Ambassadors

On 5 September 2008 Quentin Bryce was sworn in as Australia’s twenty-fifth Governor-General. As the first woman to take up the office, she remains a pioneer in contemporary Australian society, and yet one who brings more than forty years of experience in reform, community building and leadership to the role.

As a mother and grandmother, Ms Bryce is a role model and mentor to women at every stage of their lives. She values and encourages women’s capacity to form strong and enduring bonds of friendship, intellectual and emotional enrichment, and mutual support in their roles within the family, workplace and community.

Distinguished actress and television host, Noni Hazlehurst returns for her sixth year as the national ambassador for Barnardos and the Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards. As a devoted mother of two boys, Charlie and William, Noni says, "Every one of us has a responsibility to look after children and their carers in our community, in our nation and worldwide. I admire the work that Barnardos does in caring for children and families. The Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards recognise the importance of mothers and highlight the remarkable achievements of mothers all around Australia." Noni undoubtedly has one of the most impressive and wide-ranging career portfolios in the business – as a beloved Playschool presenter, Better Homes and Gardens host and a celebrated film, theatre and TV actress.Her latest role is Detective Superintendent Bernice Waverley on the Seven Network’s City Homicide. "It's great to be playing a professional woman who commands the respect of her peers," says Noni. When not on stage or screen, Noni devotes a lot of energy and time to Australia’s children. She fulfils numerous speaking engagements, writes articles for parenting magazines and is interviewed on many occasions on the subject of families and children’s welfare. In 1996, Noni received an Order of Australia for her contribution to the lives of Australian children.

Dennis Coard was born in Ireland and moved with his family to South Australia in his teenage years.
At age 35 Dennis gave away a secure 20-year career with Telstra and became a first-year drama student at the Victorian College of the Arts. He graduated in 1988 with a Diploma in Dramatic Art.
Dennis’ acting career has spanned television, film and theatre. On television Dennis has appeared in most TV dramas, including six years with the award-winning Home and Away - where he met his wife Debra Lawrance. Credits also include Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Stingers, Good Guys/Bad Guys, Andrew Denton Show, Guinevere Jones and M.D.A. Film projects have included the lead role in the critically acclaimed feature Return Home and work with Rachel Griffiths and Ben Mendelsohn.He has also written and appeared in his autobiographical one man show, The Fall of the Roman Umpire which has been performed regularly since 1999. Dennis and Debra have two children and live in rural Victoria. They have both been wonderful ambassadors of the Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards since they started in 1996.

Debra Lawrance was born and raised in Melbourne and graduated with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art, from N.I.D.A. in 1977. Debra’s acting career has been varied covering television (drama and comedy), theatre and film. She has worked with acclaimed international actors such as Meryl Streep (“Evil Angels”) and Tom Conti (“Two Brothers Running”). One of her most memorable TV roles was as “Pippa” on “Home and Away” – a role which lasted eight years. During her time on “Home and Away” Debra met Dennis Coard, who was playing her on-screen husband. A year after they married on-screen, they tied the knot off-screen as well! Debra’s recent work includes playing Reverand Grace, the wife of Sergeant Tom Croydon, on Blue Heelers and numerous theatrical productions. When Debra is not working in the acting arena, she enjoys rural life on the outskirts of Melbourne with Dennis and their two beautiful children, Grace and William. Both Debra and Dennis have been ambassadors of the Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards since their inception in 1996.

Multiple ARIA Award winner, Damien Leith, has joined the Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards in 2010 as an ambassador.  Damien shot to fame and won the hearts of all Australians when he won Australian Idol in 2006. Since then he has released four albums, The Winners Journey, Where We Land, Catch the Wind and his most recent album, the critically acclaimed Remember June, was released in October 2009. The second single lifted from his new album is Forgive Forget and will be delivered to radio on 8 February 2010. He has won five ARIA Awards, had two number one albums and been nominated for two MTV Australia Video Awards and a Helpman Award. He is also an accomplished fictional author with his second novel, also titled Remember June, due out in April 2010. Damien will also be touring nationally as part of his Keys & Strings shows from February to May, 2010. Despite all his success and fame, Damien says the most important thing to him is his family – his wife Eileen and their two boys, Jarvis and Jagger – who keep him well and truly grounded. “I believe that family is very important and the pivotal person in most families is the mum,” he says. “Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Awards recognise the wonderful work that mum’s all around Australia do and I am delighted to be an ambassador and support the awards.” To be kept up to date with all the latest news and information on Damien visit his website.

Paul’s career has been one of diversity. The first stage was very much focused on dance and choreography. From 1982  to 1992 Paul toured extensively around Australia and the world, performing and choreographing with Sydney Dance Company where he was principal dancer for 10 years. He formed his own dance company Australian Choreographic Ensemble in 1992 for which he directed, choreographed and danced. The second stage has been focused on the film and television industry where Paul has made a mark as an actor, being nominated for an AFI award and a Logie and working with such notables as Ben Kingsley, Martin Landowne, Christian Slater. He has appeared in fourteen US and Australian feature films and countless hours of television including guest appearances in some of Australia’s most loved TV series, such as Water Rats, Medivac, Heartbreak High Blue Heelers, All Saints, and others. Lately Paul has been a judge of the top rating Dancing with the Stars – he also judged two series of Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand - and is currently filming a new series of Mercurio's Menu where he travels Australia cooking in different locations. In between all his engagements, he is constantly developing and nurturing other interests in his life – the most important being his wife and three daughters. There is more that could be said about Paul and there is more to come but importantly his cholesterol levels remain low and he is enjoying life!

Lisa Wilkinson is one of Australia’s most respected and accomplished female journalists. From her meteoric start at Dolly where she became the youngest editor ever appointed to a national women’s magazine at just 21, to her 10 unmatched years as editor of Cleo, Lisa has since spread her wings to include TV and radio with just as much success. First came her six years as a very popular panellist on Channel Ten’s Beauty & The Beast, as well as co-hosting the drive show on 2WS-FM with Doug Mulray, and becoming Editor At Large of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Lisa recently helped devise and launch Madison Magazine and today remains its Executive Editor. Lisa also fills in for husband Peter FitzSimons on 2UE’s Mike & Fitz Breakfast Show, as well as co-hosting the top-rating Weekend Sunrise on Channel 7 every Sunday morning. Lisa and Peter have three young children. Lisa says, "I am committed to doing whatever I can to help spread the Barnardos message. It’s an organisation that literally changes the lives of children who would otherwise be lost to an uncaring system. And the number of smiles they generate on a daily basis, probably says it all.”