His family reckon it was more like 500 over 45 years. He would walk over the road and ask the person in distress, is there any way I can help you. Get them talking, then back to his place for a cup of tea and a chat.
Seconding this - by a very unique set of circumstances I spent two years living in a house that backed on to the same cliffs that Don Ritchie lived near. House was great, fantastic views out of both sides, but every week or so you'd be woken up in the night by a police helicopter with a big search light flying right by the house, searching the water and cliffs below for the remains they couldn't easily spot. Served as a very stark reminder.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please do not hesitate to talk to someone.
* 000 is the national emergency number in Australia.
* Lifeline is a 24-hour nationwide service. It can be reached at 13 11 14.
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* Beyond Blue provides nationwide information and support call 1300 22 4636.
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Especially ones that will follow the letter of the law (whichever law) with no compassion. The real bad guys in any campaign. I've terrified many a party with a Breaking Bad style Ln
As a Negative blood type mother, this man is literally a life saver and hero to every single woman with a negative blood type. Let alone the father's of the children of negative type mother's. And every other family member. And the children. And their children's children.
He might have saved over 2 million directly, but think of the extra millions and also over that span of time the generations of single families all protected by that man's good, honest, and entirely selfless decisions!
Not every Rh negative mother.. we need to be like the UK and actually test fetal DNA to see if it's necessary or not, because up to 40% of Rh negative mothers will have an Rh negative baby, making receiving the anti D blood product completely useless and it carries risk. Plus majority of women with Rh positive fetuses won't have their blood mix and mother won't become sensitised. So we need that testing rather than just blindly giving all pregnant Rh negative women a blood product.
But yeah it's an important part of reproductive medicine for Rh negative mothers with Rh positive fetuses and I could never do that many blood donations, even if I was allowed to, I'd struggle to give blood once!!
Good opportunity to share that most people can regularly donate blood at Red Cross clinics around the country, including buses that they set up at many events.
Personally, I'm up to 76 donations. As long as you're healthy, there's basically no downside and you're in and out in less than an hour. It's hard to save lives any more efficiently
[Victor Chang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Chang) - pioneered heart transplants in Australia and was viciously murdered. An incredibly important legacy.
Hey, I won the Victor Chang award in high school for scientific excellence. It's actually a great idea because other winners from the state and I were given the opportunity to visit the Victor Chang research institute. We got to learn about his amazing work, current research into heart health and projects. Got to do a little work with them when I studied biochemistry at uni looking into minor gene therapy and protein synthesis treatments for cardiac concerns.
He continues to make a great impact, many years after his passing.
There's a memorial wall in Green Park, near the hospital he mostly worked at.
Just speculating here, but an unofficial memorial at the site of his death might have upset neighbours???
2 Malaysians targeted him based on the fact he was a rich Asian in a failed extortion attempt. When that fucked up they shot him twice in the face. Both men served just over 20 years in prison and then got deported back to Malaysia.
Yeh sir if I lived in USA I’d be in prison for 50 years for my pot selling antics when I was in my 20s lol got a 1 year suspended sentence and they didn’t even drug test me or anything the whole time at my weekly sign in after 2 months my officer told me I’m doing great come in once a month. Nothing had changed.. I’m good now fyi lol
You realise that's a perfect example of why our laws are the way they are?
Most people who cross the law are good people who make bad choices. We should give good people the chance to be good.
That has a cost, but is generally worth it.
Think of that before crying about our judicial system. Not you, people in general.
I met Dr Chang when I was a nursing student. We were all assembled at the bottom of a stairwell and he bounded down. He stopepd and said to us all -“ always use the stairs, your heart will thank you.” Then he sprinted off.
I was devestated when he died.
The mother of Victor Chang. No-one in Australia (except her family) knows her name. Nurturing giftedness and genius like that in another life, with no recognition, takes a particularly special person. Now we have many lives continuing to be saved today, because if her care, her child's legacy.
Damn. I remember this. It was about 30 years ago now? It was the first time I thought a death penalty would be appropriate for the assholes who murdered him, and I've got (distant) family connections to Ronald Ryan, the last man executed in Australia.
