00:00The 2026 Australian of the Year is Catherine Bunnell-Pegg.
00:09In 2024, Catherine Bunnell-Pegg made history as the first astronaut to qualify under the Australian flag.
00:18She trained in Europe and is now a space engineer advancing critical missions.
00:22She's also inspiring the next generation to imagine bigger futures through schools, industry and public engagement, helping build Australia's place in space.
00:33Congratulations, Catherine Bunnell-Pegg, the 2026 Australian of the Year.
00:52Thank you so much for this incredible honour.
00:56I'm meant to be someone that's calm in extreme circumstances, but this is testing every skill that I have because of the deep, deep honour that it is.
01:06However, this incredible honour isn't mine alone.
01:09It belongs also to all of those that have helped to build Australia's space sector, to the Australian Space Agency, to all that have educated me and encouraged me, and especially to my family.
01:31As a kid, I used to lie on the dry grass in my backyard and gaze up at the stars in awe.
01:37That imperative, to look to the sky and wonder, to innovate and explore, is an ancient one on this continent.
01:47Australia's First Nations people's deep connection to sky country reminds us that looking up has always been part of who we are.
01:57I'm humbled to be recognised amongst the absolutely incredible Australians in the room tonight and beyond.
02:04We remember the victims of the Bondi attack, and I honour those whose courage shone in the darkest moments.
02:14During astronaut training, we learned about the overview effect, the cognitive shift that comes from looking back at the Earth from orbit.
02:22You can't see borders from up there, just a fragile shared home and a powerful truth.
02:29We're all in this together.
02:33Because space is not about escaping the Earth, but about helping us see it more clearly.
02:38From orbit, we can see and connect across our vast land and seas, track bushfires and floods, safeguard our first responders, guide our farmers' equipment.
02:50Space provides us with the information and the inspiration to care for our planet and for each other.
02:56And when we do space well, we don't just build rockets, robots and satellites, we build opportunity across the full economy, we build our nation, we build our future.
03:10For me, becoming an astronaut was a childhood dream, but the stars were so far away.
03:16I grew up inspired by Paul Scully Power and Andy Thomas, incredible Australians who had been to space before, but representing other nations.
03:28So at the Astronaut Centre, when I received my blue flight suit, and right there, bright on the left shoulder, was the Australian flag, it was quite emotional.
03:37Because it marked something so, so much greater than myself.
03:42It said that the door has opened for Australia to take our place at the forefront of human endeavour.
03:49A chance to collaborate with other nations at the cutting edge of the cutting edge, showcase what we're made of, and access the collective discoveries and benefits that all involved countries will make.
04:01And it gave me hope, hope that one day, more Aussie flags on spacesuits will follow.
04:09It's pinched me stuff to be qualified for missions to the space station, even the moon.
04:15And I'm so grateful to the Australian Government and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources for supporting my training.
04:22For recognising the immense benefits of this opportunity for Australia, and for taking this first visionary step.
04:29I also thank Defence for helping me keep match fit for space.
04:34Because human space flight is not about prestige, but purpose.
04:40Astronauts are scientists in the sky in service of their nation, just a visible part of a much bigger team on the ground.
04:47A team that includes every sector and every occupation.
04:51Astronauts go up there to make discoveries we can't make down here, with the atmosphere and gravity in the way, that span every field.
05:00Like creating drought-tolerant crops, manufacturing new medicines, conducting experiments that reach into the heart of every classroom.
05:09Getting kids off devices and amazed by the world around them, and the role that they can play in it.
05:15But far greater than the promise of technical breakthroughs is the unlocking of the aspiration of our young people.
05:24Speaking with people, especially young people, far and wide across the country this past year, I felt how beyond the flag on my shoulder that I carry the hopes of so many.
05:36Yet, so many Australians are stepping away from STEM before they see what they're capable of.
05:42We are leaving too much talent on the launch pad.
05:47For Australia to be able to influence and to contribute to addressing the global issues of the next years, the next century, we need every curious mind engaged.
05:58Regardless of gender, of background or of postcode.
06:02I've seen firsthand how space, when truly in reach, ignites powerful motivation to do just that.
06:10A wonderful part of our culture, I think, is how we give it a go in sports, even if we're the weakest on the field.
06:19But when it comes to maths and science, if we're not top of the class or we don't fit the stereotype, we often shy away.
06:26We're even encouraged away.
06:29So, if I may be allowed another dream beyond being an astronaut, it's this.
06:34That we bring that same give-it-a-go spirit from the sports field to the STEM fields, backing each other and ourselves with the trust that we can do hard, important things.
06:48Imagine what more we would discover, what great problems we would solve, how our horizons would expand.
06:55Now, I've not been to space yet, but I accept this recognition very gratefully as a mission of a different kind, to help open doors to space, to STEM and to help others to see further.
07:09In 2026, as humans venture around the moon once more, I hope that we'll all look up, knowing that there is no aspiration too big for any Australian or for Australia, whatever our dreams may be, for our communities, ourselves, our country or our world.
07:31Thank you very much.
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