Australia’s honours system, established in 1975, recognises excellence, achievement and service to the community. Designed to be free of patronage or political influence, it allows Australians to nominate fellow citizens whose work strengthens the nation. Each year, members of the Churchill Fellowship community feature prominently among recipients, reflecting the long arc of impact that often follows a Fellowship.
In 2026, many Churchill Fellows were recognised in the Australia Day Honours list for their contributions across public service, health, architecture, education, community history and the not-for-profit sector. Among them, two Fellows were also named State Senior Australians of the Year for work that has transformed the lives of thousands of Australians.
Julie Dunbabin — Senior Australian of the Year (Tasmania)
Julie Dunbabin’s recognition as Senior Australian of the Year for Tasmania is the result of a journey that began with her 2018 Churchill Fellowship. Travelling across Europe, Japan and the USA, Julie examined the factors that enable school lunch programs to improve student health, wellbeing and learning.
Julie often says, “Nothing would have happened without my Churchill Fellowship.” The Fellowship did more than inform her thinking. It provided the credibility and evidence base to advocate for change back home. What began as a feasibility study in three schools has since become Tasmania’s School Lunch Program, delivering more than 14,000 cooked-from-scratch meals each week to over 6,600 students. The goal for 2026 is to expand to 60 schools, serving 21,500 meals each week, and passing the one millionth meal during Term 1.
Meals are prepared in local kitchens and served to every child in a shared, dignified setting. The program improves nutrition, learning outcomes and food literacy, while supporting local producers and creating jobs. Evaluations by the Menzies Institute for Medical Research have shown benefits that extend beyond the lunch table, including attendance, concentration and community wellbeing.
Julie’s next focus is national. Building on her Fellowship findings and the Tasmanian evidence, she is working with policymakers across several states exploring universal school lunch models. Her goal is simple and ambitious. Every Australian child, every school day, sitting down to a nutritious meal.
Bryan Lipmann AM — Senior Australian of the Year (Victoria)
In 1993, when Bryan Lipmann travelled on his Churchill Fellowship, he expected to find overseas models that could be replicated in Australia to support elderly homeless people. He found none.
That absence proved pivotal. Bryan returned convinced the solution lay not within homelessness services but within the aged care system. The Fellowship did not give him a ready-made answer to copy. It gave him a path forward and the confidence to argue for a new approach.
That approach became Wintringham. By securing access to Commonwealth aged care funding, Bryan built residential care facilities staffed by nurses, carers and social workers who could provide the same standard of care any Australian would expect for their own family. Today, Wintringham supports more than 3,000 elderly people with housing, home care and residential services and employs over 1,000 staff.
Bryan remains clear about the Fellowship’s impact. It showed him what would not work and, in doing so, sharpened his resolve to create something that would. His focus now is ensuring organisations like Wintringham remain financially viable so this model of dignified care for elderly homeless Australians can continue long into the future.
These stories reflect the enduring purpose of a Churchill Fellowship. Not simply to travel and learn, but to return, apply, advocate and create change that benefits the Australian community for decades to come.