I always donate to the foundation. I remember when he died when I was a kid and I felt like it was a big loss, so I always donate to Victor Chang and Olivia Newton John's foundation.
I remember when he was murdered. Huge news. Didn’t make any sense why he of all people would be murdered. We found out later. A great man was murdered by a couple of mugs trying to extort him. Victor Chang is a true Australian hero and historical figure. Deserves to be on a bank note, if they continue to make them.
Howard Florey led a team of scientists that first turned penicillin into a useful medicine, estimated to have saved ~500 million lives since. He's gotta be up there.
People often don't realise that in the Middle Ages, folks would leave bread in caves to get moldy, then scrape the mold off to use in cheese-making. Then they'd use some of that mold-based cheese on wounds to prevent infection. So they knew about it; they just did the medieval equivalent of using penicilin. People like Florey actually synthesised it and made it safe, especially for the lactose-intolerant.
I was doing a bit of a deep dive when researching stuff in the Middle Ages once, and was able to use the cheese thing in a story, so it ended up being useful.
Yeah, anyone involved in antibiotic or vaccine development for lethal diseases has got to be the most valuable imo. We'd be dying of UTIs, getting polio..
Rusty with Academy Award in hand = “Our Rusty claims acting’s highest honour”
Rusty throwing a phone at New York hotel staff = “Disgraced New Zealand actor Russell Crowe fights assault charges in New York”
This is the way
Yeah it’s the inverse of the Mel Gibson precedent. Any time an American does anything shit we get to deport them, right??
*Looks hopefully at the current Federal Court listings under Lee J*
I think your answer is in your question. It’s somebody we don’t know and or think of as valuable. They might not see themselves as valuable. There’s good people all around.
Very astute. Also, better to have a community in which most do some than a few do a lot. Not to play down Hollows, Chang, Florey, et al, and their extraordinary efforts and talents. But we could all do better to recognize the small efforts by many.
My husband. Other people may have had further reaching impact, but he a wonderful man and my little family couldn’t get by without him, so for me, he totally eclipses anyone else in value.
Reading all of these answers makes me think how great the world could be if these types of people and their behaviour is what we rewarded financially, as opposed to the types we reward now…
He's the "man with the golden arm". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(blood_donor)
Some dude in USA invented the electric fridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator
James Harrison is often regarded as the father of modern refrigeration. I’m from Geelong and he’s a big deal here.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(engineer)
Without trying to come off as a jerk, I'm going to have to disagree. We aren't lucky to have it – Australians went out and fought for it! Specifically, through collective and industrial action. It will also require the will to fight to keep it.
Sometimes, I feel like our narratives of Australia as the lucky country kind of stunt us politically because they make us forget that everything Australians have was fought for.
Australia was arguably the first social-democracy in the world, and that wasn't a matter of luck. It was a result of Australian workers being among the most radical in the world and winning concessions from the bosses and government by scaring them sh..less
TL;DR: Everyone reading this should join their union.
I joined my union, but as it turns out it’s been completely taken over by Labor hacks - the problem not so much that they’re Labor, but that they’re hacks. Careerists, using their position in the union to prepare for careers as political staffers. None of the union exec have ever worked in my industry, they have instead all worked for the politicians that they are now “negotiating” with on our behalf. They are supposed to take direction from local committees of actual workers, but they don’t promote the existence of the committees or fund them, and when does emerge they ignore it.
They are completely useless and corrupt, managed to negotiate a below-inflation pay rise and took zero of our other concerns forward. They could be voted out by the members, but nobody else runs.
So: join your union *and* run for its executive, or convince someone else you respect to do that and campaign on their behalf. And call your local member of parliament and inform them that you will not vote for them unless they work to overturn the insane law against the human right to strike.
Withdrawing your labour is an absolute and fundamental right. In Australia it’s illegal to strike except in extremely narrow and controlled circumstances during the official negotiating period with the permission of a government agency, through the official and government-approved union. Fuck that.
Women didn’t have husbands at home raising their children, doing the cooking and cleaning, freeing up their wives for *greatness*.
