Key Points
- Melanoma treatment pioneers Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer have been named 2024 Australians of the Year.
- Yalmay Yunupiŋu, Emma McKeon, and David Elliott were named winners in other categories.
- Winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Canberra on Thursday night.
Professor Richard Scolyer and Professor Georgina Long have dedicated their careers to pioneering melanoma treatments, and have now been named joint Australians of the Year for 2024.
In 2023, their work became personal when Scolyer was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer.
During their acceptance speech in Canberra, he spoke about his diagnosis.
"I stand here tonight as a terminal brain cancer patient. I'm only 57. I don’t want to die," he said.
"I love my life. My family, my work. I have so much more to do and to give."
After Scolyer was diagnosed, the colleagues got to work developing a series of world-first treatments based on their melanoma breakthroughs.
Despite the risk it could end Scolyer's life quicker than his cancer would, they hoped the experimental treatment could make a difference for other patients.
Devising this world-first experimental treatment for my type of brain cancer was bold. For me, the decision to take on Georgina's ground-breaking plan was a no-brainer," he said.
"Here was an opportunity for us to crack another incurable treatment and make a difference if not for me, then for others.
"From where I stand, with a future now measured in months rather than decades, it is impossible for me to properly articulate how proud and hopeful that this also makes me."
Georgina Long (left) and Richard Scolyer (centre) are co-medical directors of Melanoma Institute Australia. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"I say to all Australians, no matter what life throws at you, seek out opportunities to contribute, to participate and to action change," he said.
"As I like to say, have a crack and don't just lean in – leap in."
Who are Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer?
As , Long and Scolyer are passionate advocates for sun safety and skin cancer prevention.
While a diagnosis of advanced melanoma was a death sentence less than a decade ago, their immunotherapy approach turned it into a curable disease.
The pioneering scientists used their acceptance speech to advocate against tanning, describing Australians as "melanoma gold medallists".
"When it comes to tanning, we are swimming outside the flags. A tan is skin cells in trauma from overexposure to UV radiation from the sun," Long said.
"There is nothing healthy about a tan — nothing. Our bronzed Aussie culture is actually killing us."
The 53-year-old called on advertising and social media influencers to stop "glamorising" tanning.
"Our mission is zero deaths from melanoma," she said.
"To reach it, in addition to prevention, we need a targeted screening program and greater investment in research — this must be a national health priority."
Who were the winners of the Australian of the Year Awards?
The winners of this year's awards were announced on Thursday night during a ceremony at Canberra's National Arboretum.
Yalmay Yunupiŋu was awarded Senior Australian of the Year, Emma McKeon was named Young Australian of the Year, and David Elliott is Australia's Local Hero.
Chair of the National Australia Day Council John Foreman said the 2024 award recipients "represent the very best of us".
"They are Australians we can all be proud of," he said.
Yalmay Yunupiŋu named Senior Australian of the Year
Yalmay Yunupiŋu's journey to becoming "the mother" of Yirkalala Bilingual School in north-east Arnhem Land began when she started translating Dr Seuss books at the community library into her local Yolŋu Matha language.
After qualifying as a teacher, the Yolŋu Elder and her late husband M Yunupiŋu, of Yothu Yindi fame, developed a bilingual teaching approach to strengthen young people's knowledge of Yolŋu language and culture.
Yunupiŋu was named a Teacher of Excellence in 2005 by the Northern Territory Department of Education, and she was also an Honorary Fellow at Charles Darwin University.
Yalmay Yunupiŋu is the 2024 Senior Australian of the Year. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"It wasn't always easy, with lots of ups and downs, but it was my passion for education that kept me going."
Since retiring last year, the 68-year-old has been teaching the next generation about traditional healing.
"Too many of our people are diagnosed with chronic preventable diseases such as kidney failure, heart disease, cancer, and many more illnesses. Our people are sick and dying, young and old," she said.
"Unfortunately, Western medicine is not working on its own [so] we need to marry both worlds of healing. We need to understand and respect the power of Yolŋu healing."
Emma McKeon named Young Australian of the Year
Emma McKeon comes from a strong family of swimmers, with her father, mother, brother, and uncle all representing Australia in the pool.
After narrowly missing out on selection for the 2012 London Olympics, she took a break from swimming — but just two years later went on to claim six medals from six races at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The 2020 Tokyo Games saw her become .
McKeon's incredible medal count in Tokyo also made her the most successful Australian Olympian of all time.
Emma McKeon is the 2024 Young Australian of the Year. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"I've been swimming for as long as I can remember and I grew up being inspired by incredible athletes, which put a fire in my belly to go after my dreams and do something great with the power of determination and hard work," she said.
"So, going from that young girl to today, it is still crazy to me that I've done what I have in sport, and I want young kids to know that I was once in the same position that they are now: hoping and dreaming of one day doing something big."
McKeon said she hoped to inspire others to go after their dreams.
"Don't be afraid to take on hard things and set aspirational goals that at times might be scary — this is how we push ourselves to achieve our dreams."
David Elliott named Australia's Local Hero
Pastoralist David Elliott was mustering sheep on his outback Queensland property in 1999 when he stumbled upon a dinosaur fossil.
That chance discovery led to many more — and Elliott and his wife Judy's eventual founding of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History.
First operating on the Elliotts' property, where they conducted digs and built an impressive collection of dinosaur fossils, the museum was later moved onto donated land.
It now houses Australia's most significant collection of fossils from the nation's largest dinosaurs and serves as a centre for paleontological research and discovery.
David Elliott is Australia's Local Hero for 2024. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"I simply represent the hard work and passion of a lot of people, and I'm just proud to be one of them," he said as he accepted his award.
The 66-year-old also highlighted the importance of education, saying he was "determined" to build a national history museum to rival those overseas.
"Building a world-class natural history museum is a multimillion-dollar investment, but my question to everyone here: What is our continent worth, what is the education of our children worth?" he said.
"Australia's future is inextricably linked to its past and our children are its future custodians. The more they understand it, the better they'll care for it.
"To me, nothing is more important."
