Celebrate WA’s
Annual Report 2024
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Celebrate WA wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we meet on for all the Festivals. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this State. Paying our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
Scott Jones
Chairman
Chairman’s foreword
The 2024 WA Day Festival was poised to be our biggest yet, with an exciting lineup of entertainment, live music, and free family fun planned for Burswood Park and nine other festivals across the State. Unfortunately, torrential rain led to the cancellation of the much-anticipated Perth event, much to the disappointment of thousands of festival goers.
Thankfully, there was a silver lining as our nine regional festivals went ahead as planned, celebrating the people, places, and culture of Western Australia. With over 37,200 attendees across Albany, Carnarvon, Fremantle, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Newman, Busselton, and Dampier, these regional events showcased the true essence of what it means to be Western Australian. From sharing culture and food to enjoying sports and family fun, each festival was a resounding success.
We were also thrilled to reschedule the metro WA Day Festival to 24 November 2024 – a move warmly welcomed by Perth locals looking to celebrate our great State in the lead-up to summer.
WA Day’s impact extended far beyond the festivals, with 40,000 Education booklets distributed to schools across the State through our School Education Program. A further 20,000 booklets were shared at regional festivals in Busselton, Dampier, and Newman, helping young Western Australians connect with the stories and histories that define our State.
The 2024 Western Australian of the Year Awards marked the 51st anniversary of this prestigious event, celebrating individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to our community and demonstrated excellence in their fields. Since its inception in 1973, these Awards have honoured Western Australians from diverse backgrounds who enrich our lives through their inspiring efforts.
This year’s exceptional group of Finalists proudly joins the Western Australian of the Year Hall of Fame, representing the seven Award categories: Aboriginal, Arts & Culture, Business, Community, Professions, Sport, and Youth.
A special thanks to our 47 independent judges, who faced the difficult task of selecting winners from such an impressive pool of nominees. Their dedication ensures the Awards continue to highlight the remarkable talent and generosity of spirit that define our State.
WA Day and its associated events are only possible thanks to the ongoing support of our remarkable sponsors and partners. Celebrate WA extends its deepest gratitude to: Major Supporters: BHP, Lotterywest, and the Government of Western Australia. Premier Regional Partner: Roy Hill. Regional Presenting Partners: Woodside Energy and Rio Tinto. Premier Festival Partner: Burswood Park Board. Festival Sponsors: Alcoa, Navitas, Perdaman, and Seven West Media. Award Sponsors: Alcoa, APM, BHP, CME, Crown Perth, Channel 7, and Wesfarmers. Hospitality Partners: Blasta Brewing and Beyond Distilling. Media Partners: Channel 7, The West Australian, PerthNow, and The Sunday Times. Supporting Partners: Herbert Smith Freehills and PwC.
I would also like to acknowledge the Celebrate WA Board and Management for their tireless efforts in ensuring the success of our programs.
As we move into 2025, nominations are now open for the next Western Australian of the Year Awards. This is your chance to recognize individuals who exemplify achievement, passion, and purpose in our community.
I look forward to the year ahead and to seeing even more people come together to celebrate what it means to live, work, and play in our great State of Western Australia.
SCOTT JONES Chairman, Celebrate WA
CELEBRATE WA BOARD MEMBERS
Scott Jones
Chairman
Scott Jones is the current Group CEO for Navitas and former Chairman for Snap Fitness 24/7.
Prior to joining Navitas, he was the CEO of SAE Institute and a Graduate of Curtin University with Bachelor of Commerce, Management and Marketing.
Scott is also a Graduate of the Australian Company Directors Course (GAICD) and contributing to the CWA strategic vision.
Scott Jones
Chairman
Maryna Fewster
Board Member
Maryna Fewster is the Chief Executive Officer of Seven West Media WA and had previously been the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Seven West Media, she was Chief Operating Officer of iiNet and held senior executive roles in the Telecommunications sector in Australia and New Zealand for over two decades. Maryna is a Non-Executive Director of Crown Resorts Perth and a Trustee of The Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
Maryna Fewster
Board Member
Meath Hammond
Board Member
Meath Hammond is currently BHP’s Head of Corporate Affairs for Western Australia. Immediately prior to taking on this role he was based in Houston, Texas where he held a number of positions at BHP including Head of Corporate Affairs for North American Shale & Minerals.