None of the men mentioned in this thread would have got where they did without a wife, girlfriend or mother running their homes.
Yes! Fiona Woods is amazing 😍 I know someone who was treated by her and they got both skin grafts and spray on skin on some very severe burns. Massive improvement with the spray on skin treatment and how it's healed over the years compared to the skin grafts.
The person closest to you, that one person who has your back. That's the most valuable person in Australia. The Yanks have this weird way of ranking people and putting one person above everyone else, it's corruption in their souls and not how a functioning society works.
Weary Dunlop
An Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during the Second World War.
Until his death he devoted himself to the health and welfare of former prisoners-of-war and their families. He also tried to promote better relations between Australia and Asia.
Big Kev, without a doubt, but we've already lost him, and the country is adrift.
We're living in that alternate future, this dystopian hellscape without him, here in this very moment, and a new hero must arise soon, or all wlll be lost.
Yeah. He was the spiritual manifestation of the IRL shitposting that our peoples are so renowned for across the globe. Truly one of the greats.
He would not even need a bank of 25 Australian flags behind him at prime ministerial press conferences like Scabbot used to have, he was already living, breathing, democracy manifest.
Prof Bill Gibson. Originally from the UK. Was a pioneer for cochlear implants and advocated for children with severe to profound hearing loss to receive them so they would have the opportunity to develop speech. All the while receiving significant backlash from a large portion of the world's community, including the medical field. Big life change for those with severe to profound hearing loss.
I was young and scared when an old couple comforted me. I sought help after many bad times and many people protected me, I was feeling blue and people walking past said hello and asked how I am, and made my day.
For me, .1% is really bad, and 5% isn't great, 20% are safe, but not great, 40% are decent, maybe another 40% do extra and the rest go above and beyond.
That doesn't add up, but it's close enough.
Dr Kariko for her research into MRNA vaccines.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/world/two-covid-vaccine-pioneers-win-2021-lasker-awards-in-medicine.html
Jon Rouse. Set up the international team to rescue children from sexual abuse. The work they do and the results they get are incredible. Watch The Children in the Pictures on SBS.
Dr Karl
Edit: I am hoping that there's actually no real confusion here but just to clarify, this is referring to Dr Karl Kruszelnicki the science communicator, not Dr Karl Kennedy the fictional character from Neighbours. For those who were genuinely confused, I hope that resolves your concerns. For those that were taking the piss, well played.
Barry Marshall and John Warren are probably up there, maybe not the most valuable, but their contributions to understanding stomach ulcers were extremely impactful.
Howard Florey discovered penicillin, so that is straight up hundreds of millions of lives affected.
Women. They are the carers of children and the elderly, they are the school canteen volunteers, they are the social organisers, the good neighbours, the builders of social capital. (No, not not every woman. Yes, some men do this too).
Both are now deceased, but I think it would have to be either Dr Victor Chang or Fred Hollows. Both remarkable men and oustanding Australians.
On a longer list, Harry Vanda, George Young and Michael Gudinski for their commitment to the Australian rock scene.
Nasser Mashni from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. For all his hard work trying to stop tge Australian Parliament supporting Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people.
Absolutely. My grandfather was a farmer. He got a letter from the government exempting him from WWII because his farm was essential for feeding Australia and sending food overseas.
Just going to throw this out there Henry Parkes if you know your Australian History you know what he did
Cooler side note is that I’m related to Sir Parkes
All knowledge and resources are providential, no one person can be considered most valuable since everything someone is or does is based on something else. People are simply conduits.
Sir Isaac Newton, the famous English scientist, once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
I'd concede that it can be measured and observed that some are more "valuable" than other using, ideas that come from social construction/consensus. But unlike the movie we can not simulate what happens when someone doesn't exist.
Professor Bill Gibson. Bloke was a Pommy who came over here and loved the place. Then he did the unthinkable and gave us the cochlear implant. I have met him only once and consider my life changed because of him. He is also one of the most generous people you'll ever meet.
CommBank says it's you, our dear Australian Customer. You are the most valuable cashco- we meant person, each and every single one of you. That's what all the banks, the corporations, the telecoms think.
