I am pleased to announce that Ms Danielle Roche OAM will be appointed the new Chair of the National Australia Day Council Board effective 25 July, for three years.
Ms Roche is an Olympic Gold Medallist and brings vast financial and commercial expertise to the committee.
Ms Roche was part of the women’s hockey team which won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 for her service to sport.
Ms Roche will take over from Mr Benjamin Roberts-Smith VC MG as Chair of the National Australia Day Council.
Mr Roberts-Smith advised me that following his first term he won’t be seeking reappointment for his role as Chair of the National Australia Day Council Board.
I wish to express my gratitude for Mr Roberts-Smith’s leadership of the Council. He worked tirelessly with the board to inspire a greater sense of national pride and spirit through the Australia Day programmes and the Australian of the Year Awards.
Since his appointment as Chair of the National Australia Day Council Board in November 2014 more Australians have been nominated than ever before and there have been record levels of community engagement with the Council.
He will continue his service to Australia as Deputy Chair on my advisory council for Veterans’ Mental Health as well as continuing as Deputy Chair of the Veterans’ Employment Industry Advisory Council.
I look forward to continuing to work with Mr Roberts-Smith and I congratulate Ms Roche on her appointment to the National Australia Day Council Board.
I am also pleased to announce the reappointments of Ms Robbie Sefton as Deputy Chair and Mr Norman Schueler OAM as Director, and the appointment of Ms Jane McNamara, Mayor of Flinders Shire Council in Queensland, as a Director of the National Australia Day Council Board.