Before joining BHP, Meath worked at Woodside Petroleum for ten years and was based in Perth and Karratha.
Meath has previously served as a Director on the David Wirrpanda Foundation, a Board Member on the UWA Business School and was inaugural Chairman of the Pilbara Australian Technical College. He is currently on the Board of the Port Hedland Industries Council and the Committee for Perth and is a CEDA Trustee.
Meath Hammond
Board Member
Fiona Kalaf
Board Member
Fiona Kalaf was formerly General Manager, Projects at APM, the world’s leading mission-driven human services business operating in eleven countries. Fiona is also a Non-Executive Director of Euroz Hartleys Group Limited and Perth Festival, and former Deputy Presiding Member of Healthway. She has held numerous senior executive and directorship roles, including CEO of Lifeline WA and Youth Focus, executive roles at Wesfarmers and HBF, and Chair of the Art Gallery of WA.
Fiona holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Business Administration (Advanced). Fiona has also completed the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management course at Harvard Business School.
Fiona Kalaf
BOARD MEMBER
Professor Bruce Robinson AM
Board Member
Bruce Robinson was named Western Australian of the Year in 2013 and has since been honoured with an Order of Australia (AM) for his service to the community, particularly in the fields of medicine, research and training.
Bruce is a Professor of Medicine and a leading physician-researcher with many scientific discoveries to his name. He has led a research team for many years studying ways of getting the immune system to attack tumours and also studies asbestos cancers. He also founded the award-winning Fathering Project which works mostly through schools to help fathers become better dads and father-figures.
Bruce has received multiple accolades including the international Wagner Medal, the Premier’s Science Award, as well as RACP, AMA and TSANZ Medals for his achievements.
Prof. Bruce Robinson AM
Board Member
Mark McCrory
Board Member
Mark McCrory has been the General Manager of the Channel 7 Telethon Trust since December 2019.
Prior to joining Telethon, he held several executive positions at the City of Joondalup for more than a decade and was a journalist before joining the local government sector.
Mark is a Graduate of the Australian Company Directors Course (GAICD) and also sits on the ECU Business and Law Advisory Board.
Mark McCrory
Board Member
Tanya Eales
Board Member
Tanya Eales is a People and Culture expert having recently been appointed as the Executive General Manager People & Culture for Crown Perth.
Prior to joining Crown, she held the position of Chief People Officer at NRW Holdings and prior to that has held several executive positions at WesTrac, and Woolworths Group, responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of the People and Culture plans across many businesses. Tanya is also an Advisory Board Member for the Australian Institute of Management.
Tanya is a passionate West Australian supporting CWA in its quest to celebrate everything great about this state.
TANYA EALES
BOARD MEMBER
The Hon Ben Morton
Board Member
Ben is a former Australian Government Minister formerly holding the portfolios of Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Minister for the Public Service and Special Minister of State. Ben represented the Western Australian electorate of Tangney in the Australian Parliament.
Before entering Federal Parliament Ben worked for Western Australian building and building supply company BGC and before that was CEO and Campaign Director of the Liberal Party of Australia (WA Division) between 2008 and 2015.
Ben currently holds a range of non-executive director roles, Commissioner – Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA), Director – Southern Ports Authority and Director – The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.
Having grown up on the NSW Central Coast, Ben and his wife Asta have called WA home since 2008 and will continue to do so with their children Harrison and Madeleine.
The Hon Ben Morton
Board Member
James Hookway
Honorary Treasurer
James is the Group Financial Controller at Clemenger Group Limited based in Melbourne and a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant (FCPA).
James has over 15 years of experience in financial reporting and business improvement across media & advertising, retail, mining services, travel and financial services industries.
A proud West Australian born and bred in Perth, James’s passion towards making WA great transpires in everything he does both personally and professionally.
JAMES HOOKWAY
HONORARY TREASURER
His Excellency The Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM Governor of Western Australia and Mrs Darrilyn Dawson
Co-Patrons
ABOUT WA DAY
Celebrate WA is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for the annual WA Day celebrations, recognising excellence in all fields of endeavour, and encouraging pride in all things Western Australian.