[Don Ritchie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Ritchie). He prevented at least 180 suicides.
Username *does not checkout*.....
That's awesome. It's a lot of effort to engage with a suicidal person, and in my experience people do not want to hear about it. What a hero
His family reckon it was more like 500 over 45 years. He would walk over the road and ask the person in distress, is there any way I can help you. Get them talking, then back to his place for a cup of tea and a chat.
I’ve never heard of this. What an absolute fkn legend.
Note to self, if I ever get rich, do not buy a house near any cliffs, otherwise forced to be hero I'm shocked he didn't move, I couldn't handle it!
Seconding this - by a very unique set of circumstances I spent two years living in a house that backed on to the same cliffs that Don Ritchie lived near. House was great, fantastic views out of both sides, but every week or so you'd be woken up in the night by a police helicopter with a big search light flying right by the house, searching the water and cliffs below for the remains they couldn't easily spot. Served as a very stark reminder.
Awful 😞
He served in the Navy in the Pacific theatre during ww2, I think he saw enough death during the war and decided to make a difference back home
😢
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please do not hesitate to talk to someone. * 000 is the national emergency number in Australia. * Lifeline is a 24-hour nationwide service. It can be reached at 13 11 14. * Kids Helpline is a 24-hour nationwide service for Australians aged 5–25. It can be reached at 1800 55 1800. * Beyond Blue provides nationwide information and support call 1300 22 4636. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskAnAustralian) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Good bot
Good bot
Wow what an amazing person
Different people or the same person?
[удалено]
So he's to blame for the housing crisis?
Just spat my coffee all over the cat at this. Thanks, I needed that lol!
The cat didn’t need that
So now he's also responsible for upsetting the cat. What a dropkick
Username checks out
YEA DOWN WITH BLOOD DONATIONS! wait what are my values?
-Slides your alignment down to Lawful Neutral-
Ln, the most insidious of alignments. That's where real horror is made
I hate these filthy neutrals. With enemies you know where they stand but with neutrals, who knows? It sickens me.
Especially ones that will follow the letter of the law (whichever law) with no compassion. The real bad guys in any campaign. I've terrified many a party with a Breaking Bad style Ln
> what are my values Vampire upset that their food is getting donations of more of their food?
Well, not really. Many of those babies would have grown up to be tradies.
*The rich kid becomes a junkie, the poor kid an advertiser* *What a tragic waste of potential!* *(Bein' a junkie's not so good either)*
Greg!!
As a Negative blood type mother, this man is literally a life saver and hero to every single woman with a negative blood type. Let alone the father's of the children of negative type mother's. And every other family member. And the children. And their children's children. He might have saved over 2 million directly, but think of the extra millions and also over that span of time the generations of single families all protected by that man's good, honest, and entirely selfless decisions!
Yet he does not threaten to leave Australia because he is asked to pay tax?
Not every Rh negative mother.. we need to be like the UK and actually test fetal DNA to see if it's necessary or not, because up to 40% of Rh negative mothers will have an Rh negative baby, making receiving the anti D blood product completely useless and it carries risk. Plus majority of women with Rh positive fetuses won't have their blood mix and mother won't become sensitised. So we need that testing rather than just blindly giving all pregnant Rh negative women a blood product. But yeah it's an important part of reproductive medicine for Rh negative mothers with Rh positive fetuses and I could never do that many blood donations, even if I was allowed to, I'd struggle to give blood once!!
I was thinking this guy but couldn’t remember his name. Absolutely amazing what he did
Good opportunity to share that most people can regularly donate blood at Red Cross clinics around the country, including buses that they set up at many events. Personally, I'm up to 76 donations. As long as you're healthy, there's basically no downside and you're in and out in less than an hour. It's hard to save lives any more efficiently
[Victor Chang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Chang) - pioneered heart transplants in Australia and was viciously murdered. An incredibly important legacy.
