From dinosaur bones to books for sick kids, these Local Heroes do us all proud

On January 25 one of these passionate, innovative grassroots champions making a difference in their local community will be named Australia's Local Hero for 2024.

"I just wanted to help a bunch of kids," Angus Olsen says of the picture books he wrote and illustrated for young children dealing with cancer treatment.

Mr Olsen's daughter, Jane, was two when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

While he sat at her hospital bedside during her weeks of chemotherapy and surgery, the former Disney cartoonist began drawing about her procedures to help Jane make sense of what was happening because much of the information available about her cancer was aimed at adults.

"It helps them be a bit of an authority [and] that goes upwards through families and friends as well," Mr Olsen says of the effect his books have had on young cancer patients.

"It helps ease children into their cancer therapy and can get them through faster. The other great thing it does is that children usually find my work before they find misinformation in the world which is dangerous."

Producing more than 20 books in 24 languages, Mr Olsen's work has gone global but he has not made a cent from more than half a million downloads through Redkite, which provides counselling and financial assistance for families of children with cancer, and also at his own website I Draw Childhood Cancer.

A former resident of Yeoval outside Dubbo, Mr Olsen runs the CafeXpresso kiosk at Katoomba train station.

With Jane, now 10, in remission since May 2017, he says his books are motivated by the "privilege" of being able to "contribute to these children's lives in a positive way".

"The same team that saved my daughter's life are now using my material - that was a powerful moment for me," he says.

Mr Olsen's work earned him the title of NSW Local Hero for 2024 and he is one of eight contenders for the Australia's Local Hero Award to be announced by the Prime Minister on the eve of Australia Day as part of the 2024 Australian of the Year Awards.

ACM, the publisher of this masthead, is official media partner of the Australian of the Year Awards, which are presented in Canberra on January 25.

The following profiles and pictures of each state/territory's Local Hero of 2024 have been supplied by the National Australia Day Council, organisers of the Australian of the Year Awards.

When his daughter, Jane, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, Angus Olsen sat at her bedside drawing about her procedures to help her make sense of it.

The former Disney artist's artworks and books use simple language to help children better understand their cancer treatment. He's produced more than 20 books, which have been accessed by people in 102 countries.

In 2020, Angus made a series of comics to illustrate the similarities between lockdown and what children with cancer face all the time. Angus has teamed with several charities to create resources and raise funds for childhood cancer research.

Every one of his images can be accessed free from his website idrawchildhoodcancer.com and social media pages.

Betul Tuna is deeply committed to humanitarian and community causes. The Turkish Muslim-Australian - who was born, raised and lives on Yorta Yorta country - has been instrumental in supporting local and international communities during emergencies and making the district a safe, supportive place.

During the 2022 floods in her local community and the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, Betul helped ensure affected communities received necessary supplies and access to essential services.

She also coordinated the design and implementation of a state-funded program that aims to prevent violence against women in migrant and refugee communities and created a bold and successful campaign against female genital mutilation.

Betul co-founded the Hijack'd mobile food van providing culturally appropriate food and creates jobs for local young people. The 38-year-old also co-founded the Point of Difference Studio which champions arts, culture and identity and advocates for culturally safe, respectful and accessible environments in regional Victoria.

Clair Harris believes no child should go without. She started Tassie Mums at her kitchen table in Hobart in 2018 to help families with essentials. Her charity now assists more than 1800 children each year with clothing bundles, nappy packs, activity packs, prams and car seats.

Tassie Mums supplies items to 70 social service organisations across the state working with refugees, families escaping domestic violence or affected by mental health issues and financial stress.

Clair, 42, is incredibly humble, but her efforts have made a real difference. She drums up financial support and clothing donations from across the community and her vision has inspired a large group of regular volunteers.

Last year, Tassie Mums' winter coat and pyjama drive collected more than 800 coats and vests and 600 pairs of PJs to ensure Tasmanian children are warm in winter. The group also helps schools with new socks and underwear.

