2026 Awards Open for Nominations
Australian Mother of the Year Award
Celebrating the resilience, sacrifice, and love of Australia's most inspiring mothers, foster carers, and grandmothers since 1996.
Back for 2026
The Australian Mother of the Year Award has been recognising extraordinary women since 1996, previously presented in partnership with Barnardos Australia. After a short pause, the award returns in 2026 with the same mission: to find and celebrate the mothers who quietly hold families and communities together.
Australian Mother of the Year Award nominations are open to anyone in the community. If you know a mother, foster carer, or grandmother whose story deserves to be heard across the nation, now is your moment to tell it.
Nominate Someone Special
Selection Process
How the 2026 Winner Is Chosen
Australian Mother of the Year Award follows a rigorous, four-phase process to ensure every nomination is considered with the care it deserves.
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Public Nominations
Anyone in the community can nominate an inspiring mother, foster carer, or grandmother. Nominators submit a detailed story describing the nominee's resilience, sacrifices, and positive impact on their family or community. No special credentials are required to nominate.
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State and Territory Filtering
Submitted stories are grouped by region. A local professional review panel in each Australian state and territory evaluates the applications, assessing each nominee against a consistent set of criteria. This regional structure ensures the award reflects the full breadth of Australian community life.
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Selecting Finalists
Each regional panel selects three standout finalists from their state or territory, then names one State Winner. These state winners represent the very best of what their communities have to offer, each carrying forward a story of genuine maternal strength.
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National Judging
State winners progress to the final national round. A grand panel of child welfare advocates and celebrity ambassadors reviews every finalist to select the single National Mother of the Year. This is the pinnacle of the Australian Mother of the Year Award.
Nominations are free and open to everyone in Australia.
Does someone in your life deserve this award?
Australian Mother of the Year Award nominations are open to all Australians. Send your story to the team and let the panel hear about the woman who has made all the difference.
Email your nomination to:
contact@motheroftheyear.com.au
Since 1996
Past Winners of the Australian Mother of the Year Award
Australian Mother of the Year Award has recognised extraordinary women across nearly three decades. Every name below represents a community that believed in her.
| Year | Winner | State / Territory | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Kathleen Thomson | NSW | Foster Carer |
| 1997 | Marie Henderson | VIC | Mother |
| 1998 | Patricia O'Brien | QLD | Mother |
| 1999 | Susan Carmichael | WA | Foster Carer |
| 2000 | Robyn Fairweather | SA | Mother |
| 2001 | Judith Ngata | NSW | Community Carer |
| 2002 | Lorraine McPherson | VIC | Foster Carer |
| 2003 | Helen Watkins | QLD | Mother |
| 2004 | Diane Kowalski | NSW | Mother |
| 2005 | Fiona Brennan | TAS | Foster Carer |
| 2006 | Annette Nguyen | VIC | Mother |
| 2007 | Marlene Jacobs | WA | Grandmother |
| 2008 | Colleen Anderson | NT | Community Carer |
| 2009 | Sharon Brough | NSW | Mother |
| 2010 | Tracey Villarreal | QLD | Foster Carer |
| 2011 | Margaret Dunleavy | SA | Mother |
| 2012 | Christine Harwood | VIC | Grandmother |
| 2013 | Leanne Papadopoulos | NSW | Mother |
| 2014 | Beverley Sampson | WA | Foster Carer |
| 2015 | Pamela Tran | QLD | Mother |
| 2016 | Roslyn Hadley | ACT | Community Carer |
| 2017 | Denise Muldoon | VIC | Mother |
| 2018 | Theresa Ambrose | NSW | Foster Carer |
| 2019 | Michelle Kaur | SA | Mother |
| 2020 | Judith Creighton | QLD | Grandmother |
Award paused 2021 to 2025 | |||
| 2026 | Nominations open — winner to be announced | ||
Names and details above reflect the historical record of the Australian Mother of the Year Award as presented since 1996. The award was paused between 2021 and 2026.
Profiles of Past Australian Mother of the Year Award Winners
Kathleen Thomson
Foster Carer, NSW
Kathleen Thomson became the first recipient of the Australian Mother of the Year Award in 1996. A dedicated foster carer from New South Wales, Kathleen Thomson provided a stable and loving home to more than forty children over two decades. Colleagues described Kathleen Thomson as someone who instinctively understood that every child deserves consistency and warmth.
Marie Henderson
Mother, VIC
Marie Henderson won the 1997 Australian Mother of the Year Award for raising six children while volunteering at a local family support centre in regional Victoria. Marie Henderson co-founded a meals program that fed dozens of families each week during harvest off-season, demonstrating that maternal love extends well beyond the household door.
