A globally renowned botanist who completely changed the world’s understanding of plants, a doctor on a mission to cure the country’s rarest diseases, a choir director and even a local soccer coach are among an extraordinary list of the State’s Australian of the Year Award nominees.

The 2026 finalists, announced this week, showcase the compassion, creativity and quiet grit that run deep through the State.

The University of Western Australia’s beloved botanist Professor Kingsley Dixon, 71, has devoted his life to protecting Australia’s native plants and has now been recognised for his exceptional work in the 2026 Senior WA Australian of the Year category.

The Waroona-based scientist’s 1992 discovery that bushfire smoke triggers seed germination changed the way the world views fire ecology

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