David Elliott's chance discovery of a dinosaur fossil during routine sheep mustering in 1999 led to the revival of Australia's palaeontology field - and the creation of a palaeo-tourism industry that put outback Queensland on the map.

David's initial fossil discovery was followed by others. As palaeontologists began to return to the region to investigate, David and his wife Judy founded the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History in 2002 as a not-for-profit charity.

The museum first operated on the couple's property, where they conducted dinosaur digs and built an impressive collection of fossils. Later, it was moved onto donated land.

Today, it houses Australia's most significant collection of fossils from the country's largest dinosaurs.

A major tourist attraction, it serves as a centre for Australian paleontological research and discovery. David, now 66, was recognised for his contributions to science with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2015.

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Witiyana Marika has lived his life celebrating and teaching his culture. The 62-year-old Rirratjingu (Yolngu) elder is best known as one of the founding members of rock band Yothu Yindi.

Witiyana is also celebrated for his acting roles, other musical projects, cross-cultural education and being a leader of his people.

Most recently, Witiyana was the senior cultural advisor to the film High Ground, which he also co-produced and starred in.

Although the movie's story is fictional, its roots are fact and portray the stories of massacres of Indigenous people. Witiyana's involvement in the film reflects his strong belief in truth telling and sharing Indigenous and Australian colonial history.

A senior Dirritay and Dhalgarra (ceremonial leader) and a teacher of songlines and ceremonies for his clan, Witiyana is known for being generous and inclusive with his cultural knowledge and continuing the practice of Yolu Nation Cycle and Rom (lore).

Nick Hudson and his friends began a push-up challenge in 2017 to get fit and motivate each other. In 2018, he extended the challenge to more friends to raise awareness and funds for mental health.

Then Nick experienced depression himself following open heart surgery. While recovering, he focused on making The Push-Up Challenge a public event.

Fast forward to 2023 and The Push-Up Challenge has become an annual event. Individuals and teams across Australia aim to meet set push-up targets, learn facts about mental health and, if they choose, raise funds for mental health charities. To date the event has raised $40 million.

In 2023 alone, mire than 200,000 people completed 315 million push-ups, making them fitter, raising $14.6 million for mental health and getting people talking and thinking about mental health.

Now an inspiring public speaker, "Chief of Push-ups" Nick was awarded Mental Health Advocate of the Year WA 2021.

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In 2013, Rachael Zaltron OAM and another family began collecting donations and putting them into backpacks to help a few vulnerable and neglected children.

This was the start of Backpacks 4 SA Kids. Starting in Rachael's carport, the organisation now has its own warehouse and volunteers helping vulnerable children across the state.

Under Rachael's leadership, the group provides backpacks with age-appropriate emergency clothing, toiletries and other necessary supplies for children aged up to 16 who are taken into care, need to quickly leave their homes due to family violence or who are homeless.

Backpacks 4 SA Kids also provides home starter packs for families starting again after domestic violence, and anchor packs for young people aged between 12 and 25 who are homeless.

Since 2012, 50-year-old Rachael and her team have helped more than 86,000 SA children.

Ngunnawal woman Selina Walker is a respected emerging elder and leader whose integrity has supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reconciliation across the ACT.

The granddaughter of Aunty Agnes Shea, a recipient of the Order of Australia and a former ACT Chief Minister's Senior Citizen of the Year, Selina, 42, continues her grandmother's legacy of influencing and driving change with her unwavering efforts.

Since 2018, Selina has promoted reconciliation as co-chair of the ACT Reconciliation Council. As a founding member of Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation, she helps improve outcomes for Aboriginal families and children, especially those in out-of-home care.

She advocates for Indigenous people within the justice system as a member of the ACT Victims of Crime and Justice Committee and has held roles to improve educational outcomes in the Catholic school system. A kinship carer, Selina was the Barnardos ACT Mother of the Year in 2017.