Patricia O'Brien
Mother, QLD
Patricia O'Brien received the 1998 Australian Mother of the Year Award after raising three children as a single parent in rural Queensland while advocating tirelessly for improved healthcare access in her region. Patricia O'Brien's campaign directly contributed to the establishment of a mobile health clinic that served her community for years.
Susan Carmichael
Foster Carer, WA
Susan Carmichael was named the 1999 Australian Mother of the Year Award winner for her extraordinary commitment to fostering children with complex needs in Western Australia. Susan Carmichael worked closely with occupational therapists and schools to ensure every child in her care had the support tools needed to thrive.
Robyn Fairweather
Mother, SA
Robyn Fairweather won the 2000 Australian Mother of the Year Award for her dedication to raising her four children while running a community garden in South Australia that provided fresh produce to local families in need. Robyn Fairweather turned a vacant block into a gathering place that nourished both families and friendships.
Judith Ngata
Community Carer, NSW
Judith Ngata was awarded the 2001 Australian Mother of the Year Award for her role as a community elder and carer who guided young mothers through early parenthood in western New South Wales. Judith Ngata ran a culturally grounded parenting program that bridged traditional knowledge and modern support services.
Lorraine McPherson
Foster Carer, VIC
Lorraine McPherson received the 2002 Australian Mother of the Year Award for fostering siblings in Victoria, keeping brothers and sisters together when the system might otherwise have separated them. Lorraine McPherson's commitment to sibling bonds shaped the lives of seven children who remain close to this day.
Helen Watkins
Mother, QLD
Helen Watkins won the 2003 Australian Mother of the Year Award while raising two children with disabilities in Queensland. Helen Watkins founded a parent support network that connected over two hundred families to specialist services and gave parents a community where they no longer faced those challenges alone.
Diane Kowalski
Mother, NSW
Diane Kowalski was named the 2004 Australian Mother of the Year Award winner for rebuilding her family's life after a personal tragedy while becoming a pillar of her Sydney neighbourhood. Diane Kowalski established a homework club that ran out of her living room and eventually moved to a dedicated community space supported by local council.
Fiona Brennan
Foster Carer, TAS
Fiona Brennan received the 2005 Australian Mother of the Year Award for decades of foster care work in Tasmania. Fiona Brennan specialised in caring for newborns and infants waiting for permanent placements, providing critical early nurturing during the most formative weeks of their lives.
Annette Nguyen
Mother, VIC
Annette Nguyen won the 2006 Australian Mother of the Year Award for raising her children while founding a multicultural family support hub in Melbourne's west. Annette Nguyen's organisation helped newly arrived families navigate education, healthcare, and employment, serving hundreds of households in its first year.
Marlene Jacobs
Grandmother, WA
Marlene Jacobs was awarded the 2007 Australian Mother of the Year Award for stepping in to raise her grandchildren in Western Australia when circumstances required it. Marlene Jacobs did so with unstinting energy, while also mentoring other grandparents in similar situations through a kinship care support group she established.
Colleen Anderson
Community Carer, NT
Colleen Anderson received the 2008 Australian Mother of the Year Award for her work supporting remote communities in the Northern Territory. Colleen Anderson coordinated food, clothing, and health resources across vast distances, ensuring that families in isolated areas received practical support during difficult seasons.
Sharon Brough
Mother, NSW
Sharon Brough won the 2009 Australian Mother of the Year Award for raising five children while managing a chronic illness, never allowing her health challenges to diminish the stability and warmth she created at home. Sharon Brough also advocated publicly for better carer support services in New South Wales.
Tracey Villarreal
Foster Carer, QLD
Tracey Villarreal received the 2010 Australian Mother of the Year Award for her compassionate approach to long-term foster care in Queensland. Tracey Villarreal maintained relationships with children even after they aged out of care, providing continuity and belonging that many young adults described as life-changing.
Margaret Dunleavy
Mother, SA
Margaret Dunleavy won the 2011 Australian Mother of the Year Award for balancing motherhood with an intensive commitment to voluntary welfare work in South Australia. Margaret Dunleavy logged thousands of hours at a crisis centre while raising three children, modelling service and empathy as core family values.
Christine Harwood
Grandmother, VIC
Christine Harwood was awarded the 2012 Australian Mother of the Year Award for raising her grandchildren in Victoria after becoming their primary carer. Christine Harwood ensured they stayed connected to their cultural roots and academic ambitions, with two grandchildren going on to complete university degrees.
Leanne Papadopoulos
Mother, NSW
Leanne Papadopoulos won the 2013 Australian Mother of the Year Award for rebuilding her family following domestic hardship, and for establishing a support network for mothers in similar situations in New South Wales. Leanne Papadopoulos turned personal adversity into structured community action.
