Nominees for the 2022 ACT Australian of the Year Awards include basketballer Patty Mills, obstetrician Dr David O’Rourke, Zambrero founder Dr Sam Prince and Winnunga CEO Julie Tongs.
They are among the 16 territorians in the running to be named the state’s Local Hero, Young Australian, Senior Australian or Australian of the Year.
Dr David O’Rourke spent eight years fundraising to build a maternity hospital in West Timor, Indonesia after a trip in 2009.
The obstetrician contributed $1.2 million in patient fees earned at his private practice in Deakin to open the Mother Ignacia Hospital in Soe, West Timor.
Since opening its doors, the hospital has treated more than 46,000 patients in the poverty-stricken town, focusing on child and maternal health.