Jess Wellard

The Overall Winner for 2006 Jess Wellard was announced by The Governor of Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce AC

Jess Wellard

Jess Wellard has been the driver behind the formation and operation of Volunteer Refugee Tutoring and Community support program, which provides in-home support for refugee families, helping families overcome the problems and issues faced with living in a different environment and culture. Jess devotes her life to helping these families and has spent countless unpaid hours organising recruitment and further developing the program. Since inception the program has grown from 30 tutors to over 320 active volunteers helping in excess of 150 refugee families in the greater Brisbane area. All of this has been achieved in Jess spare time; she works full time as lawyer in a top tier Brisbane Law Firm and manages to prepare her tutoring work before work, in her lunch breaks and several hours each night. Jess worked extremely hard at University and was awarded the University Medal, Law Medal, Dux of Griffith University, Award for top female graduate at Griffith and top student in her Law/Psychology degree. Jess is actively involved in the Queensland Law Society’s Human Rights sub-group, Amnesty International, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and Just Rights Queensland. Her goals are to continue to build up the tutoring program for all refugee families in Brisbane and to create a lasting program that will survive once she has moved on.

*Winner Jess Wellard with John Cook from Golden Circle

Kate Miller-Heidke

One of the most exciting female performers to recently emerge, Kate Miller Heidke is taking the Australian scene by storm with her widely acclaimed vocal abilities. Kate’s intensive training as an opera singer while studying at the Queensland Conservatorium and as a Developing Artist with Opera Queensland has cemented Kate as a truly unique, versatile with virtuosic vocals and extraordinary range. In 2005, Kate not only made her professional solo debut with Opera Queensland in Turn of the Screw, but she won the prestigious Helpmann Award for best performance in Australian Contemporary Concert for her role in the cabaret production, Women in Voice 14 – All while studying Music at QUT. Other awards include the Donald Penman Prize, Elizabeth Muir Prize, The Linda Edith Allen Memorial Prize and the Horace Keats Award.
After being selected for Triple J high rotation, Kate released her follow up EP, Circular Breathing and has recently been signed by Song BMG. Kate has just returned from her touring performances with BROAD which was a huge success.

*Winner Kate Miller-Heidke with John Lazarou from the Coffee Club

Jessicah Schipper

Jessicah Lee Schipper has been swimming for 16 years and is an Olympian, World Champion and a Commonwealth Champion. Jessicah has just recently broken the world record in the 200 meter butterfly at the Pan Pacific Championships in Canada with a time of 2:05:40 making her the fastest swimmer in this event in the world. Jessicah has excelled in every competition, meet and championship she has participated in, winning gold medals and breaking age and time records at almost every venue attended. Jessicah has represented Australia in the Athens Olympics Games, winning an Olympic Gold Medal swimming along side swimming greats Giaan Rooney, Leisel Jones, Jodie Henry and Petria Thomas. In between winning a Gold in Athens and winning 3 Gold medals, a silver and breaking a World Record in front of a home crowd at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Jessicah can also add gold medals and world records at the world short course in Indianapolis, Chinese National Championships, 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal and the 2006 World Short Course Championships in Shanghai to her acclaim.
Outside of the pool, Jessicah juggles ambassador roles for MS Readathon Fund Raising, Down syndrome “Down Under” Swimming Team, “Shave for a Cure” Leukaemia fund raising event, sponsorship commitments and her job at Swimming Queensland plus her full time training regime.

*Winner Jessicah Schipper with Andrew Taylor from Coates

Lauren Kirk

Lauren’s message about the environment is simple and that is - anyone can make a difference no matter how young they may be! Lauren is a firm believer that children can make a difference and has dedicated her life to learning about the environment and promoting environmental issues to children and world leaders. She has recently returned from guest speaking at the New York Marine Educators Society and was lucky enough to be chosen as one of 10 children in the world to lead the United Nations Tunza 5th International Children’s Conference on the Environment. When Lauren is not jetting off overseas she regularly speaks at environmental conferences, with land care groups, schools, politicians and large industrial companies to help make Queensland and in turn the world environmentally sustainable. Lauren’s plans for the future are to grasp every opportunity that comes her way, encourage other Australian children to become involved with environmental issues and to finish studying so that she will be able to be in a position to help others.

*Winner Lauren Krik with Frank Vardanega from the Department of Main Roads

Amber Werchon

Passionate, energetic and extremely focused, Amber Werchon is one of Australia’s highest sales achievers. At the age of 23, Amber not only sold over $43 million dollars worth of property in one year, she was also the youngest person to ever receive Queensland’s most prestigious real estate award – the REIQ Salesperson of the Year. In the world of hard headed competitive real estate agents, Amber is a surprising phenomenon. At the age of 16 while still at school Amber purchased her first investment property by saving a deposit and having the rent cover the mortgage. Amber believes that one of the keys to success in her field is to “realise the client is your employer and that you are there to help them”. She is also a firm believer in training, working smarter adopting better systems and developing a strong support base. Amber now personally employs 8 staff members to be able to obtain a work-life balance to sustain a happy and healthy lifestyle. Amber regularly speaks at conferences and participates in fundraising events within the community and is continuing her professional development through REIQ.

*Winner Amber Werchon with Prof Phillip Clift from Central Queensland University

Michael Milford

Michael Milford has made several contributions to the research field of biologically inspired robotics and artificial intelligence during his PHD at the University of Queensland. He has demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to use biologically inspired models of navigation and mapping in mammals to equip mobile robot with similar abilities, in a field that has been traditionally dominated by probabilistic mathematical techniques Michael, a University of Queensland Medallist has presented his research at international and national conferences and has published 11 conference and journal papers.
Michael has worked closely with the University of Queensland, the Australian CSIRO and an engineer for Exxon Mobil and has supervised undergraduate and Masters Students. Michael will be presenting his most recent research at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems late this year in Beijing, China. These research achievements have the potential to lead the next generation of truly intelligent mobile robots, operating in environments ranging from domestic homes to disaster zones.

*Winner Michael Milford with David Smith from Cartridge World

Tanya Robinson

As a dedicated Landcare Coordinator in the Inglewood and Texas Shires, Tanya has secured funding of close to 1 million dollars over a 2 year period plus an additional $1.7 million dollars of in-kind contributions from land holders.
Tanya has dedicated her life to the environment and is the longest serving Landcare Coordinator in the QMDC area. She will manage several million dollars through 14 sub catchment groups and up to 90 individual projects acting as project facilitator. Tanya has formed partnerships with the Inglewood Council on a Pest Management Plan, has been instrumental in developing sub catchment planning guidelines for her entire region and provides accredited education on courses for farm planning, environmental management systems and wild dog trapping. Her hard work and dedication has begun to show as changes are now apparent with the landholders due to her training opportunities and dedication to preservation and better practices in the environment. Tanya is never not busy however manages to volunteer her spare time with the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

*Winner Tanya Robinson with Beth Woods from the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries