The Australian Father of the Year Award is presented annually to "a distinguished father who has demonstrated support, guidance and love to his children or other children through his working role or family life."[1]
The award was inaugurated in 1957 by The Australian Father's Day Council. The Shepherd Centre (TSC) has been involved from 1998-2021, in 2022 the award organisation was handed to The Fathering Project. Much like TSC, The Fathering Project together with the Australian Father's Day Council launch an annual campaign to find Australia's best high-profile father. The winner is announced at a luncheon, with all proceeds going to TSC; a charity that teaches deaf and hearing-impaired children to listen and speak using an early intervention program.
The award is not associated with the Australian government run Australian of the Year awards.
| Awarded | Name | Post-nominals | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Craig Foster[2] | Former Socceroo's captain and political activist | ||
| 2021 | Brendan Murphy[3] | Former Chief Medical Officer of Australia | ||
| 2020 | Shane Fitzsimmons | Former Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and Head of Resilience NSW | ||
| 2019 | Mark Beretta | Television journalist | ||
| 2018 | Dick Smith | Entrepreneur and philanthropist[4] | ||
| 2017 | Mike Baird | Former Premier of New South Wales | ||
| 2016 | Lieutenant General David Hurley | Governor of New South Wales | ||
| 2015 | Jamal Rifi | Doctor, founder of Australia Muslim Doctors against Violence | ||
| 2014 | Andrew Gaze | Basketballer | ||
| 2013 | Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith | Soldier, later found at a civil defamation trial to be a war criminal | ||
| 2012 | John Symond | Executive Chairman of Aussie Home Loans, and Chairman of Sydney Opera House Trust | ||
| 2011 | Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston | Former Chief of the Defence Force | ||
| 2010 | Guy Cooper | Former Chief Executive of the Taronga and Western Plains Zoos | ||
| 2009 | Li Cunxin | Dancer | ||
| 2008 | Paul Roos | Footballer | ||
| 2007 | Television presenter | |||
| 2006 | Founder of Day of Difference Foundation | |||
| 2005 | Cricketer | |||
| 2004 | Cochlear Implant developer | |||
| 2003 | Scientist | |||
| 2002 | Media personality | |||
| 2001 | Jim Rafter | Father of nine including tennis player Pat Rafter | ||
| 2000 | Parenting activist | |||
| 1999 | Musician | |||
| 1998 | Musician | |||
| 1997 | ||||
| 1996 | Governor of New South Wales | |||
| 1995 | Cricketer | |||
| 1994 | Sir James Hardy | Americas Cup Sailor | ||
| 1993 | Michael Chugg | Music promoter | ||
| 1992 | Bill Crews | Minister | ||
| 1991 | Dr Bruce Shepherd | Known for his work in education for the deaf | ||
| 1990 | Peter Doyle | |||
| 1989 | Artist | |||
| 1988 | Governor of New South Wales | |||
| 1987 | A.H Pollard | Actuary and statistician | ||
| 1986 | Politician | |||
| 1985 | Businessman, Chancellor of Western Sydney University | |||
| 1984 | Prof Peter Rowe | |||
| 1983 | Entertainer | |||
| 1982 | Cricketer | |||
| 1981 | Dr Bradney W Norington | |||
| 1980 | Police Commissioner | |||
| 1979 | Neil McLeod | |||
| 1978 | ||||
| 1977 | Radio presenter | |||
| 1976 | ||||
| 1975 joint winners | Head of National Disasters Organisation (Cyclone Tracy relief efforts) | |||
| Nobel prize winner in Chemistry | ||||
| 1974 | ||||
| 1973 | Politician | |||
| 1972 | Gynecologist and obstetrician, (discovered the teratogenicity of thalidomide) | |||
| 1971 | ||||
| 1970 | Vincent Charles Fairfax | Boy Scouts[5] | ||
| 1969 | W.M. Leonard | Legacy Australia[6] | ||
| 1968 | ||||
| 1967 | Children's health care | |||
| 1966 | ||||
| 1965 | Bill Northam | Olympic sailor[7] | ||
| 1964 | ||||
| 1963 | Leslie James Herron | Chief justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales[8] | ||
| 1962 | Ophthalmologist | |||
| 1961 | Captain Adrian Curlewis | Judge | ||
| 1960 | Colin Delaney | NSW Police Commissioner[9] [10] | ||
| 1959 | ||||
| 1958 | Politician | |||
| 1957 | Businessman and philanthropist |
Australian Mother of the Year Award