have to wear – in particular the horror that is ‘tie’!  He had decided he would be wearing ‘smart casual’ which he believed was a euphemism for  the ‘business attire’ that we had been advised to wear.

After i spent days looking for items of clothing that would make him look like he was wearing ‘business attire’, i came up with a combination of light charcoal shirt and darker charcoal pants with an even darker tie.  He looked ‘schmick’ (his words).  He fitted in and i think he felt good in his new clothes.  I even believe I did such a good job, I gave the proclamation that from this moment on, I would be buying all his clothes.  The highlight for him was when the Premier walked up to him and shook his hand and said hello.  I was hoping he would be able to formulate some sort of response but sadly it was too much for him – no words escaped but he smiled so broadly words were unnecessary.

Before we left for Brisbane, i had another big surprise.  My Nephew rang to say he had nominated me for a local community award, the winner of which will be announced at Stocklands at Earlville on the 4th December.  He wasnt sure which organisation it was and i have tried to find out myself but with no success.  So i will be thre at Stocklands on the 4th and wait until my name is called.

Well that’s all for tonight – i wish all the winners from last night success in the next stage of the AOTY process.

Elizabeth

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