2026 Guest Speaker: Katherine Bennell-Pegg
The 2026 Australian of the Year for South Australia, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is the first astronaut to officially represent Australia, and the first Australian woman to receive professional astronaut wings. Following her graduation from the European Space Agency astronaut training in 2024 as part of the ‘Hoppers’ class, she became qualified to represent Australia in space on missions to the International Space Station and the Moon. She is a Director at the Australian Space Agency, a reservist Group Captain in the Royal Australian Air Force, and a space engineer who has worked around the globe on human spaceflight, exploration, space robotics and earth science missions and technologies. Katherine lives in
Adelaide with her husband and 2 young daughters.
Adelaide with her husband and 2 young daughters.
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Previous Speakers:
2025 |
Rachel Perkins |
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2024 |
Annabel Crabb |
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2023 |
Ambassador Caroline Kennedy |
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2022 |
Grace Tame |
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2021 |
Natasha Stott Despoja AO |
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2020 |
Elizabeth Broderick AO |
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2019 |
Jane Caro AC |
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2018 |
Tanya Hosch |
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2017 |
Julia Gillard AC |
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2016 |
Fran Kelly |
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2015 |
Dr Susan Carland |
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2014 |
Dr Gill Hicks AM MBE FRSA |
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2013 |
Dr Anne Summers AO |
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2012 |
Alice Pung OAM |
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2011 |
Professor Tanya Monro AC |
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2010 |
Sally Sara AM |
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2009 |
Evonne Goolagong Cawley AC MBE |
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2008 |
Margaret Pomeranz AM |
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2007 |
Prof Larissa Behrendt AO |
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2006 |
Kirsty Sword-Gusmao AO |
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2005 |
Mary Gaudron QC |
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2004 |
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC, CVO, MBE |
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2003 |
Carmel Travers |
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2002 |
Christine Nixon AO APM |
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2001 |
Jocelynne Scutt AO |
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2000 |
Camilla Cowley |
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1999 |
Sister Patricia Pak-Poy RSM |
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1998 |
Robyn Archer AO, CdOAL |
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1997 |
Phoebe Fraser |
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1996 |
Hazel Hawke AO |
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1995 |
Mem Fox AM |
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1994 |
Dorinda Haffner |
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1993 |
Julia Lester |
