Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awards
“Peace is not passive – it is created through action, compassion and a commitment to justice…”
Voiced by a young Indigenous Yr 12 Student Awardee Octavia Williams from Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus
2025 Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awards
Congratulations to our 2025 Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awardees and Highly Commended Certificate recipients. Each of the outstanding 10 recipients have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to social justice and community cohesion embodying the values of leadership, fairness, and equality.
28 September 2025
Jubilee Room, Parliament House
Parliamentary Host, The Hon. Jodie Harrison MP, Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Dr Sarah Kaine MLC presented Awards and Commendations as the Minister was called to a Cabinet Meeting.
Minister Harrison arrived toward the close of proceedings, and was warmly welcomed.
10 young students from Years 10-12 were acknowledged in the presence of 75 members of family, their schools and NCWNSW members.
2025 RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS:
- Taylah Cowley (Year 12 Student at St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood)
- Felicia Dimitriadis (Year 12 Student at Endeavour Sports High School, Caringbah)
- Edith Hall (Year 10 Student at Rutherford Technology High School)
- Manasseh Maugh-Hall (Year 12 Student at Miller Technology High School)
- Monet Shortland (Year 12 Student at Mullumbimby High School)
- Octavia Williams (Year 12 at Student Northern Beaches Secondary College, Manly Campus)
2025 RECIPIENTS OF HIGHLY COMMENDED CERTIFICATES:
- Zunaira Abrar (Year 12 Student at Al-Faisal College, Auburn)
- Sadie Adair (Year 12 student at St Vincent’s College, Potts Point)
- Mira Bharathy (Year 12 Student at Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School)
- Laaiba Haque (Year 12 Student North Sydney Girls High School, Crows Nest)
Recognition in NSW Parliament
by The Hon. Dr Sarah Kaine MLC
2024 Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awards
Congratulations to our 2024 Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awardees and Highly Commended Certificate recipients.
Each of the outstanding eight recipients have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to social justice and community cohesion embodying the values of leadership, fairness, and equality.
The Awards ceremony and an afternoon tea was enjoyed at Parliament House, Sydney. Thank you to our Parliamentary Host, The Hon. Jodie Harrison MP, Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and to The Hon. Dr Sarah Kaine MLC who graciously presented the certificates.
To our dedicated NCWNSW team for their hard work in the lead-up to the event and on the day, Thank you! A special mention to Margaret Wood for her expertise and Sally Fennell, Convenor, Thank you!
Also Thank you to the Judges, an enormous task to undertake.
Thank you to Michael Mannington OAM from Community Photos for his time and expertise.
2024 RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS:
- Joanne PARK Year 11 James Ruse Agricultural High
- Venus PARWANY Year 12 Burwood Girls High School
- Jasmine LATTOUF Year 12 St Ursula’s College, Kingsgrove
- Julia LANDER Year 12 Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus
- Jorja BROWN Year 12 Oxley High School
2024 RECIPIENTS OF HIGHLY COMMENDED CERTIFICATES:
- Mary Elizabeth HANNA Year 12 St Marks Coptic Orthodox College Wattle Grove
- Simran NATHANI Year 12 Wyong High School
- Charlize CATTERMOLE Year 12 Denison College of Secondary Education Bathurst High Campus
Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO, served as Governor of New South Wales from 1 March 2001 to 1 October 2014 and was the first woman appointed to the role. Born in Narrandera in the Riverina district of New South Wales and educated at the Narrandera Public School and Sydney Girls High School, Marie Bashir completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Sydney in 1956.
Professor Bashir taught at the Universities of Sydney and NSW, increasingly working with children’s services, psychiatry and mental health services, and Indigenous health programs. At the time of her appointment as Governor of New South Wales, she was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney; Area Director of Mental Health Services Central Sydney; and Senior Consultant to the Aboriginal Medical Service, Redfern and the Aboriginal Medical Service, Kempsey. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 for her services to child and adolescent health and was invested by Her Majesty the Queen with the insignia of a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2006.
Professor Bashir, was an advocate for improved mental health outcomes for the young, marginalised and disadvantaged, to international relations, through the promotion of collaborative health programs, and as a leader in tertiary education.
Congratulations to our 2023 Dame Marie Bashir Peace Awardees and High Commended Certificate recipients.
A wonderful afternoon of celebration was had and enormous thanks to the NCWNSW team for their hard work in the lead-up to the event and on the day.
Thank you to Michael Mannington OAM for the photos.
Each of the recipients was selected for a significant contribution to social justice, promoting harmonious relationships and courage in the field of peace and harmony within their school and community.