Whether it’s appreciating our rich culture, talented musicians, world class food and wine, blue skies and fresh air, iconic landmarks or the standout achievements of our citizens, WA has so much to celebrate on this special day.
In April 2012, Foundation Day was changed to WA Day following bipartisan political support. This heralded a new era in which WA Day was acknowledged as an inclusive celebration of our Aboriginal history, European settlers and the many people and cultures that make WA such a unique place to live.
WA Day is powered by partnerships. Events of this scale and significance are only possible through the support of our sponsors, and together we achieve:
Civic pride
in the community, celebrating what it means to be Western Australian.
celebrate our history
by increasing awareness and discussion around our heritage, culture and diversity, identity and location.
community participation
focusing on regional and remote Western Australia.
ABORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT
by acknowledging the contributions made by Aboriginal people to WA.
SOCIAL INCLUSION
through uniting diverse people and cultures, and acknowledging Aboriginal people as the traditional landowners.
PROMOTE EXCELLENCE
through celebrating inspirational Western Australians who deliver positive outcomes for our State.
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
This year, the weather rained on our parade.
The 2024 WA Day Festival was set to be our biggest yet, with an exciting lineup of entertainment, live music, and free family fun planned for Burswood Park, alongside nine other festivals across the State. Unfortunately, torrential rain led to the cancellation of the highly anticipated event, much to the disappointment of thousands of Perth festival-goers.
However, all was not lost, as our eight regional festivals and satellite event in Fremantle went ahead as planned, celebrating the spirit of WA across the State.
Additionally, we were pleased to announce the rescheduled Perth Festival, which took place on November 24, providing an opportunity for thousands of Western Australians to come together at the Perth Stadium and Burswood Park precinct.
REGIONAL WA – THERE’S SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE!
A huge number of people – young and old, from all ethnicities and cultures – have chosen to call regional Western Australia ‘home.’ WA Day is their opportunity to unite and celebrate both each other, and the amazing State in which they live. It’s a day to acknowledge the rich histories, diverse backgrounds and contributions made by everyone in their unique region. And to do it in style, the free WA Day Festivals were made bigger and better than ever with family entertainment and delicious local food, free entertainment, rides and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
WA Museum; Albany, Carnarvon, Kalgoorlie, and Geraldton
A day to remember in regional WA.
Inclusivity and participation were key focus points for the 2024 WA Day Festivals, and on these measures alone, the events were an amazing success. With increased numbers of families, age groups, multicultural families and Aboriginal families all gathering to learn and appreciate different cultures.
To ensure everyone felt welcome and included, wheelchair accessibility was increased across the grounds, and sensory rooms were constructed to offer calming, tranquil spaces for festival goers.
Respecting and acknowledging our world’s oldest living culture is always an important part of the Festival. This year saw some amazing contributions from Aboriginal performers, storytellers and artists, with opening ceremonies all paying respect to the Indigenous community.
Special emphasis was also placed on showcasing local businesses, schools and performers, with the main stage entertainment.
While local hospitality businesses were kept busy during the day dishing up a delicious assortment of food and beverages.
But perhaps the most fun was had by the kids; with thousands of little festival goers enjoying all the free colouring and craft activities, face painting, rides and festival entertainment.
The art of being Western Australian
This year the WA Museum developed a collaborative art project involving the communities of Albany, Carnarvon, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton. The Museum invited people attending the WA Day event to select a coloured tape that reflected their thoughts or feelings on community and identity. They then tied their responses to fences and balustrades, producing a colourful, living picture of community sentiment and feeling.
The project recorded high levels of engagement with 1397 people participating (11% of total visitor numbers across all four regional sites), enabling us to have conversations with community members and get an understanding of how they were feeling. The results were encouraging with 78% of participants expressing positive feelings. The coloured tape was also collected and counted, giving us a solid baseline to compare future projects against.
Northam kicks some goals
Northam came alive with the West Coast Eagles playing the Perth Demons for a special match in the regional town. This new initiative was launched in collaboration with the WAFC, with children under 12 receiving free entry and discounted tickets available for people 18 years and under.
