Four exceptional South Australian women have been honoured in this year’s prestigious Inspiring South Australian Women’s Awards.
Popular long-time presenter on ABC’s Gardening Australia television program Sophie Thomson received the Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award, while distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO was commended in the same category.
In the Emerging Women’s Award category, active volunteer Isabella Courtney took out top spot, with leading-edge researcher Dr Sarah Scholten receiving a commendation.
In addition to Inspiring Women’s Award recipients, Ms Gill Golding was recognised as 2023 Citizen of the Year for her many years of dedication and service to her southern community, including through the Hackham West Community Centre.
The Inspiring South Australian Women’s Awards recognise outstanding women who have made significant community contributions in areas including education, health, charitable and voluntary services, prevention of violence, disability, science and the environment. Recipients are identified by the South Australian community as being worthy of acknowledgement.
Minister for Women Katrine Hildyard presented the awards at Government House. The Inspiring South Australian Women’s Awards are coordinated by the Australia Day Council of South Australia and funded by the Office for Women.
Quotes
Attributable to Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Katrine Hildyard
South Australia has a proud history of women blazing a trail, contributing to our state in remarkable ways and making a difference in many aspects of life.
130 years ago, activist women in South Australia successfully fought for the right for women to vote and stand for parliament, making us the first place in the world to advance this change.
South Australia continues to proudly be home to many exceptional women who tirelessly and passionately contribute to their communities and to our economy every day.
These women are an enormous inspiration to us all – through the work and volunteering that they do and through providing empowering examples of how leadership, hard work and championing rights and values can make a huge difference to the lives of others.
I am really pleased to present the 2024 Inspiring South Australian Women’s Awards to four tremendous and well-deserving women and to see Gill Golding’s efforts over many years recognised. These awards recognise all of these women’s valuable efforts to enrich our communities, create equal opportunities and encourage others to pursue their dreams.
Congratulations to Sophie, Marnie, Isabella and Sarah, and Gill, for being incredible movers and shakers. I look forward to seeing their contributions continue.
Attributable to Jan Chorley, CEO Australia Day Council of South Australia
Women contribute to all fields of endeavour every day and continue to be trailblazers across industries.
However, what sometimes goes unnoticed is the day-to-day acts of volunteering that keep communities strong and cohesive.
The women acknowledged in the 2024 Inspiring South Australian Women's Award are fantastic contributors to our state, and we are hugely grateful to South Australian community for its continued support of these important awards.
2024 Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award recipient biographies
Sophie Thomson - Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award Winner
In addition to her television work, Sophie is a radio talkback presenter, national magazine columnist and volunteer, plus ambassador and patron of many organisations.
She has inspired Kangaroo Island’s bushfire-ravaged gardening community to increase community gardens, and also supports other communities affected by natural disasters such as fires and floods.
Sophie keenly highlights the importance of gardening in people’s mental health and the environment, reflecting: “Gardening provides some of the solutions to life's challenges. It reduces stress, teaches us resilience, care of our environment and gives us great pleasure and rewards when we see what we can achieve through our endeavours.”
Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO – Commendation for Inspiring South Australian Women’s Award
Marnie was the first university graduate in her family and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship.
She has been Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic at the Australian National University and Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise at the University of South Australia.
A leading researcher and educator, Marnie believes higher education makes the biggest difference to the health and prosperity of individuals and their communities. She champions diversity, inclusion and equity in research and education, encouraging greater participation from people from disadvantaged backgrounds, people who are first in family, and gender diversity in higher education.
Isabella Courtney – Inspiring Australian Women’s Award Emerging Leader Recipient
At just 20 years old, Isabella saw the need to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children and vulnerable communities.
She founded the not-for-profit organisation the PIEA Project (Promote Improvement, Equity, Achievement) which works to offer free education assistance and resources, including essential school supplies, to disadvantaged students. The project runs a homework club in conjunction with not-for-profit Puddle Jumpers.
One parent says the “accessibility of the program is fantastic”, demonstrating the important environment that Isabella creates and promotes through PIEA.
Dr Sarah Scholten – Commendation for Inspiring Australian Women’s Award Emerging Leader
Sarah was awarded her PhD in Laser Physics in 2019 from the University of Adelaide, receiving the Dean’s commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence. Her research endeavours to harness the unique properties of light to break the boundaries of precision measurement for fundamental and applied research.
Sarah is developing a leading-edge optical atomic clock that is leagues ahead in performance compared to the versions on current GPS satellites, while keeping it small enough to one day launch into space. She is committed to teaching and encouraging the next generation of aspiring physicists and was recognised as one of Australia’s Superstars of STEM by Science and Technology Australia.
Sarah enjoys visiting secondary schools to speak to young South Australians about careers and opportunities in science.
