The Australian of the Year for 2024 will soon be revealed, with finalists gathering in Canberra ahead of the announcement.
Representatives from each state and territory will converge on the National Arboretum on Thursday night, where the winners of Australian of the Year, Senior Australian and Young Australian of the Year, and Australia's Local Hero will be unveiled.
There are 34 finalists across the four categories, with community activists, environmentalists, researchers and unsung heroes being honoured for their work in the community.
At a pre-announcement lunch, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman paid tribute to this year's nominees.
"No matter the outcome of tonight’s announcement, you are now part of our nation’s story," he said at the National Gallery of Australia.
Western Australia's finalist Mechelle Turvey was named the state's nominee for her advocacy for victims of crime.
She was placed in the national spotlight in 2022 after her 15-year-old son Cassius was attacked by a group of assailants, before he died in hospital days later.
His death led to rallies across Australia, and the Indigenous woman has since used her experience in training police recruits in dealing with crime victims.
She said being named as a finalist was bittersweet.
"It is a huge honour, it's an opportunity to hopefully open eyes in terms of Indigenous injustices and also victims of crime and trauma, but most of all, I hope my son is proud," she told AAP.
"I'm just being me. People that have not known me before Cassius was attacked just see this strong woman that came out of the worst time to do something amazing, but I'm just trotting on being myself, I don't change for anyone."
Tasmanian nominee Stephanie Trethewey was the founder of Motherland, an online mothers group program for rural women and providing a support network for those in isolated communities.
Having experienced post-natal depression after the birth of her child while living on a beef farm in the state's central north, she said a sense of connection among mothers was crucial.
"It's the rural women who are the backbones of those farms and households, so Motherland supports those women and improves mental health for them," she said.
"We're making a tangible difference, and I think the problem with mental health in the bush is it's so reactive, and Motherland is trying to be in that prevention space so that women are less isolated."
Queenslander Marco Renai was recognised for founding the Men of Business Academy, a senior secondary school helping to empower at-risk teenagers.
He said the school supports more than 200 students and is assisting them to succeed in education and skills after struggling in a traditional school system.
"It's life changing ... if all of a sudden (the school boys) find love for themselves and they want to be a part of the community, they thrive, you watch their wings open up and they can be anything," he said.
"We've got 220 boys in education across southeast Queensland that have all been disengaged and lost to the system, and they're coming through with flying colours with jobs, apprenticeships, families and it's truly making a difference."
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