Karla Hart is a multi-award-winning artist, filmmaker, actor, musician, performer, speaker and teacher who is as passionate about sharing her Noongar culture as she is about shining a light on other First Nations creatives. As a presenter for Noongar Radio, Karla introduced the first Noongar language program and received a national award for her broadcasting. Karla would go on to be recognised for her many roles including Yirra Yaakin’s King Karla has also has managed and performed with the Noongar women’s dance group Kwarbah Djookian (Beautiful Sisters) since 2007. She is in her tenth year as artistic director of the Wardarnji Festival, a celebration of Noongar culture and is executive producer of Yokayi Footy -a partnership between NITV and the AFL, where she uses her platform to include culture and language, as well as positive role models and community stories. Karla gives back to her Indigenous community, employing more than 100 local Aboriginal people every year across her programs and through her involvement in community programs.

Western Australian Museum chief executive officer Alec Coles had a vision: Create a museum that was owned and valued by all West Australians and admired across the world. In November, Alec’s vision became a reality, with the opening of the WA Museum Boola Bardip. The museum’s own name, Boola Bardip, means “many stories” in the Noongar language and the museum showcases the diverse cultures that have made Western Australia what it is today. Nationally and internationally, the new WA Museum Boola Bardip will play a critical role in strategically positioning Perth as a centre for cultural excellence and a destination for tourism.

At 24, Julia Redwood and her then business partner, Ed Punchard decided to start their own film production company. Some 30 years later, Prospero Productions is still based in Fremantle and is one of the leading global independent documentary production companies.

The company has produced award-winning documentaries about the loss of HMAS Sydney and the Piper Alpha offshore oil disaster, and is the force behind the Martin Clunes-hosted Island of Australia, Outback Trackers and Outback Opal Hunters. In 1998, Julia’s directorial debut Paying for the Piper was nominated for two AFI awards and won the Golden Spire Award at the 2000 San Francisco Film Festival.

Julia is now bringing her storytelling skills to the screen, producing and executive producing the films, Ningaloo – Australia’s Other Great Reef and Mission: Whalesong, with a third, Star Dreaming, in development. Prospero Productions has funnelled a reported $100 million of investment into the national film and TV industry and is WA’s biggest employer in the independent screen sector.

Professor Jonathan Carapetis was moved by the plight of Aboriginal children who suffer from rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a deadly infection that can result in permanent damage to the heart. As director of the Telethon Kids Institute he has continued to lead the world in this field and further develop the Institute into a destination for some of the world’s best researchers and one of the strongest not-for-profits in WA.

He champions community involvement in research, nurtures the next generation of health researchers, including Aboriginal researchers.

From farming roots where community was everything, Richard Goyder has dedicated his life to making a difference to people’s lives in both his corporate life and his involvement in community-based and child health initiatives.

Throughout his business career, Richard has ensured the organisations he led had community at their core and have supported and continue to support many community organisations across WA and Australia to survive and thrive.

As chair of Qantas, the Australian Football League and Telethon, Richard faced insurmountable hurdles in 2020, from grounded flights to cancelled games, and how to continue the huge success of Western Australia’s most loved charity. All three organisations forged ahead.

Despite the disruption of COVID-19, 65 charities, organisations and good causes benefited from Richard’s leadership of Telethon 2020 where more than $46 million was raised. This achievement meant more money could be given to more beneficiaries, many of which were adversely affected by the pandemic. Richard plays a very direct role in raising money for Telethon through his hands-on engagement with WA business and entrepreneurial community.

Richard’s commitment to community extends beyond Telethon to also include being the Chairman of the National Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the WA Symphony Orchestra.

Murray McHenry's life has revolved around two of WA’s greatest loves – football and pubs. He has given a lifetime of service to football at all levels. From being an integral part of the formation of the West Coast Eagles and involved for the first 13 years and then going on to serve on the WA Football Commission for 10 years with 6 of those as Chairman. Under Murray’s leadership a clear strategy for the development of WA football was set, increasing the focus on grass roots, regional and club football, and implementing reforms across the game to ensure football is well placed for the future. From his outset in business in his family pub which first opened in 1908 and then with the McHenry Hohnen winery, he has created numerous opportunities for so many, and supported many community organisations over the years through his generosity and hospitality.

Over the last few years, you may have been intrigued by the sight of blue trees dotting the WA landscape. That’s thanks largely to Kendall Whyte, CEO and co-founder of the Blue Tree Project. After losing her brother, Jayden, to suicide in 2018, Kendall launched a movement to build awareness around mental health among young men. At Jayden’s funeral, one of his friends shared a story about Jayden once sneaking onto his family’s farm and painting a tree blue to confuse his father. This prompted Jayden’s best friend, Simon, and cousin, Jared, to paint a tree blue in his memory. When Simon shared a photo of the tree to Facebook, it went viral. It has since gained more than 6,400 comments, 58,000 reactions and 23,000 shares. Realising the impact of the blue tree, Kendall worked with Simon to launch the Blue Tree Project -encouraging people to paint trees blue as a reminder to keep an open dialogue about mental health. Within a year it had become a powerful platform, with 612 blue trees now listed in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom and United States.