The Tom Harvey Award is named after the late inaugural Chairman of the Australia Youth Trust and recognises the outstanding contribution of a young Australian citizen between the age of 15 and 30 years.

 

 

 

It comprises a cash prize of $2,000, and is presented at the annual Commonwealth Day Luncheon held at Parliament House, Sydney.

 

Commonwealth Day is celebrated across the Commonwealth of Nations – a voluntary association of 54 member nations, including 1.8 billion people or 30% of the world’s population.

 

The award is made as part of a wider programme of grants made by the Trust to assist young people working together within Australia and developing Commonwealth nations within our region, supporting projects such as:

•  the relief of poverty and suffering

• literacy, education, training and employment opportunities and

• the promotion of youth leadership exchange.

Past recipients of the Tom Harvey Award for Citizenship:

• Trae Wilson (2023) for his willingness to volunteer and his respectful attitude towards everyone and everything. Trae is a leader within the Bourke youth and takes pride in being a role model for the younger generation coming through

• Wes Bamblett (2022) is a proud Wiradjuri Yorta Yorta man. He is passionate about his Town, Community, Mental Health Services ans issues regarding our youth

• Dominic Goodwin-Hauck (2021) for his commitment to help young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth gain self-esteem and confidence
• Michael Bonnici (2020) for his passion and drive in several interdisciplinary activities and in particular volunteering in Surf Life Saving
• William and Philip Chan (2019) for their numerous works and undertakings for many young people
• Paul Ell (2018) for giving back to others to encourage them to recognise their abilities and strive towards a better future
• Max Rabbett (2017) for working in teaching young underprivileged indigenous Australians all aspects of hospitality 

• Kate Murton (2016) for her work in fundraising to build an operating theatre in Bahati, Kenya
• Sophie Roden (2015) for her work in Zambia teaching AIDS awareness and reproductive health
• Julian O’Shea (2014) for his work as a humanitarian engineer in underdeveloped countries
• Jess Jacobson (2013) for her work in developing communities to enable young people to break the poverty cycle through education and vocational skills training
• Brittany Joyce (2012) as a volunteer worker working with HIV infected children in Kenya
• Robert Ma (2011) for establishing a special mentoring program for indigenous high schools to support their studies and aspirations for entry to university
• Nicole Kuepper (2010) for her development of a revolutionary solar cell that can be manufactured at low temperatures using everyday items
• Clary Castrission (2009) for his contribution in the construction of a Learning Centre in Bangalore for severely underprivileged children
• Karangi Public School NSW (2008) for the school community’s efforts in undertaking environmental rehabilitation and sustainability projects
• Angela Bailey (2007) for helping to establish a school for under privileged children in Tanzania
• Melissa Hurd (2006) for working with homeless children in Dhaka, Bangladesh
• James Strong (2005) to undertake vocational education training in the Cook Islands
• Christina Parasyn (2004) for her work with disability programmes in the Maldives
• James Moody (2003) for his work with the UN on sustainable development
• Veronica Anderson (2002) for her rehabilitation and care of youth people through the Youth Off the Streets programme and
• Tammy Van Wysse (2001) for her marathon swim in support of the Murray-Darling system.