In 1980, Robyne Burridge moved to the Northern Territory for 18 months to coordinate its International Year of People with a Disability. Fast forward to 2021 and she is still living in the Territory – advocating for greater equality, accessibility and quality of life for all. Robyne is a founding member of Integrated DisAbility Action, and a member of the governance committee on the Northern Territory Primary Health Network. She served 20 years as an Alderman with the Darwin City Council, including one year as Deputy Lord Mayor. In 1997, Robyne established Focus-A-Bility to provide advocacy, case management and information to individuals with disability. Robyne is highly regarded as a leader, advocate and activist in the disability sector. Her lived experience of cerebral palsy and expertise in disability advocacy has seen her mentor many executives in the sector. The recipient of many awards, in 2020, Robyne received an Order of Australia Medal for service to people with a disability

Blair Mcfarland has spent decades fighting to improve the health and lives of some of the most disadvantaged youth in Australia. Blair moved to Central Australia in 1986., and over the next two decades, gained a deep understanding of the lives of Indigenous people in the region. The petrol-sniffing epidemic of the 90s caused him to set up Central Australian Youth Link-Up Service (CAYLUS) in 2002. CAYLUS was instrumental in developing youth programs, orchestrating the roll-out of Low Aromatic Fuel (LAF, or Opal) and implementing the Federal Low Aromatic Fuel Act. The combination of these activities resulted in a 95 per cent reduction in volatile substance misuse. Blair’s passion and commitment to Central Australia is reflected in his participation in politics, advocacy, local radio and community services. In 2008, he received the Prime Minister's Award for Outstanding Contribution in Drug & Alcohol Endeavours by the Australian National Council on Drugs.

An advocate for international education, empowering young people and multiculturalism, Ben Poveda-Alfonso is the co-founder of the award-winning not-for-profit, Kindness Shake Kindness Shake, created during the Covid-19 pandemic, is Darwin’s first NGO to focus on supporting international students and temporary visa holders. Not limited to those experiencing financial difficulty, the charity also offers social engagement and wellbeing support, providing meals, employability workshops, wellbeing programs and social events. In just a few years, it’s helped thousands of people, recruited hundreds of volunteers and raised over $400,000. A senior policy officer with the NT Government’s Office of Youth Affairs, Ben speaks at events to motivate young newcomers to Australia. His achievements are remarkable given that he is a relatively new Australian citizen and spoke no English when he first arrived from Colombia in 2015. Ben has been recognised with several awards, including the 2021 Minister for Youth Excellence in Youth Leadership Award.

Lesley Woolf is a nurse, midwife and administrator who has spent the past three decades working to improve the health of Indigenous peoples in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Advancing and transitioning health services to Aboriginal Community Control Organisations has been a major achievement over the years. Lesley is consistently focused on upskilling, building capacity and ensuring communities receive equitable healthcare. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she led a campaign to protect Indigenous peoples. 65 per cent of the eligible population was vaccinated in four days. In 2014, Lesley co-founded Run With Dad, a community event to lift awareness of prostate cancer – the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men – and raise money for the prevention of the disease. Lesley’s contributions have helped progress health practices across the Northern Territory. She’s currently Manager of Health and Community Services at the Malabam Health Board in Maningrida.

It takes great courage to leave a violent partner. It takes even more courage to channel that experience to help others in similar situations. In 2016, Myra Fordham suffered a severe brain injury resulting from domestic abuse by her boyfriend at the time. She underwent surgery and was placed in an induced coma for 11 days. Myra had to learn to walk and talk again and overcome PTSD, anxiety and depression. The cognitive impairment and pain linked to her injury made it difficult for her to find employment. Myra, a proud Malijin Gurindji woman, is now a public speaker, an internationally best-selling author and founder of Myra Fordham Coaching. She supports female entrepreneurs to conquer self-doubt and unleash the leader within by healing the past. Myra’s journey is a true testimony of power, endurance and healing, and her footprint is expanding globally.

A world-leading ant community ecologist, Professor Alan Andersen’s scientific and community endeavours in the Northern Territory have benefitted the land and its people. Ants are considered key bioindicators of ecological change. That’s why Alan’s research has proved vital to understanding the effects of disturbances such as mining, burning, invasive species and climate change. Alan’s expertise has created a better understanding of the territory’s biodiversity assets, improved management of fire and invasive species, deepened Indigenous engagement in land and water management, and helped develop economic opportunities in the emerging carbon economy. The professor is also an engaging speaker with the gift of explaining complex science to laypeople. He frequently attends conferences, sits on advisory panel, and speaks to the media. Alan is the first Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science from the Northern Territory, the author of five books and over 260 scientific publications, and has over 20,000 career citations.