Western Australia's most inspiring change-makers for 2026 have been unveiled, with a psychiatrist, youth educators, an Indigenous business leader, and a pioneering botanist named as the state's Australian of the Year award recipients.
The honourees, celebrated for their profound contributions across mental health, social justice, education, and environmental protection, include Dr Daniela Vecchio (Australian of the Year for WA), Gareth Shanthikumar and Dr Haseeb Riaz (Young Australians of the Year for WA), Frank Mitchell (WA's Local Hero nominee), and Professor Kingsley Dixon (Senior Australian of the Year for WA).
While their fields differ vastly, each recipient shares a powerful commitment to improving lives and safeguarding the future of Western Australia. The WA nominees will be honoured at a ceremony at Elizabeth Quay before travelling to Canberra for the national Australian of the Year announcement alongside contenders from every state and territory.
Confronting the Hidden Crisis of Online Addiction
Psychiatrist Dr Daniela Vecchio, 57, has been named the 2026 Australian of the Year for Western Australia in recognition of her groundbreaking work establishing the nation's first specialised public hospital clinic for gaming disorder.
Leading the unique service at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Dr Vecchio's clinic supports individuals and families affected by gaming and social media addiction. "We are the first, and so far, the only specialised gaming disorder clinic in a public hospital in Australia," she confirmed.
Since its launch in 2022, the clinic's impact has grown, fostering international research collaborations with countries like South Korea and working with local bodies such as the Department of Education. Dr Vecchio reports seeing patients as young as five, warning that the scale of online addiction is "harmful, big, growing, expensive and threatens our children's futures."
"I have seen children becoming estranged from their families, losing their friends, refusing to go to school, assaulting their parents, becoming anxious, depressed, even suicidal," she revealed. The award has strengthened her resolve to expand the clinic's preventative and early intervention work.
Redefining Masculinity for the Next Generation
Perth educators Gareth Shanthikumar, 28, and Dr Haseeb Riaz, 26, are the joint 2026 Young Australians of the Year for WA. They co-founded the not-for-profit MAN UP in 2020 to tackle men's mental health, domestic violence, and suicide through early intervention workshops for high school boys aged 10 to 17.
Their program helps young men navigate concepts of healthy masculinity and relationships during a turbulent life stage. Dr Riaz emphasised the critical need for this preventative work in the age of polarising online influencers. "Divisive and harmful online voices, like those of Andrew Tate, have the potential to draw vulnerable young men in," he said.
To date, MAN UP has reached an impressive more than 24,000 students through over 45,000 workshops delivered across WA, from the Kimberley to Esperance. "Our mission is to redefine the phrase 'man up', so that it means something positive — to stand up for what's right," Mr Shanthikumar stated.
Building Pathways for Indigenous Employment and Wellbeing
Proud Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man Frank Mitchell, 43, is WA's nominee for the 2026 Local Hero award. From small beginnings, his electrical business has grown into a multi-company operation creating significant Indigenous employment opportunities.
Starting with just eight staff, Mitchell's ventures have created over 70 Aboriginal upskilling roles, including 30 electrical apprenticeships, and awarded more than $11 million to Aboriginal subcontractors. The group now employs over 200 full-time staff.
For Mitchell, who co-founded the Blazing Swan festival, the work is fundamentally about wellbeing. "Employment and education are critical to health, hope, and social and emotional wellbeing," he said, highlighting the challenge of building culturally safe workplaces where Aboriginal people can thrive, not just survive.
A Lifelong Crusade to Save Australia's Natural Heritage
Celebrated botanist Professor Kingsley Dixon, 71, has been named the 2026 Senior Australian of the Year for WA. His nomination recognises a lifetime of work protecting and restoring the state's fragile ecosystems at a time he describes as an environmental "meltdown."
Professor Dixon's revolutionary research identified smoke as a key germination trigger for native plants, transforming propagation practices. His work has had its greatest impact in conservation, restoration, and preventing species extinction.
He issued a stark warning about the current crisis: "We have already lost almost half the continental nature and the loss of species is amongst the highest in the world." He fears a cascade of extinctions, including icons like Carnaby's cockatoo, without urgent action. He hopes his nomination elevates environmental science as a critical national priority for all Australians.