2023 RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS:
- Nada ALI Year 12 Coffs Harbour High School
- Madeline BLACK Year 12 Nowra Anglican College
- Lilly COOMBES Year 12 Ulladulla High School
- Christa-Maria INATY Year 11 The Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
- Florence JALILI Year 12 Glenwood High School
- Sophie WAY Year 12 Santa Sabina College, Strathfield
2023 RECIPIENTS OF HIGHLY COMMENDED CERTIFICATES:
- Anabel ABNOUS Year 12 Mercy Catholic College, Chatswood
- Miray EL KHATIB Year 12 Al-Faisal College, Auburn
- Sienna HANSEN Year 12 Gilroy Catholic College, Castle Hill
- Le-Anna NGUYEN Year 12 Beverley Hills Girls High School
- Annabelle ZHANG Year 11 Hornsby Girls High School
2023 Awardee – Nada Ali – Yr 12 – Coffs Harbour High School.
Nada has an excellent attitude, approach and commitment to working towards a better world. Since enrolling at Coffs Harbour High School in Year 7, having only arrived in Australia from Iraq as a refugee a year earlier, Nada has demonstrated that she wanted to bring about social change in people’s attitudes towards individual differences and the way communities work together to accept cultural differences.
In doing so, she has the respect of her peers and teachers and is seen as a youth leader within the community regarding her goals to improve community harmony. As a founding member of the All Under One Sun project, Nada has successfully brought together youth of many cultures and social backgrounds and promoted harmonious relationships and peace by combating racism and promoting acceptance of difference.
The adoption of this project by schools in varying parts of Australia demonstrates leadership beyond her immediate region. Nada was selected as the school representative in the 2022 Zonta Coffs Harbour Young Women in Public Affairs Award, and her moving speech about helping women in war-torn areas demonstrated her commitment to social justice.
Furthermore, Nada is an avid football (soccer) player and is the volunteer Girls Co-ordinator for RISE Coffs Harbour, a youth social cohesion and wellbeing program that encourages youth to make positive connections that build their confidence and self-esteem. Nada has also been an active member of the Student Representative Council and House Captain for 2023.
Although Nada would have been an excellent School Captain, she decided against nominating for the position as she advised that she would rather spend her time doing more outside the school and instead immerse herself within the community, which is what she is doing.
2022
We were thrilled to celebrate with a group of sixty-two people who attended the Presentation on Monday, 26th September 2022, in the Preston Stanley Room, State Parliament House.
Congratulations to all Nominees –to be recognised by your Principal from across your student cohort is a great accolade.
Special congratulations to our Awardees, and thank you for the work you do in your communities across New South Wales and further afield.
2022 RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS:
- Gypsy DONOVAN Year 12 Tomaree High School – Principal Paul Baxter
- Caitlin GRECH Year 12 Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School
- Gina HARRISON Year 12 Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus
- Bella MERLINO Year 12 Santa Sabina College Strathfield
- Sophie NGUYEN Year 11 Cabramatta High School
- Naikbakht WAHIDI Year 12 Holroyd High School
2022 RECIPIENTS OF HIGHLY COMMENDED CERTIFICATES:
- Aiza KHURRAM Year 12 Reddam House
- Priya LALL Year 12 Cherrybrook Technology High School
- Ameira SOUBRA Year 12 Elderslie High School Narellan
- Alyssa TOWNSEND Year 12 Deniliquin High School
2022 Awardee – Caitlin Grech, Northmead CAPA High School
Caitlin’s principal writes:
“Caitlin is an outstanding leader and advocate for peace and harmony in our community. She has a well–defined sense of social justice, leads by
example, her integrity, inclusivity and passion are inspiring. She has initiated and led activities which highlight the inequity in society.”
Caitlin is School Captain, and during her campaign, she concentrated on a quote from Mayur Ramgir: “Your actions define your character, your words define your wisdom, but your treatment of others defines the REAL you” and felt this encapsulated her character and underpinned her objective for standing.
Caitlin instantiated and led “Vouch for Lismore”, raising $2,800 for flood relief and is currently leading the food drive for the NSW Flood victims involving the Northmead Community. She has mentored and coached students with disabilities at The Hills School, assisting them in sporting and extracurricular activities and successfully runs the SRC-funded Breakfast Club, operating three times weekly.
Caitlin has developed a Community Project addressing the issues of Domestic Violence in our society and organised a whole school walkathon and colour run to raise money for a student struggling with cancer.
Demonstrated leadership is about service to others. Caitlin has assiduously attended the Uniting Church Nursing Home to give care, attention, and good conversation to the
Elderly.
Acknowledgement
National Council of Women of New South Wales Inc. acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout the Commonwealth of Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. NCW NSW pays its respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders both past, present and emerging.