The elite band of Australian Geographic Society Award winners for 2023 range from a wombat whisperer to a cyclist who is set on crossing Antarctica on two wheels. Each has drawn on personal strength and determination to achieve their goals.
Seven awards have been presented to seven amazing Australians.
In 2022, Sydney-based sailor Lisa Blair claimed the record for the fastest solo and unassisted circumnavigation of Antarctica. Departing from Albany, Western Australia, on 21 February, the non-stop voyage took Lisa 92 days, 18 hours and 21 minutes to complete – beating the previous world record by 10 days.
Dr Geoff Wilson’s life has been anything but ordinary. Born in Kitale, Kenya, Geoff and his family fled to Queensland in 1975 to escape the encroaching terror of Idi Amin’s dictatorship.
It was during a family holiday to California’s Yosemite National Park in 2017 that Gabby Kanizay, then 14 years old, became enthralled by the idea of mountaineering, climbing and adventure.
As Australia bunkered down in lockdown, Sophie Matterson was experiencing a different type of social isolation.
Dr Anika Molesworth was 12 years old when her parents bought a farm in outback New South Wales in 2000. Although a far cry from her city upbringing in Melbourne, Anika soon fell in love with the arid landscape and farming community.
As president of Bangalow Koalas, Linda Sparrow is leading a grassroots conservation movement to create and restore koala habitat in the New South Wales Northern Rivers region.
Victor Vescovo meets the Tassie devil, and a snuggle of irresistible baby bandicoots.
On Friday, 1 November 2019, we toasted the achievements of some of Australia’s greatest conservationists and adventurers at the annual Australian Geographic Society Gala Awards night in Sydney, with special guest Victor Vescovo.