{"id":418821,"date":"2026-01-17T09:49:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T09:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/418821\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T09:49:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T09:49:18","slug":"psychiatrist-professor-mental-health-and-indigenous-employment-advocates-named-wa-australians-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/418821\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychiatrist, professor, mental health and Indigenous employment advocates named WA Australians of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a psychiatrist confronting the hidden harms of online addiction to young men reshaping conversations about masculinity, Western Australia\u2019s 2026 Australian of the Year award recipients have been recognised for their commitment to change.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s honourees include Dr Daniela Vecchio, Young Australians of the Year Gareth Shanthikumar and Dr Haseeb Riaz, Local Hero nominee Frank Mitchell, and Senior Australian of the Year Professor Kingsley Dixon.<\/p>\n

Together, their work spans mental health, social justice, education and environmental protection.<\/p>\n

While their paths are vastly different, each is driven by a shared commitment to improving lives across the State.<\/p>\n

The WA nominees will be celebrated at Elizabeth Quay on Tuesday, before flying to Canberra next Sunday for the announcement of the Australian of the Year winners alongside nominees from across the nation.<\/p>\n

2026 Australian of the Year for Western Australia: Dr Daniela Vecchio<\/p>\n

Daniela Vecchio, 57, was born in Sicily where she qualified as a doctor and has spent the past 12 years working as a psychiatrist in WA.<\/p>\n

She is being recognised for her pioneering work establishing Australia\u2019s first specialised public hospital gaming disorder clinic.<\/p>\n

She leads the gaming disorder clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital, a service she said remains unique nationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are the first, and so far, the only specialised gaming disorder clinic in a public hospital in Australia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Dr Vecchio said the national recognition came as a shock.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very grateful for this award,\u201d she said. \u201cI did not expect this and it was a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WACamera IconWA Australian of the Year Dr Daniela Vecchio pictured at Government House. Credit: Ian Munro\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

She said her career had always been driven by a desire to help those most in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always believed that my legacy is to make a difference for those who are in need and I have worked hard for this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe award has increased my energy and determination to make sure that I can take the work of clinic to the next level and develop prevention, education and early intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n

The clinic supports people affected by gaming and social media addiction, as well as their families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe help them reduce the time they spend isolated in front of their screen and facilitate their relationships offline, return to school and employment,\u201d Dr Vecchio said.<\/p>\n

Since launching in 2022, the service has expanded its reach locally and internationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have established links and research collaborations with countries like Korea who have extensive experience in screening, assessment and treatment of online addiction,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have met with the Department of Education and started collaborating with the Countering Violent Extremism Unit.\u201d<\/p>\n

While most patients are teenagers, Dr Vecchio said the age of those affected is dropping \u2014 she warned the scale of the problem is growing rapidly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are starting to see younger children, the youngest is five,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue of online addiction is extremely important because it is harmful, big, growing, expensive and threatens our children\u2019s futures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Vecchio said the impacts she witnesses are often devastating.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen children becoming estranged from their families, losing their friends, refusing to go to school, assaulting their parents, becoming anxious, depressed, even suicidal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

For Dr Vecchio, the Australian of the Year recognition has reinforced her resolve to expand the clinic\u2019s work \u2014 and to ensure online addiction is treated with the seriousness she believes it demands.<\/p>\n

2026 Young Australians of the Year for Western Australia: Gareth Shanthikumar and Dr Haseeb Riaz<\/p>\n

For Gareth Shanthikumar and Dr Haseeb Riaz, the phrase \u201cman up\u201d was never meant to silence boys \u2014 it was meant to save them.<\/p>\n

Mr Shanthikumar, 28, and Dr Riaz, 26, co-founded MAN UP in 2020, a Perth-based organisation tackling men\u2019s mental health, domestic violence, and suicide through early intervention with boys.<\/p>\n

\"EducatorsCamera IconEducators Dr Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar who were recognised as the 2026 Young Australians of the Year for WA after creating not-for-profit education service Credit: Andrew Ritchie\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

MAN UP delivers workshops to high school boys aged 10 to 17, focusing on masculinity, healthy relationships, and emotional wellbeing during what the co-founders describe as a \u201cturbulent\u201d stage of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to help them understand concepts of masculinity, define healthy relationships, and navigate their mental health as they grow during what can be a turbulent time of their lives,\u201d Mr Shanthikumar said.<\/p>\n

Dr Riaz added the preventative focus was critical in today\u2019s online environment, where young men are increasingly influenced by polarising content.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world where the impact of social media and online content is so influential, and the echo chamber has a very strong pull on young men in particular, starting conversations around positive masculinity are vital,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDivisive and harmful online voices, like those of Andrew Tate, have the potential to draw vulnerable young men in, and preventative work is key to combatting that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its inception, MAN UP has reached more than 24,000 students and delivered over 45,000 workshops across WA, from the Kimberley to Esperance.<\/p>\n

