Andrew Forrest Andrew Forrest Australian of the Year – Wins Western Australian Australian of the Year 2017
Perth billionaire philanthropist and anti-slavery advocate Andrew Forrest has won Western Australia’s Australian of the Year 2017.
Mr Forrest, who helped found organisations like Walk Free, Generation One and the Minderoo Foundation, was announced as winner at a ceremony held in Government House in Perth today.
“Don’t walk past a problem if you can do something about it,” Forrest said while receiving the award.
Forrest has drawn significant international attention to his Walk Free anti-slavery organisation, that is drawing attention to the estimated 45 million people trapped in Slavery around the world today.
Other winners at the awards included ‘WA Senior of the Year’ for 65-year-old social entrepreneur Peter Kenyon, 24-year-old and social innovation leader Abdullahi Alim was awarded ‘WA Young Australian of the Year’; Bunuba woman June Oscar won the ‘Local Hero’ award, ABC News reports.
Forrest, Kenyon, Alim and Oscar are all eligible for the national awards to be announced around the ‘Australia Day’ celebrations in Canberra.
Andrew Forrest WA's Australian of the Year @9NewsPerth pic.twitter.com/LhT1U5ixiR
— Oliver Peterson (@oliverpeterson) November 20, 2016
The 2017 WA #AusoftheYear is philanthropist and anti-slavery advocate, Andrew
Forrest. @Minderoo_found @generation_one @walkfree pic.twitter.com/TXGUFL3tve— AusoftheYearAwards (@ausoftheyear) November 20, 2016
The reaction on Twitter to Andrew Forrest Australian of the Year 2017 for Western Australia award win.
Congratulations to Andrew Forrest on being named WA Australian of the Year. A fine West Australian who has done so much for our state pic.twitter.com/g9rqRopoog
— David Harrison (@davharro) November 20, 2016
#AusoftheYear for WA Andrew Forrest. "Don't walk past a problem if you can do something about it." Crediting his indigenous mentors. pic.twitter.com/hGzwHcd0W8
— RKM (@RobinKMcClellan) November 20, 2016
And congratulations to Andrew Forrest WA #AusoftheYear. Great to be included in work aimed to progress Indigenous ppl and communities in WA
— Patches Paediatrics (@PatchesPaeds) November 20, 2016
Congratulations to our Founder Andrew Forrest on becoming the 2017 WA Australian of the Year for his work on ending slavery. #ausoftheyear https://t.co/wTDHLGZUZa
— Global Slavery Index (@SlaveryIndex) November 20, 2016
Video: Andrew Forrest speaks to CNN