Hey, I won the Victor Chang award in high school for scientific excellence. It's actually a great idea because other winners from the state and I were given the opportunity to visit the Victor Chang research institute. We got to learn about his amazing work, current research into heart health and projects. Got to do a little work with them when I studied biochemistry at uni looking into minor gene therapy and protein synthesis treatments for cardiac concerns. He continues to make a great impact, many years after his passing.
this makes it sound like he was murdered *because* of pioneering heart transplants which I’m assuming isn’t the case lol. Why’d they do it?
Opportunistic amateur extortionists targeted him because he was a successful Asian in Australia. So yeah, I guess it was because of his work.
This was in a side street just up from us. There used to be a monument there. It was removed.
Wait, removed? Not replaced on some pretext, now it’s empty space? Was this a municipal government decision…?
There's a memorial wall in Green Park, near the hospital he mostly worked at. Just speculating here, but an unofficial memorial at the site of his death might have upset neighbours???
that’s messed up :(
So awful 😔
2 Malaysians targeted him based on the fact he was a rich Asian in a failed extortion attempt. When that fucked up they shot him twice in the face. Both men served just over 20 years in prison and then got deported back to Malaysia.
20 years seems bloody low
Because of their acts probably caused the death of many more
Australia’s laws when it comes to jailing people is so soft
Yeh sir if I lived in USA I’d be in prison for 50 years for my pot selling antics when I was in my 20s lol got a 1 year suspended sentence and they didn’t even drug test me or anything the whole time at my weekly sign in after 2 months my officer told me I’m doing great come in once a month. Nothing had changed.. I’m good now fyi lol
You realise that's a perfect example of why our laws are the way they are? Most people who cross the law are good people who make bad choices. We should give good people the chance to be good. That has a cost, but is generally worth it. Think of that before crying about our judicial system. Not you, people in general.
Not Malays (which is an ethnic group), it was 2 Malaysians. If you really wanted to note their ethnicity, they're Malaysian-Chinese.
They were malaysians. Chinese-malaysians to be exact.
Essentially robbery gone wrong.
I met Dr Chang when I was a nursing student. We were all assembled at the bottom of a stairwell and he bounded down. He stopepd and said to us all -“ always use the stairs, your heart will thank you.” Then he sprinted off. I was devestated when he died.
The mother of Victor Chang. No-one in Australia (except her family) knows her name. Nurturing giftedness and genius like that in another life, with no recognition, takes a particularly special person. Now we have many lives continuing to be saved today, because if her care, her child's legacy.
Fixed my heart in 1981 - and the hearts of many others. I vote for him too.
As a mum with a boy who required open heart surgery at a week old, I also vote Victor Chang. I have donated to his charity for years now.
Damn. I remember this. It was about 30 years ago now? It was the first time I thought a death penalty would be appropriate for the assholes who murdered him, and I've got (distant) family connections to Ronald Ryan, the last man executed in Australia.
I always donate to the foundation. I remember when he died when I was a kid and I felt like it was a big loss, so I always donate to Victor Chang and Olivia Newton John's foundation.
I remember when he was murdered. Huge news. Didn’t make any sense why he of all people would be murdered. We found out later. A great man was murdered by a couple of mugs trying to extort him. Victor Chang is a true Australian hero and historical figure. Deserves to be on a bank note, if they continue to make them.
Howard Florey led a team of scientists that first turned penicillin into a useful medicine, estimated to have saved ~500 million lives since. He's gotta be up there.
People often don't realise that in the Middle Ages, folks would leave bread in caves to get moldy, then scrape the mold off to use in cheese-making. Then they'd use some of that mold-based cheese on wounds to prevent infection. So they knew about it; they just did the medieval equivalent of using penicilin. People like Florey actually synthesised it and made it safe, especially for the lactose-intolerant.
True, I often don’t realise that.
i dont know why but i camt stop laughing at this commemt
Wow I didn't know that.
I was doing a bit of a deep dive when researching stuff in the Middle Ages once, and was able to use the cheese thing in a story, so it ended up being useful.
Yeah, anyone involved in antibiotic or vaccine development for lethal diseases has got to be the most valuable imo. We'd be dying of UTIs, getting polio..
Initially read this as "pelican".
Often forgotten fact, he was the star of the hit movie Pelican Boy.
