Inside the life-changing work of these Australian seniors

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Heather Reid has made it possible for thousands of women to play football, both in the ACT and around Australia. She was instrumental in establishing the Australian National University Women's Soccer Club in 1978 and the ACT Women's Soccer Association a year later. As the first female CEO of Capital Football in 2004, she brought together four associations into a single peak body and secured Canberra United's inclusion in the national W League, helping to promote the game to a wider audience. Heather, 70, has continued to support and mentor players, coaches and administrators, locally and internationally. She set up the Heather Reid AM Bursary to help pay the registration fees of players in need of assistance, ensuring that financial hardship is not a barrier to participation.

Professor Henry Brodaty, 78, is transforming the diagnosis, care and prevention of dementia - improving lives in Australia and worldwide. In 1972, Henry's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at just 52. At that time, dementia was poorly understood and often ignored. People living with dementia and carers had little support and no way forward. His father's experience catalysed a lifetime of work that not only revolutionised Henry's own field of psychiatry, but also the lives of people living with dementia and their families. In 2012, Henry co-founded the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and led internationally significant research that enhanced understanding of risk and prevention. His large Maintain Your Brain trial demonstrated that straightforward, cost-effective, targeted interventions can profoundly delay onset and even prevent dementia.

For decades, Jenny Duggan has shown extraordinary grassroots leadership as Katherine's 'rubbish warrior', quietly transforming the landscape and community spirit of her town. Each morning the 71-year-old walks the banks of the Katherine River to remove litter. In collecting hundreds of kilograms of rubbish, she's put the spotlight on environmental safety. To reduce the danger of broken glass in public spaces, Jenny advocated for the Katherine Liquor Accord's move to plastic wine bottles. She's also a force behind Katherine's Neighbourhood Watch - all part of her drive to make Katherine safer for everyone. Jenny supports those experiencing hardship as a St Vincent de Paul Society volunteer. She also serves on the management committee of Ormonde House, which provides housing for men in need, and on the management committee for Katherine's Vinnies store.

Cheryl Harris has been instrumental in driving volunteer engagement and championing their important work on the Sunshine Coast. Her advocacy and strong community relationships have increased volunteering in the region significantly. Today, thousands of people volunteer in charity work, disaster relief and more. As former CEO at Volunteering Sunshine Coast, Cheryl, 76, and her team collaborated with her community networks on the innovative Pathways to Employment program, which helps people seeking paid employment update their skills and build self-esteem as volunteers. She is also chair/president of Healthy Ageing Partnerships, which aims to empower older Australians to make informed decisions about their health through knowledge sharing.

Malcolm 'Mac' Benoy has made a significant contribution to climate change research in his role as a volunteer citizen scientist, helping to preserve valuable records and data relating to SA's meteorological history. Over the past two decades, the 79-year-old has volunteered with the Bureau of Meteorology in SA, where he set up a citizen science group to record and preserve valuable hand-written 19th century meteorological records. Under Mac's guidance, they have digitised more than 90,000 synoptic charts and related documents, providing an invaluable research tool for modern-day climatologists. The group's records have been used to reconstruct historical weather patterns in the southern hemisphere, helping to better understand how the global climate is changing.

James Currie's filmography reads like a list of South Australia's most successful films over the past 50 years. His work as a sound designer, recordist and mixer includes titles such as Breaker Morant, The Lighthorsemen, Bad Boy Bubby, The Tracker, Wolf Creek, Ten Canoes, Red Dog and, most recently, My Name is Gulpilil. James has worked with many of SA's leading directors and won multiple awards. He has been instrumental in establishing and growing the state's film industry, particularly as an authority on sound design. His use of location sound, most notably in remote Indigenous communities, has helped create a uniquely Australian soundscape in film. James, 79, is generous in sharing his expertise and knowledge, especially with students, creating an enduring legacy of excellence.

Julie Dunbabin, 66, is a pioneer in school nutrition. She is changing the way education departments and schools prepare and deliver school lunches to children. Her vision is for all school children to receive a nutritious, sit-down meal every day, prepared from scratch in a school or central kitchen, using seasonal, local produce. The school lunch program now prepares 14,332 school lunches for 6656 students every week. The program, which started with three schools, is expected to expand to 60 schools in 2026. It ensures children receive a nutritious meal, which contributes to better social and learning outcomes. The model of cook-from-scratch kitchens also supports local producers, creates jobs for kitchen and warehouse staff, builds community involvement and addresses food security for families.

As a young social worker, Bryan Lipmann witnessed first-hand the appalling conditions in which many elderly homeless people were forced to live. Realising that existing aged care homes were not the answer, he founded Wintringham to provide a safe space for elderly poor and homeless to live with dignity and respect. Today, Wintringham supports 3000 people with accommodation and home care services. The organisation 's core values are respect for the individual, social equality and the promise of 'a home until stumps'. Through his advocacy, 78-year-old Bryan revolutionised ideas about how to support marginalised elderly people in society by creating safe, long-term homes for thousands of people. He is devoted to caring for those who do not fit into mainstream aged care and improving their quality of life.

Professor Kingsley Dixon of the University of Western Australia is an internationally recognised botanist whose devotion to science has transformed Australian native plant conservation. As foundation director of science at Perth's Kings Park and Botanic Garden, he shaped a small research unit into one of the world's top five botanic garden-based science centres. One of his most notable achievements is the 1992 discovery of smoke as a cause for Australian plants to germinate after bushfires. He actively educates in schools and communities with his engaging "Attenborough" style. He also works closely with Indigenous people in Broome and the Western Desert to establish native seed programs. Kingsley, 71, has spearheaded mining environmental science in WA, leading projects to lift mine rehabilitation standards and community conservation practices.