Beverley Sampson
Foster Carer, WA
Beverley Sampson received the 2014 Australian Mother of the Year Award for a career of foster care spanning over fifteen years in Western Australia. Beverley Sampson prioritised reunification where safe to do so, working actively with birth families to create the best possible outcomes for each child.
Pamela Tran
Mother, QLD
Pamela Tran was named the 2015 Australian Mother of the Year Award winner for raising four children while building a small business that employed local parents on flexible hours. Pamela Tran created an environment where being a working parent was an asset, not an obstacle.
Roslyn Hadley
Community Carer, ACT
Roslyn Hadley won the 2016 Australian Mother of the Year Award for her decade of service supporting families navigating the ACT welfare and justice system. Roslyn Hadley accompanied mothers to hearings, coordinated legal aid, and advocated for policy reforms that improved conditions for families in the territory.
Denise Muldoon
Mother, VIC
Denise Muldoon received the 2017 Australian Mother of the Year Award for guiding her family through extreme financial hardship while pursuing her own education to create a better future for her children in Victoria. Denise Muldoon completed a nursing degree while parenting, and now works in paediatric care.
Theresa Ambrose
Foster Carer, NSW
Theresa Ambrose was awarded the 2018 Australian Mother of the Year Award for her specialised work fostering teenagers, a group that is statistically the hardest to place. Theresa Ambrose created a home where young people felt genuinely heard, and several of her former foster children have spoken publicly about her lasting influence.
Michelle Kaur
Mother, SA
Michelle Kaur won the 2019 Australian Mother of the Year Award for raising three children while running a free tutoring program for refugee families in South Australia. Michelle Kaur's program helped children settle into new schools and supported parents in understanding the Australian education system.
Judith Creighton
Grandmother, QLD
Judith Creighton received the 2020 Australian Mother of the Year Award for raising her grandchildren in Queensland as their full-time carer, while continuing to volunteer at a local community centre. Judith Creighton navigated the kinship care system with determination, and her story inspired policy conversations about grandparent carer support.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Australian Mother of the Year Award
Who can submit a nomination for the Australian Mother of the Year Award?
Anyone in the Australian community can submit a nomination. There are no restrictions on who can nominate. A nomination can come from a child, a partner, a neighbour, a colleague, or a community worker. The most important thing is that the story is detailed, genuine, and specific about the nominee's resilience, sacrifices, and impact.
Who is eligible to be nominated?
The Australian Mother of the Year Award is open to mothers, foster carers, and grandmothers. The nominee must reside in Australia. The award recognises women who demonstrate exceptional care, resilience, and a positive impact on their family or broader community. There is no age limit for nominees.
How long has the Australian Mother of the Year Award been running?
The Australian Mother of the Year Award has been presented since 1996. It was previously run in partnership with Barnardos Australia and has recognised over two dozen national winners. The award paused between 2021 and 2025, and returned for 2026 with the same values that have guided it since its founding.
What does a good nomination story include?
A strong nomination tells a specific story. Panels look for accounts of resilience in the face of genuine hardship, sacrifices made for others, and a measurable positive impact on family or community. Avoid vague praise and instead describe real events, real moments, and real outcomes. The more specific and honest the story, the stronger the nomination.
Is it mom or mum in Australia?
In Australia, the standard spelling is mum. The word "mom" is the American English spelling and is not commonly used in Australian English. Australians say and write "mum", just as the British do. You may occasionally see "mum" and "mom" used interchangeably online due to the global reach of American media, but the Australian Mother of the Year Award proudly uses the Australian English "mum".
When will the 2026 winner be announced?
The 2026 Australian Mother of the Year Award announcement date will be confirmed once nominations close and the national judging panel has completed its review. Nominations submitted now will enter the public nominations phase immediately. Contact the team at contact@motheroftheyear.com.au for the latest schedule updates.
Is there a cost to nominate?
No. Nominations for the Australian Mother of the Year Award are completely free. The award exists to honour inspiring women, and the nomination process should be accessible to everyone regardless of circumstances. Simply send your story by email and the team will guide you through any remaining steps.
Can I nominate more than one person?
Yes. There is no restriction on submitting multiple nominations. Each nomination should be a separate submission with its own detailed story. If you know several inspiring women, please submit a nomination for each of them individually so each story receives the full attention it deserves from the review panel.
Get in Touch
For nomination enquiries, media requests, or general questions about the Australian Mother of the Year Award, reach out to the team directly.
- Email contact@motheroftheyear.com.au
- Address 60-64 Bay Street Ultimo, Sydney 2007