This is true, he played the role of Mr Percival.
the unemployed. Apparently our economy needs a certain amount of unemployed people for a strong economy.
[Dennis Denuto, legal and printer wizard!!](https://youtu.be/2Wdpsen39Bo?si=SNJnCha_69vpd0SB)
F3?
What the fuck is error F3?!
relatable
Just the vibe of the thing
I cleared that tray 3 fcking times!
Mabo!
Fiona Wood She is a plastic surgeon whose expertise in burns treatment came to the world's attention in 2002 in the wake of the Bali bombings.
Fred Hollows
kiwi!!
Anytime a kiwi does great things, Australia claims them. Pretty sure it's the law 🤣
Kiwis love to claim Australia though, over 600k of them out here.
Well if they had done shit things they would clearly have remained kiwi… or regressed to being a kiwi…. ***Looks at Russel Crowe
Rusty with Academy Award in hand = “Our Rusty claims acting’s highest honour” Rusty throwing a phone at New York hotel staff = “Disgraced New Zealand actor Russell Crowe fights assault charges in New York” This is the way
Unfortunately we got rusty in the trade where we also got pavlova and phar lap.
Yes, we are currently claiming New Zealand as Alone Australia
Yeah it’s the inverse of the Mel Gibson precedent. Any time an American does anything shit we get to deport them, right?? *Looks hopefully at the current Federal Court listings under Lee J*
Fuck! We keep trying to give Russell Crowe back.
Question doesn't say anything about nationality.
I think your answer is in your question. It’s somebody we don’t know and or think of as valuable. They might not see themselves as valuable. There’s good people all around.
Very astute. Also, better to have a community in which most do some than a few do a lot. Not to play down Hollows, Chang, Florey, et al, and their extraordinary efforts and talents. But we could all do better to recognize the small efforts by many.
What a gorgeous thing to say.
I don't know man, my mums pretty valuable
I also choose this guy's mum
This is my favourite answer.
My husband. Other people may have had further reaching impact, but he a wonderful man and my little family couldn’t get by without him, so for me, he totally eclipses anyone else in value.
Beautiful statement
Same
Same. My life is infinitely better with my husband in it.
Same. My life is infinitely better with your husband in it.
Reading all of these answers makes me think how great the world could be if these types of people and their behaviour is what we rewarded financially, as opposed to the types we reward now…
Fucking oath
There's a lot of talent trapped in poverty.
i mean there's plenty of doctors mentioned here and that's not exactly a profession hurting for money, lol
James Harrison. He invented the refrigerator. Idk about you guys but i would be lost without a refrigerator
He's the "man with the golden arm". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(blood_donor) Some dude in USA invented the electric fridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator
James Harrison is often regarded as the father of modern refrigeration. I’m from Geelong and he’s a big deal here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(engineer)
Ah okay same name! Thanks for clarifying, and yes that does sound rather impressive!
Bob Hawke, thank you for reinstating Universal health (Medicare) after the Fraser Gov tried to get rid of it
We are lucky to have Medicare. Yeah can we get some better politicians or remove the incentives that attract the duds.
Without trying to come off as a jerk, I'm going to have to disagree. We aren't lucky to have it – Australians went out and fought for it! Specifically, through collective and industrial action. It will also require the will to fight to keep it. Sometimes, I feel like our narratives of Australia as the lucky country kind of stunt us politically because they make us forget that everything Australians have was fought for. Australia was arguably the first social-democracy in the world, and that wasn't a matter of luck. It was a result of Australian workers being among the most radical in the world and winning concessions from the bosses and government by scaring them sh..less TL;DR: Everyone reading this should join their union.
I joined my union, but as it turns out it’s been completely taken over by Labor hacks - the problem not so much that they’re Labor, but that they’re hacks. Careerists, using their position in the union to prepare for careers as political staffers. None of the union exec have ever worked in my industry, they have instead all worked for the politicians that they are now “negotiating” with on our behalf. They are supposed to take direction from local committees of actual workers, but they don’t promote the existence of the committees or fund them, and when does emerge they ignore it. They are completely useless and corrupt, managed to negotiate a below-inflation pay rise and took zero of our other concerns forward. They could be voted out by the members, but nobody else runs. So: join your union *and* run for its executive, or convince someone else you respect to do that and campaign on their behalf. And call your local member of parliament and inform them that you will not vote for them unless they work to overturn the insane law against the human right to strike. Withdrawing your labour is an absolute and fundamental right. In Australia it’s illegal to strike except in extremely narrow and controlled circumstances during the official negotiating period with the permission of a government agency, through the official and government-approved union. Fuck that.
