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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Lifelines

Medical advocates

A significant number of distinguished medical researchers and practitioners have been honoured as Australians of the Year. The five individuals shown here are not only leaders in their field, they are also committed and passionate health advocates and communicators.

The two inspirational medical women from Western Australia – Professors Fiona Stanley (AoY 2003) and Fiona Wood (AoY 2005) – have brought public focus to the issues of Indigenous health care and innovative skin cell regeneration in burns research respectively.

The Fred Hollows Foundation, founded in 1992 by eye surgeon Professor Fred Hollows (AoY 1990) just prior to his death, continues to work in communities throughout Asia, Africa and Australia focusing on blindness prevention and Australian Indigenous health.

Paediatrician and hospital director, Dr John Yu (AoY 1996), oversaw the transfer, transformation and expansion of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead (formerly Royal Alexandra Hospital) to the geographic and population centre of Australia’s largest city, Sydney.

More recently, psychiatrist Professor Patrick McGorry (AoY 2010) has advocated for early intervention into youth mental illness, an issue that has attracted public and government support.

6 portraits

1 Fiona Stanley, 2011 Mary Moore. © Mary Moore. 2 Fred Hollows, 1993 Kerrie Lester. © Kerrie Lester/Copyright Agency, 2024. 3 Pat McGorry, 2009 (printed 2010) Dave Tacon. © Dave Tacon/Copyright Agency, 2024. 4 Untitled (preparatory study for sculpture of Dr John Yu), 2003 Ah Xian. © Ah Xian. 5 Dr John Yu, 2004 Ah Xian. © Ah Xian. 6 Dr Fiona Wood AM, 2005 Richard Woldendorp AM. © Richard Woldendorp.
© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency