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National Living Treasure is a status created and occasionally updated by the National Trust of Australia's New South Wales branch, awarded to up to 100 living people. Recipients were selected by popular vote for having made outstanding contributions to Australian society in any field of human endeavour.
In 1997, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) called for nominations from the public for 100 Australian Living Treasures, and each nomination was counted as one vote. The nominees had to be living and had to have made a substantial and enduring contribution. The choice of those who were named as National Living Treasures was made by more than 10,000 Australians voting. Their votes determined who was chosen. The first list of 100 Living Treasures was published in 1997. Phillip Adams, himself named as a National Treasure, gave his own opinion in an article on ANZAC Day in 2015 that when the list was first published in 1997, most were amused to find they were nominated; he suggested an alternative list to "celebrate those who make us happy".[1]
In 2004, the list was refreshed with 15 new names, following the deaths of some people on the list and the exclusion of former Justice Marcus Einfeld who was imprisoned after his retirement for perjury and perverting the course of justice relative to a speeding ticket,[2][3] following an identical process to that used in 1997 – a public nomination and vote.
On 23 January 2012, the National Trust of Australia (NSW) joined with Woman's Day magazine to launch a nationwide search for seven new National Living Treasures. They were announced, amid controversy, on 4 March 2012, when the National Trust refused to endorse the NSW branch's listing of the mining magnate Clive Palmer as one of the members.[4][5] Graeme Blackman, the chairman of the Australian Council of National Trusts, said that "I am telling you, as the chairman, it is not auspiced by the National Trust nationally."[5] However, the next day it was reported that "trust president Ian Carroll said the titles recognised that the country's culture was more than just our buildings and natural heritage."[6] It was later revealed that the vote for Palmer had been manipulated, with several internal emails having been sent to his company's staff, their family and friends, urging that they vote for "Professor Clive Palmer".[7]
On 30 July 2014, the board of the National Trust of Australia (NSW) voted to remove Rolf Harris from the list after his conviction on 12 charges of indecent assault between 1969 and 1986 and to also withdraw the award.[8] Harris had been among the original 100 Australians selected for the honour in 1997.
The 70 still-living people on the 2014 list which originally contained 93 living people:[8]
- Phillip Adams, humanist, social commentator
- Dame Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales, professor
- John Bell, actor
- Geoffrey Blainey, professor, historian
- Raelene Boyle, Olympic runner, sports commentator
- Frank Brennan, social commentator
- Bob Brown, politician, Australian Greens activist
- Julian Burnside, barrister, refugee rights advocate, author
- Tim Costello, social activist, commentator
- Bill Crews, social activist
- Russell Crowe, actor
- Judy Davis, actress
- Sir William Deane, High Court judge and Governor-General of Australia
- Ernie Dingo, Indigenous Australian television personality
- Mick Dodson, Indigenous Australian leader
- Pat Dodson, Indigenous Australian activist/leader, politician
- Peter Doherty, immunologist, professor, Nobel Prize winner
- Ted Egan, musician, activist, administrator
- Herb Elliott, Olympic runner
- John Farnham, entertainer
- Dawn Fraser, Olympic swimmer, politician
- Ian Frazer, scientist
- Cathy Freeman, Indigenous Australian sportsperson, Olympic runner
- Peter Garrett, politician, singer and social activist
- Jennie George, Australian Council of Trade Unions leader, politician
- Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Indigenous Australian tennis player
- Shane Gould, Olympic swimmer
- Germaine Greer, writer, social activist
- John Hatton, independent NSW politician
- Peter Hollingworth, Archbishop of Brisbane, Governor-General
- Gabi Hollows, social activist, philanthropist
- Janet Holmes à Court, business leader, philanthropist
- John Howard, politician, Prime Minister
- Barry Jones, politician, author, polymath
- Paul Keating, Prime Minister
- Thomas Keneally, writer
- Cheryl Kernot, politician