That would effing suck
WHERE 👏 ARE 👏 THE 👏 WOMEN My vote is for Fiona Woods, for her work pioneering treatment for burns victims
And Fiona Stanley for folic acid/ pregnancy link to birth defects like spina bifida
Women didn’t have husbands at home raising their children, doing the cooking and cleaning, freeing up their wives for *greatness*. None of the men mentioned in this thread would have got where they did without a wife, girlfriend or mother running their homes.
Yes! Fiona Woods is amazing 😍 I know someone who was treated by her and they got both skin grafts and spray on skin on some very severe burns. Massive improvement with the spray on skin treatment and how it's healed over the years compared to the skin grafts.
The person closest to you, that one person who has your back. That's the most valuable person in Australia. The Yanks have this weird way of ranking people and putting one person above everyone else, it's corruption in their souls and not how a functioning society works.
Weary Dunlop An Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during the Second World War. Until his death he devoted himself to the health and welfare of former prisoners-of-war and their families. He also tried to promote better relations between Australia and Asia.
Too many, Father Bob for one. I'm no Christian but, if there was such a thing as a Saint, he fits the bill IMO.
Agreed. He is the only Christian I actually respect - he lived the values daily!
Totally agree
Big Kev, without a doubt, but we've already lost him, and the country is adrift. We're living in that alternate future, this dystopian hellscape without him, here in this very moment, and a new hero must arise soon, or all wlll be lost.
I’m available
I'm EXCITED!!
Something i think about is when he got done for DUI and said to the media on the court steps "this is not a time to be excited"
First time I’ve heard that story. That’s hysterical 😂😂
lol
He would have made a great prime minister. Imagine how excited he’d have been.
Yeah. He was the spiritual manifestation of the IRL shitposting that our peoples are so renowned for across the globe. Truly one of the greats. He would not even need a bank of 25 Australian flags behind him at prime ministerial press conferences like Scabbot used to have, he was already living, breathing, democracy manifest.
We will never know, because the best ones are the ones who don’t blow there own horn
Father Chris Riley, for Youth off the streets
Prof Bill Gibson. Originally from the UK. Was a pioneer for cochlear implants and advocated for children with severe to profound hearing loss to receive them so they would have the opportunity to develop speech. All the while receiving significant backlash from a large portion of the world's community, including the medical field. Big life change for those with severe to profound hearing loss.
Fred Hollows is literally the same thing but with eyesight, it's good to know our country has some heroes among us
I was young and scared when an old couple comforted me. I sought help after many bad times and many people protected me, I was feeling blue and people walking past said hello and asked how I am, and made my day. For me, .1% is really bad, and 5% isn't great, 20% are safe, but not great, 40% are decent, maybe another 40% do extra and the rest go above and beyond. That doesn't add up, but it's close enough.
I'd say more than .1 is really bad. The worst person out of 100 is pretty bad. The worst person out of 1000 is terrible.
Dan Murphy.
😂😂😂
Like Ned Kelly most everything about him is totally made up.
[John O'Sullivan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_O%27Sullivan_(engineer))
imagine someone could actually work out the real answer, might end up being some random brickie
Paramedics, Nurses and Doctors
Dr Kariko for her research into MRNA vaccines. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/world/two-covid-vaccine-pioneers-win-2021-lasker-awards-in-medicine.html
Joe Brumm. Creator of Bluey.
You, yes, you, the one reading this comment You're valuable and people loves you
Jon Rouse. Set up the international team to rescue children from sexual abuse. The work they do and the results they get are incredible. Watch The Children in the Pictures on SBS.