\"EducatorsCamera IconEducators Dr Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar who were recognised as the 2026 Young Australians of the Year for WA after creating not-for-profit education service Credit: Andrew Ritchie\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mission is to redefine the phrase \u2018man up\u2019, so that it means something positive \u2014 to stand up for what\u2019s right,\u201d Mr Shanthikumar said.<\/p>\n

The recognition has come as a surprise to both founders, who stress that awards were never the goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt honestly feels quite surreal and we still don\u2019t feel deserving,\u201d Mr Shanthikumar said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never started this charity to win awards, we just wanted to make an impact. So I guess this award feels reassuring that we are indeed doing the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

2026 Australia\u2019s Local Hero, Western Australia nominee: Frank Mitchell <\/p>\n

Frank Mitchell never set out chasing accolades. In fact, when recognition came knocking, he admits he barely opened the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a huge shock. I think I kind of downplayed and dismissed it,\u201d the 43-year-old said.<\/p>\n

Wilco Electrical started as a small business of less than ten staff and has grown into a multi-company operation employing hundreds of full-time workers across WA.<\/p>\n

\"FrankCamera IconFrank Mitchell at his home in Coolbellup has been nominated as the WA Local Australian of the Year. Credit: Gary Ramage\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting with eight staff, our businesses have created over 70 Aboriginal upskilling roles, including 30 electrical apprenticeships, and awarded more than $11 million to Aboriginal subcontractors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we employ over 200 full-time staff across four companies, demonstrating that strong commercial outcomes and meaningful social impact can be achieved together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Mitchell grew up on Noongar Country in Balingup in the South West before moving to Kalamunda to complete his final year of high school.<\/p>\n

He never attended university, instead carving his own path \u2014 including co-founding Blazing Swan, an annual seven-day immersive arts and community festival in regional WA.<\/p>\n

For Mr Mitchell, the urgency of his work is deeply tied to wellbeing.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmployment and education are critical to health, hope, and social and emotional wellbeing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo many Aboriginal people face systemic barriers that limit opportunity and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FrankCamera IconFrank is a proud Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man, co-director of Wilco Electrical and co-founder\/director, of Kardan, Baldja and Bilyaa in the trades and construction industry.\u00a0 Credit: Gary Ramage\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

Mr Mitchell said the greatest challenge has been building workplaces where Aboriginal people are nurtured.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf workplaces are not culturally safe, Aboriginal people may survive, but they are unlikely to thrive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As he looks ahead, Mr Mitchell said his focus remains firmly on action.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I can do my ancestors proud by not just talking the talk, but walking the walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Western Australia: Professor Kingsley Dixon<\/p>\n

At a time when Australia is grappling with what Kingsley Dixon describes as an environmental \u201cmeltdown\u201d, the botanist has been nominated for his lifelong work protecting and restoring the State\u2019s fragile natural world.<\/p>\n

For Professor Dixon, 71, the recognition is not about personal achievement, but a broader signal that environmental protection is finally being taken seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means that protecting nature and working with communities to save and restore our bush and species is respected and appreciated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"ProfessorCamera IconProfessor Kingsley Dixon pictured at his lab in Shenton Park. Credit: Ian Munro\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

The impact of Professor Dixon\u2019s work across WA has been felt most strongly in conservation, restoration and species survival.<\/p>\n

\u201cConserving and building back better bushland while saving critical species at risk of extinction is where I believe the impact has been greatest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His research transformed native plant propagation by identifying smoke as a crucial germination trigger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is important is that we now grow many more native species through my research that unlocked smoke as the key agent that germinates so many wonderful Australian plants from Kangaroo Paws to fringed lilies and so many more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But Professor Dixon warns the environmental crisis has reached a critical point.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia right now is in environmental melt-down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have already lost almost half the continental nature and the loss of species is amongst the highest in the world. These are not facts we should be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ProfessorCamera IconProfessor Kingsley Dixon pictured at his lab in Shenton Park. L to r working in the lab with the professor are Peter McAvaney and Ric Woodland. Credit: Ian Munro\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

Without immediate action, he fears irreversible damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we continue as we have there will be a cascade of extinctions and bushland will lose its orchids, wildflowers and we have no chance of saving such icons as Carnaby\u2019s cockatoo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He hopes his nomination will help elevate environmental science and conservation as national priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nomination means that the environment is credible and matters to all Australians,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means that we now need to use the science with have and the science we need to do to ensure all future generations enjoy natures gifts as I did as a child and as a botanist.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From a psychiatrist confronting the hidden harms of online addiction to young men reshaping conversations about masculinity, Western…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":418822,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44,45],"class_list":["post-418821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news","tag-wa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418821\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}