Premier Steven Miles has honoured six exceptional Queenslanders and the aeromedical service provider, LifeFlight, as Queensland Greats.
It was the first Queensland Greats awards presented by Mr Miles following the departure of Annastacia Palaszczuk, who announced her retirement from politics in December last year.
“On Queensland Day, we honoured some great Queenslanders for their contributions to the state,” said Mr Miles.
“Their work, determination and commitment has been of great benefit to Queensland.
“I want to congratulation our new Queensland Greats, and all those who were nominated.
“Our state’s success is built of the accomplishments of our people and the contributions that make Queensland and Australia a better place for all.”
Queensland’s new Greats were honoured for their outstanding contributions to the state at the annual Queensland Day ceremony which celebrates the individuals and institutions who have helped to shape Queensland.
The 2024 Queensland Greats are:
- Scientist and biotechnology leader Emeritus Professor Peter Andrews AO
- Olympic gold medallist and athletes’ champion Natalie Cook OAM OLY
- Award-winning fashion stylist and retailer Keri Craig-Lee OAM
- Construction industry entrepreneur and philanthropist Scott Hutchinson
- Torres Strait Islands advocate and community leader Getano Lui (Jnr) AM
- Former Gold Coast Mayor and philanthropist Sir Bruce Small (posthumous)
- World-leading aeromedicine community service LifeFlight
They will be honoured with bronze plaques installed alongside previous recipients at Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane.
There are now 125 individuals, 20 institutions, and 11 posthumous recipients of a Queensland Greats award, representing the many ways in which Queenslanders have worked for the greater good of the state and their community.
The Queensland Greats Awards program began in 2001 to honour people and organisations who have made a meaningful contribution to, or whose achievements have significantly impacted, the history and development of Queensland.
Emeritus Professor Peter Andrews AO said it was a great honour “that could never have happened without the support of my family and the contributions of my colleagues”.
“This is a golden opportunity to share the prospect of visitors to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games being blown away by the proliferation of innovative Queensland companies generating economic, societal, and environmental benefits for people, around the globe,” he said.
Olympic champion, Natalie Cook OAM said that as a proud and passionate Queenslander, it was an honour to receive a Queensland Greats award.
“I represented my country for twenty years in the green and gold, but always wore maroon underneath,” she said.
Keri Craig-Lee OAM said the Queensland Greats Awards were “a magnificent salute to the best that Queensland has to offer in making this state so special”.
“To become an alumnus of this incredible group of individuals and institutions is one of the proudest moments of my life and certainly very humbling,” she said.
“I am exceptionally honoured to be in such esteemed company and an extremely proud Queenslander.”
Dr Anne Small, granddaughter of Sir Bruce Small said the award represents recognition by Queensland and hopefully the rest of Australia of all the work Sir Bruce undertook to develop and celebrate Surfers Paradise.
“Hopefully people will realise how far they can go with their own endeavours, even if they come from a poor start like Sir Bruce did when his family had to sometimes pray for food to land on the table to feed the children – his story of coming from humble beginnings to becoming one of Australia’s greatest success stories is still relevant today,” she said.
LifeFlight CEO, Ashley van de Velde OAM said the organisation proudly accepted the award on behalf of the 90,000 people helped since LifeFlight first took to the skies with a single rescue helicopter 45 years ago.
“My sincere thanks and congratulations must also go to our team for decades of outstanding aeromedical service,” she said.
“This acknowledgement is reflective of a wonderful Queensland success story that has grown to be a world leader in aeromedicine.
“We are immensely proud to be recognised as a Queensland Great and humbled to accept this award on behalf of everyone who has been on this incredible journey with us.”
For more information about the Queensland Greats Awards including biographies of the 2024 recipients, visit www.qld.gov.au/qldgreats.