- Nicole Kidman, actress
- Michael Kirby, lawyer, judge, social commentator
- Karl Kruszelnicki, scientist, author, media personality
- Rod Laver, tennis player
- Michael Leunig, cartoonist, social commentator
- David Malouf, novelist
- Garry McDonald, actor
- Walter Mikac, survivors' advocate
- Kylie Minogue, singer, actress
- Graeme Murphy, dancer, choreographer
- John Newcombe, tennis player, television commentator
- Greg Norman, golfer, businessman
- Sir Gustav Nossal, scientist, administrator
- Pat O'Shane, magistrate, Indigenous Australian leader[9]
- Clive Palmer, mining magnate,[10] placed on list after his staff were instructed to vote for him[7]
- Mary Paton, founder of the Nursing Mothers' Association
- Noel Pearson, Indigenous Australian leader
- Kieren Perkins, Olympic swimmer, television commentator
- Pat Rafter, tennis player
- Henry Reynolds, historian
- Ken Rosewall, tennis player
- Dick Smith, businessman, social commentator
- Fiona Stanley, physician
- Richard Tognetti, violinist and conductor
- Anthony Warlow, singer
- Gai Waterhouse, racehorse trainer
- Steve Waugh, cricketer
- Robyn Williams, science broadcaster
- David Williamson, playwright
- Tim Winton, novelist
- Fiona Wood, physician
- Roger Woodward, pianist
- John Yu, medical doctor
- Betty Archdale, cricketer, educator (d. 2000)
- Faith Bandler, academic, activist and advocate (d. 2015)
- Nancy Bird Walton, aviator (d. 2009)
- Arthur Boyd, artist (d. 1999)
- Sir Jack Brabham, world champion Formula One driver (d. 2014)
- Sir Don Bradman, cricketer (d. 2001)
- Don Burrows, jazz musician (d. 2020)
- Harry Butler, naturalist and conservationist (d. 2015)
- Ruth Cracknell, theatre, film and television actress (d. 2002)
- Bart Cummings, racehorse trainer (d. 2015)
- Betty Cuthbert, Olympic runner (d. 2017)
- Sir Roden Cutler, World War II hero, Governor of New South Wales (d. 2002)
- Don Dunstan, Premier of South Australia, social commentator (d. 1999)
- Slim Dusty, singer, entertainer (d. 2003)
- Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2015)
- Margaret Fulton, writer, food expert (d. 2019)
- Catherine Hamlin, physician (d. 2020)
- Hazel Hawke, social activist (d. 2013)
- Basil Hetzel, medical researcher, public health advocate (d. 2017)
- Donald Horne, academic, writer, author of The Lucky Country (d. 2005)
- Robert Hughes, art critic, author (d. 2012)
- Barry Humphries, entertainer (d. 2023) [11]
- Elizabeth Jolley, author (d. 2007)
- Caroline Jones, television personality, social commentator (d. 2022)
- Ian Kiernan, businessman, social activist (d. 2018)
- Dame Leonie Kramer, academic, businesswoman (d. 2016)
- John Landy, Olympic athlete, Governor of Victoria (d. 2022)
- Jimmy Little, Indigenous Australian singer (d. 2012)
- Ted Mack, politician, social commentator (d. 2018)
- Edward (Ted) Matthews, World War I soldier and last Gallipoli survivor (d. 1997)
- Colleen McCullough, author, writer (d. 2015)
- Jack Mundey, trade union leader (d. 2020)
- Les Murray, poet (d. 2019)
- Dame Olivia Newton-John, singer, actress (d. 2022)
- Lowitja O'Donoghue, Indigenous Australian leader (d. 2024)[12]
- Sir Mark Oliphant, physicist, Governor of South Australia (d. 2000)
- Margaret Olley, artist (d. 2011)
- Charles Perkins, Indigenous Australian leader (d. 2000)
- Peter Sculthorpe, musician, composer (d. 2014)
- Mum Shirl Smith, Indigenous Australian activist (d. 1998)
- Dame Joan Sutherland, opera singer (d. 2010)
- Mavis Taylor, humanitarian (d. 2007)
- Tom Uren, politician (d. 2015)
- Sir Alan Walker, social commentator/activist (d. 2003)
- Morris West, author (d. 1999)
- Gough Whitlam, former Prime Minister (d. 2014)
- Margaret Whitlam, social activist (d. 2012)
- R. M. Williams, businessman (d. 2003)
- Judith Wright, poet (d. 2000)
- Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Indigenous Australian leader (d. 2023)[13]
- Marcus Einfeld, former judge; removed 2008[14]
- Rolf Harris, entertainer; removed 2014[8]
- Western Australia's Department of Culture and the Arts has a list of State Living Treasures awarded in 1998, 2004, and 2015 to "honour influential elders of the artistic community", "acknowledge the ability of artists to engage, move, involve and entertain audiences. They honour the skill, imagination and originality of the artist" and "honour those artists whose lifetime work has enhanced the artistic and cultural life of Western Australia, providing inspiration for other artists and enriching the community."[15]
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