Radio amateur is Senior Australian of the Year finalist

The Australian of the Year Awards is a program of the National Australia Day Council, with state and territory selection committees selecting four finalists in each category, including the Senior Australian of the Year.
The awards recognise the individual’s contribution to their community.

The South Australian Committee selected a radio amateur, Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI as one of the four South Australia finalists in the senior category for his work as one of the 9 approved Satellite Earth Stations for the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program and as Australian ARISS Coordinator organising the link ups for schools to contact the amateurs on the International Space Station, stimulating the interest of young people in science and technology.

The finalists were announced at an impressive ceremony at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide attended by the Governor of South Australia and the Deputy Premier of South Australia. WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI was present as a guest of Tony.

While Maggie Beer of television fame went on as a national finalist the recognition of the contribution of amateur radio and of Tony to the community has delighted the WIA Board

The full story, with pictures, is on the WIA website at:
http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20091116-1/index.php