The Australian’s Australian of the Year award celebrates the nation’s top achievers. Here is one nominee for 2016.
Gina Rinehart is best known for her corporate success in two of Australia’s top exports, iron ore and beef, but swim stars, breast cancer patients, youth at risk and young girls in Cambodia know her for her generosity.
Mrs Rinehart, through her private company Hancock Prospecting and the Georgina Hope Foundation, has donated to many philanthropic ventures with a strong focus on health and helping young people.
She also has backed Australian swimming for almost 30 years. “I started supporting swimming in the early 1990s, in conjunction with the Heart Foundation, to support and promote healthy lifestyles,” Mrs Rinehart said.
“I felt this support was beneficial to help young people. As our company grew, so did our ability to extend this support into Queensland swimming, Western Australian synchronised swimming and then the national Olympic sports of swimming, synchronised swimming, volleyball and rowing.”
Mrs Rinehart agreed last year to extending her partnership with those sports as principal partner and patron. She also attended the Rio Olympics to support the athletes and said she knew many wonderful and inspiring stories about them.
“Without revealing names, it brought a big smile to my face that one young Olympian was going to decorate her Christmas tree with the Olympic medals she had earned,” she said.
“Knowing so many wonderful Olympians, it is easy to be very enthusiastic about them. Hopefully, many of them —with the characteristics of self-discipline, perseverance, positive hard work and responsibility — will be able to contribute towards the type of leadership that our country needs.”
Mrs Rinehart sponsors scholarships to help young athletes get a university degree while competing. She also runs a scholarship program for young girls in Cambodia, which helps poor, high-achieving girls to attend university. Three scholars graduated last year and seven more will graduate soon.
Mrs Rinehart’s company has also contributed to the redevelopment of a wing at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney and to the private Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital in Kingaroy, Queensland.
Mrs Rinehart has also continued her support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. “Of course, far more needs to be done in this area, and I sincerely hope that corporations can play a much greater role with alleviating not only breast cancers, but all cancers,” she said.
Her company and the Georgina Hope Foundation have sponsored major fundraising events for causes including domestic violence assistance and at-risk youth.
The iron ore and beef billionaire is also a big supporter of regional Australia, and her involvement increased late last year with the purchase of the country’s largest pastoral portfolio, S. Kidman & Co.
Mrs Rinehart said she would like to see a national agriculture and related industries day established to recognise those sectors. “Growing up in the north in my early years, in often difficult conditions in the heat, gave me a love and respect for those who live and work there,” she said. “For me, they are great Australians who embody Australian character, who love their country and are patriotic.
“I would love to see appreciation for our country more widespread, and people wanting to do more to contribute to our country.”
Readers are welcome to nominate their choices for 2016. You can submit your nomination for the 2016 award via the form here: www.theaustralian.com.au/news/australians-australian-of-the-year