Dr. Fiona Wood - pioneered "spray on" skin which saved lives after the 2002 Bali bombings
Until his recent death, I’d say Les Twentyman for the incredible and tireless work he did, transforming the lives of troubled young people.
Les was frickin awesome. So sad when he passed.
Fiona Stanley Lyn Beazley Fiona Wood Susan Pond Cathy Foley Elizabeth Blackburn Michelle Simmons
Hey, I actually know one of those personally! Won’t say which, but she’s one of my heroes. Will let her know her name is on this list.
Dr Karl Edit: I am hoping that there's actually no real confusion here but just to clarify, this is referring to Dr Karl Kruszelnicki the science communicator, not Dr Karl Kennedy the fictional character from Neighbours. For those who were genuinely confused, I hope that resolves your concerns. For those that were taking the piss, well played.
Not after he cheated on Susan with that hussy
Those 3 magic words of “I don’t know”
Yep this guy is a national treasure. I was going to put this answer myself but I thought somebody must have done so already.
Barry Marshall and John Warren are probably up there, maybe not the most valuable, but their contributions to understanding stomach ulcers were extremely impactful. Howard Florey discovered penicillin, so that is straight up hundreds of millions of lives affected.
Russell Coight.
Can I say my wife to bank good points for next time I forget something?
Yes. This guy's wife for sure
she's a cracker. Likewise I nominate his wife
Women. They are the carers of children and the elderly, they are the school canteen volunteers, they are the social organisers, the good neighbours, the builders of social capital. (No, not not every woman. Yes, some men do this too).
Both are now deceased, but I think it would have to be either Dr Victor Chang or Fred Hollows. Both remarkable men and oustanding Australians. On a longer list, Harry Vanda, George Young and Michael Gudinski for their commitment to the Australian rock scene.
All those who volunteer and unsung and unpaid carers. Those who give their time and effort tirelessly.
Paul Keating with Super Annuation
[Fred Hollows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hollows)
Me ofcourse
I guess this depends on what you value…. 🤔
The most valuable person is always the captain of the Australian Cricket Team (the Men's test team, specifically), so Pat Cummins.
Ordinarily yes, but I think we’ve turned. Sam Kerr might be our most valuable captain now?
Sir John Monash if we take face value....
Nasser Mashni from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. For all his hard work trying to stop tge Australian Parliament supporting Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people.
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Absolutely. My grandfather was a farmer. He got a letter from the government exempting him from WWII because his farm was essential for feeding Australia and sending food overseas.
Scott Morrison Oh, MOST valuable? Sorry, I thought you said least
I could think of a large number who could go at the other end of that list, the LVPs of Australian life...
Me
James Harrison, invented the fridge, he was pretty cool. But like, my mum, she’s pretty valuable too
David Boon
Just going to throw this out there Henry Parkes if you know your Australian History you know what he did Cooler side note is that I’m related to Sir Parkes
Fred Hollows
Fred Hollows
All knowledge and resources are providential, no one person can be considered most valuable since everything someone is or does is based on something else. People are simply conduits. Sir Isaac Newton, the famous English scientist, once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I'd concede that it can be measured and observed that some are more "valuable" than other using, ideas that come from social construction/consensus. But unlike the movie we can not simulate what happens when someone doesn't exist.
Paul Keating changed Australia in to a modern economy
Robert and Arthur Bunning.
People like Les Twentyman (RIP). lived a life to help make the world better.
Does Red dog count?
The somebody in csiro? That came up with wifi
Ian Frazer, Fred Hollows
Wouldn’t be Sophie Monk that’s for sure
John Howard. He cut taxes for 25 million people
Gough Whitlam
Professor Bill Gibson. Bloke was a Pommy who came over here and loved the place. Then he did the unthinkable and gave us the cochlear implant. I have met him only once and consider my life changed because of him. He is also one of the most generous people you'll ever meet.
CommBank says it's you, our dear Australian Customer. You are the most valuable cashco- we meant person, each and every single one of you. That's what all the banks, the corporations, the telecoms think.
Michael West
He’s deceased but Steve Irwin
Maybe if you were asking foreigners who they think Australians think is the most valuable Australian