Migrant and refugee health expert Professor Rose McGready has been announced as the 2026 Australian of the Year for ACT.

She was honoured alongside football pioneer Heather Reid AM, historian and guide Sita Sargeant and mental health advocate Ben Alexander at a ceremony in Canberra on November 17.

The ACT recipients will join those from the other states and territories for the national awards on January 25, 2026.

Professor Rose McGready has spent three decades providing health services to displaced people in the border region between Thailand and Myanmar.

Arriving as a young doctor, Professor McGready discovered that refugees who had fled persecution in Myanmar had difficulty accessing medical assistance in Thailand.

In response, she established training for local staff to focus on

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