Paralympian gold medallist Dylan Alcott has been named Victoria's Australian on the Year and will go into the finals for the national awards in January.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Alcott, who this week announced he will retire from tennis after the Australian Open, recently became the first man in history to win the Golden Slam.
He has been praised for his work off the courts, including providing scholarships to marginalised Australians with a disability and creating the country's first and only fully accessible music festival, Ability Fest.
Youth Activating Youth co-founder and executive director Ahmed Hassan, 25, has been named Victoria's Young Australian of the Year finalist for his work in advocating for disadvantaged youth from multicultural backgrounds.
Victoria University deputy chancellor Gaye Hamilton, 71, took out the state's Senior Australian of the Year award for championing Melbourne's west as Western Bulldogs Community Foundation Chair.
Mallacoota SES volunteer Leo op den Brouw won Victoria's Local Hero in the awards, after showing leadership during a huge bushfire that struck the town on New Year's Even 2019.
The award winners were announced on Wednesday night during an online event, with the four Victorian recipients to join other state and territory finalists at the Australian of the Year awards on January 25.
National Australia Day Council chief executive Karlie Brand said the award winners were all "inspirational leaders".
"Their achievements and contributions are examples to us all and we look forward to welcoming them to Canberra for the national awards event in January," she said.
Australian Associated Press
