Australian of the Year finalists

2017 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR FINALISTS:

ACT: Alan Tongue, NRL player, youth mentor and educator

NT: Andrea Mason, indigenous leader and business woman of the year (2016)

WA: Andrew Forrest, businessman, philanthropist and anti-slavery advocate

NSW: Deng Adut, child soldier turned lawyer

SA: Kate Swaffer, author and advocate for living beyond dementia

VIC: Paris Aristotle, anti-torture and refugee rehabilitation advisor

TAS: Rosalie Martin, speech pathologist working to rehabilitate people in the justice system

QLD: Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, biomolecular scientist treating spinal cord injuries

YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR

WA: Abdullahi Alim, social innovator

NSW: Arthur Alla, reconciliation champion

NT: Bridie Duggan, healthy living advocate

ACT: Heidi Prowse, Cystic Fibrosis champion

VIC: Jason Ball, diversity and inclusion champion

TAS: Mitch McPherson, suicide prevention leader

SA: Paul Vasileff, fashion designer

QLD:Taj Pabari, inventor and social entrepreneur

SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR

ACT: Dick Telford, sports scientist and coach

NSW: Dr John Knight, doctor and altruist

VIC: Lois Peeler, indigenous educator

TAS: Margaret Steadman, sustainable living advocate

SA: Patricia Buckskin, educator

WA: Peter Kenyon, social entrepreneur

QLD: Professor Perry Bartlett FAA, neuroscientist

NT: Sister Anne Gardiner, community champion

AUSTRALIA'S LOCAL HERO

TAS: Anthony Edler, youth worker

NSW: Josephine Peter, volunteer

WA: June Oscar, anti-alcohol activist

SA: Reginald George Heading, agriculturist

ACT: Stasia Dabrowski, soup kitchen volunteer

NT: Tejinder pal Singh, food van founder

VIC: Vicki Jellie, community fundraiser

QLD: Yasmin Khan, diversity champion