Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg has been named the 2026 Australian of the Year for making history as the first Australian to qualify as an astronaut under the country’s space program, and inspiring the next generation to be ambitious about their futures in science and technology.
Bennell-Pegg harboured dreams of travelling to space as a child on Sydney’s northern beaches, but at the time there was no obvious pathway to achieving them. Australia didn’t have a space agency, let alone a training centre, and most of the astronauts who had made it into space were men.
“When I grew up I was mesmerised by the stars above me, but they felt very far away,” she said in an interview with Nine ahead of Sunday night’s awards ceremony.
“I was inspired by Australians that had been to space before – Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas, incredible astronauts, but [who] went to space representing other nations. There’s never been a path for Australian astronauts before. What I’m doing is opening that door further for more to follow.”
Bennell-Pegg, 41, started her tertiary studies with a degree in aeronautical and space engineering at the University of Sydney, but then hit a ceiling. “I realised I had to go overseas to pursue a space career. I couldn’t see a pathway to do what I wanted to do in Australia, unfortunately,” she said.
“So I went overseas and lived around the world and worked on some of the most compelling missions I could have ever hoped for. Travelling around the world and doing this work has been an immense privilege because I got to learn things I could bring back to Australia, to help grow our Australian space sector.”
Bennell-Pegg graduated with basic astronaut training from the European Astronaut Centre in Germany in 2024, with her training funded by the Australian Space Agency. She was one in a class of six, chosen from a field of more than 22,500 applicants. It made her the first Australian woman to qualify as an astronaut, and the first person to train as an astronaut under the Australian flag. She is also the director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency, which launched in 2018.
“Becoming an astronaut for me is a childhood dream come true,” she said. “But it’s still just the beginning.”
Bennell-Pegg hasn’t been to space yet. “I’m working to remain ready in case that opportunity should arise,” she said. “It’s pinch-me stuff to be in this position, and I hope by being here and showing what’s possible, I can unlock that path for more to follow in the future.”
She said she wants to “show the power of a dream, and backing yourself, no matter what your dream may be”.
‘It’s pinch-me stuff to be in this position, and I hope by being here and showing what’s possible, I can unlock that path for more to follow in the future.’
Katherine Bennell-Pegg, 2026 Australian of the Year
“For many, many years, I was the only woman in the room. And when you’re young, in particular, and you feel like you don’t fit the stereotype, you often are underestimated, and you underestimate yourself. For that reason, we see so many young women backing out of STEM fields [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] when in fact they have so much to offer,” Bennell-Pegg said.
“I’ve seen the power of space to ignite a spark in young people’s minds. Space is powerful to draw kids through to STEM fields … We need people to keep engaged with STEM so we can have a STEM-literate society. And so that we have people empowered with the knowledge that they can solve big problems.”
National Australian Day Council chief executive Mark Fraser said Bennell-Pegg had forged new frontiers for Australians in space engineering, research and exploration. “She leads by example, openly sharing her story to inspire the next generation and reminding us all of the power of a dream, and where determination can lead,” Fraser said.
“The 2026 Australians of the Year are visionaries. Their motivations and goals go far beyond their own interests and achievements. Rather, they are driven by outcomes which benefit others.”
The 2026 Senior Australian of the Year is Professor Henry Brodaty, who has pioneered treatment for dementia. Brodaty was working as a psychiatrist, interested in depression and mood disorders, when his father died, aged 59, with Alzheimer’s disease.
“It had a big effect on me,” Brodaty, 78, said. Brodaty helped establish the Alzheimer’s Association, now known as Dementia Australia, and in 2012, he co-founded the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of NSW. What started as an initiative by two people now employs more than 60, all focusing on the treatment, management and prevention of dementia.
“I was a one-year-old, arriving in this wonderful country with my Holocaust survivor parents. This makes this a very poignant and extraordinary award for me, especially in the aftermath of the Bondi massacre. I’m very grateful,” Brodaty said as he accepted the award.
The 2026 Young Australian of the Year is Nedd Brockmann, a 27-year-old electrician from the regional NSW town of Forbes who has run across Australia and helped raise almost $10 million for homelessness.
His major run – from Perth’s Cottesloe Beach to Sydney’s Bondi Beach – covered almost 4000 kilometres over 46 days, and raised $2.6 million from more than 37,000 people. He then set up “Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge”, which encourages others to complete their own 10-day challenge that raises money for homelessness. More than 20,000 people have since become involved.
“We should be proud of this amazing country, we are so lucky to call it home. But unfortunately not everyone feels that way. In a country as prosperous as Australia, why is it that 122,000 Australians sleep rough every night? That number should stop us all in our tracks,” Brockmann said.
Construction industry leader Frank Mitchell, who employs 200 staff across four companies, is Australia’s Local Hero. The Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man, 43, has created 70 upskilling positions for Indigenous Australians in the electrical and construction industry in WA, and awarded more than $11 million to Aboriginal subcontractors.
“Having lost two friends to drugs and suicide in my teenage years, I was in a bit of a death spiral when I was in my early 20s,” Mitchell said. Then two things happened: he had a son, unplanned, when he was 21, and he was offered an electrical apprenticeship.
“I really wasn’t feeling confident that I could achieve an electrical apprenticeship trade. But this one man believed in me. That was my uncle… Someone’s belief in one person can change someone’s life,” Mitchell said.
“I now understand that work and education are not just about income or career progression, they are determinants of health and wellbeing. Completing my electrical apprenticeship gave me pride, hope and stability, gave me the foundation to provide for my family and grow into a leader within my community. I want to pass that opportunity on to other mob.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a special honours list for community heroes who responded to the Bondi attack on December 14 was also being prepared, and will be unveiled later this year.
“An enduring truth of our national story is that the worst of times reveal the best of the Australian character,” Albanese said at the awards ceremony on Sunday night.
“We have seen that again this summer, in the bravery of communities battling the devastation of floods and bushfires. People working together and looking after each other. And we saw it, beyond measure, at Bondi.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Natassia Chrysanthos is Federal Political Correspondent. She has previously reported on immigration, health, social issues and the NDIS from Parliament House in Canberra.Connect via Twitter or email.