The match was an amazing success, with over 4,000 footy fans descending on Northam Oval to watch some West Coast Eagles in full flight.
Fantastic Fremantle
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour was buzzing with good family vibes this WA Day. People from diverse cultural backgrounds came together to enjoy an exciting line-up of free family entertainment, including local artists, face painting and activities for all ages. More than 9,000 attendees enjoyed the festivities, with clear skies and sunshine adding to the incredible atmosphere in Fremantle’s iconic fishing town.
Busselton was bustling
Thanks to Roy Hill, over 4,000 locals were treated to a free family event that featured carnival rides, entertainment, fireworks, food trucks, live concerts and even an acrobatics display!
Dampier & Karratha
Shone
The sun was out on WA Day, and so were 3,600 excited locals! Festival goers were treated to a spectacular drone show, live entertainment, food trucks and carnival rides courtesy of Woodside Energy and Rio Tinto.
New fun for
Newman
This year’s WA Day Festivals finished in Newman, and what a note it was to go out on! Over 4,000 residents flocked to Emu Oval and – thanks to BHP – enjoyed some amazing food trucks, carnival rides and incredible live entertainment.
All culminating in a spectacular drone show, where 500 drones lit up the stunning Newman skies!
Western Australian of the Year Awards
2024 marked the 51st anniversary of the Western Australian of the Year Awards; an occasion that celebrates all those special people who’ve made outstanding contributions to our State. Among the exceptional nominees, the 47 Judges faced the challenging task of selecting winners in seven categories: Aboriginal, Arts & Culture, Business, Community, Professions, Sport and Youth.
The Gala Awards evening was attended by several prominent figures, including business leaders, the Premier, State and Federal Ministers, and Head of State, Governor Chris Dawson.
The exciting event culminated in the announcement of the 2024 Western Australian of the Year – Damien Oliver.
We congratulate all of the category winners and Finalists, whose incredible achievements represent the rich diversity of talent found right here in WA.
2024 Winners
2024 Western Australian of the Year
and Channel 7 Sport Award
Damien Oliver
Sport award sponsored by
Wesfarmers
Aboriginal Award
Kim Collard
Sponsored by
Woodside Energy Arts
and Culture Award
Caroline Wood AM
Sponsored by
CME
Business Award
Christina Matthews AM
Sponsored by
Alcoa of Australia
Community Award
Mitch Messer
Sponsored by
HBF Professions
Award
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Steven Tingay
Sponsored by
BHP Youth
Award
Nicolette Beard
Sponsored by
MARKETING AND MEDIA
School education program
The Celebrate WA Education Program’s success keeps on thriving year after year. This time, an impressive 60,000 Education booklets were printed, with 40,000 making their way directly to school children across Western Australia.
The outreach extended to Metro and Regional Festivals in Busselton, Dampier and Newman, where 20,000 booklets found their way into eager little hands.
MARKETING AND MEDIA OVERVIEW
The 2024 media campaign proved to be exceptionally successful, despite the cancellation of the full program. The WA Day Festival achieved its marketing objectives and more, with over $6 million in value earned across the entire campaign.
Key messaging and highlights helped promote civic pride, social inclusion, community participation, excellence, and the remarkable achievements of Western Australians. The campaign also emphasised Aboriginal engagement and the celebration of our rich history. Despite the weather challenges, the spirit of WA shone through it all, creating a memorable experience for everyone involved.
WAOTYA Media Overview
The WAOTYA campaign garnered exceptional attention, achieving over $100,000 in media value across print, digital, social, TV, broadcast, and editorial features. The success of the 2024 Awards program was testament to the quality entrants and overall winners.
The abundance of high-quality nominees reaffirms Western Australia’s capacity to both foster and recognise excellence across various fields. The program effectively encourages pride in the individuals who proudly call this great State home.
financial report
For the year ended 30 June 2024
Celebrating With Good Company
WA Day Major Supporters
Premier Regional Partner
Regional Presenting Partners
Premier Festival Partner
Festival Sponsors
Award Sponsors
Hospitality Partners
Official Media Partners
Supporting Partners
