National Living Treasure (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 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, which included 12 Indigenous Australians. 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".
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 after his retirement for perjury and perverting the course of justice relative to a speeding ticket, following an identical process to that used in 1997 – a public nomination and vote.
On 23 January 2012, the National Trust of Australia 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. Graeme Blackman, the chairman of the Australian Council of National Trusts, said that the list was not auspiced nationally by the National Trust. 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." It was later revealed that the vote for Palmer had been manipulated, with several internal emails having been sent to his company's staff, their family and friends, urging that they vote for "Professor Clive Palmer".
On 30 July 2014, the board of the National Trust of Australia voted to remove Rolf Harris, who had been among the original 100 Australians selected for the honour in 1997, from the list, after his conviction on 12 charges of indecent assault between 1969 and 1986, and to also withdraw the award.

Current list

The 68 still-living people on the 2014 list which originally contained 93 living people:
  1. Phillip Adams, humanist, social commentator
  2. John Bell, actor
  3. Geoffrey Blainey, professor, historian
  4. Raelene Boyle, Olympic runner, sports commentator
  5. Frank Brennan, activist and priest
  6. Bob Brown, politician, Australian Greens activist
  7. Julian Burnside, barrister, refugee rights advocate, author
  8. Tim Costello, social activist, commentator
  9. Bill Crews, social activist
  10. Russell Crowe, actor
  11. Judy Davis, actress
  12. Sir William Deane, High Court judge and Governor-General of Australia
  13. Ernie Dingo, Indigenous Australian television personality
  14. Mick Dodson, Indigenous Australian leader
  15. Pat Dodson, Indigenous Australian activist/leader, politician
  16. Peter Doherty, immunologist, professor, Nobel Prize winner
  17. Ted Egan, musician, activist, administrator
  18. Herb Elliott, Olympic runner
  19. John Farnham, entertainer
  20. Dawn Fraser, Olympic swimmer, politician
  21. Ian Frazer, scientist
  22. Cathy Freeman, Indigenous Australian sportsperson, Olympic runner
  23. Peter Garrett, politician, singer and social activist
  24. Jennie George, Australian Council of Trade Unions leader, politician
  25. Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Indigenous Australian tennis player
  26. Shane Gould, Olympic swimmer
  27. Germaine Greer, writer, social activist
  28. John Hatton, independent NSW politician
  29. Peter Hollingworth, Archbishop of Brisbane, Governor-General
  30. Gabi Hollows, social activist, philanthropist
  31. Janet Holmes à Court, business leader, philanthropist
  32. John Howard, politician, Prime Minister
  33. Barry Jones, politician, author, polymath
  34. Paul Keating, Prime Minister
  35. Thomas Keneally, writer
  36. Cheryl Kernot, politician
  37. Nicole Kidman, actress
  38. Michael Kirby, lawyer, judge, social commentator
  39. Karl Kruszelnicki, scientist, author, media personality
  40. Rod Laver, tennis player
  41. David Malouf, novelist
  42. Garry McDonald, actor
  43. Walter Mikac, survivors' advocate
  44. Kylie Minogue, singer, actress
  45. Graeme Murphy, dancer, choreographer
  46. John Newcombe, tennis player, television commentator
  47. Greg Norman, golfer, businessman
  48. Sir Gustav Nossal, scientist, administrator
  49. Pat O'Shane, magistrate, Indigenous Australian leader
  50. Clive Palmer, mining magnate, placed on list after his staff were instructed to vote for him
  51. Mary Paton, founder of the Nursing Mothers' Association
  52. Noel Pearson, Indigenous Australian leader
  53. Kieren Perkins, Olympic swimmer, television commentator
  54. Pat Rafter, tennis player
  55. Henry Reynolds, historian
  56. Ken Rosewall, tennis player
  57. Dick Smith, businessman, social commentator
  58. Fiona Stanley, physician
  59. Richard Tognetti, violinist and conductor
  60. Anthony Warlow, singer
  61. Gai Waterhouse, racehorse trainer
  62. Steve Waugh, cricketer
  63. Robyn Williams, science broadcaster
  64. David Williamson, playwright
  65. Tim Winton, novelist
  66. Fiona Wood, physician
  67. Roger Woodward, pianist
  68. John Yu, medical doctor

Deceased

Removed while living

Related lists

  • Western Australia's Department of Culture and the Arts has a list of State Living Treasures awarded in 1998, 2004, and 2015 to "honour influential elders of the artistic community", "acknowledge the ability of artists to engage, move, involve and entertain audiences. They honour the skill, imagination and originality of the artist" and "honour those artists whose lifetime work has enhanced the artistic and cultural life of Western Australia, providing inspiration for other artists and enriching the community."