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Australia Day 2012

Australia Day conjures up visions of family barbecues in the park or lazy hot evenings down at the beach to watch the sun go down: then there are the magnificent fireworks displays in our capital cities - weather permitting - that bring so many of our communities together to celebrate what it is to be Australian.

But there are other things that we should be rightly proud of when we celebrate being Australian and right up there with the best of them are the medical scientists that have made a big impact, not only here in Australia, but around the world. For many people Australia, with its relatively small population, is associated with our ability to “punch way above our weight” in the sporting arena. But our other less celebrated “stars” are those scientists, and in particular, our medical scientists who have made Australia one of the world’s leading Nobel Prize-winning countries.

Let’s look at the list of medicos that have won the fabled prize in recent years:

Elizabeth Blackburn — 2009

Professor Elizabeth Blackburn is the first Australian woman to win a Nobel Prize. Although she is now based in California, she was born in Tasmania and holds joint Australian–US citizenship.

Barry Marshall and Robin Warren — 2005

Our very own West Australians Professor Barry J. Marshall and Dr J. Robin Warren were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005 ‘for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease’. Barry entered medical folklore, joining those early medical investigators who “stepped outside the square” when he swallowed a broth of his own Helicobacter to prove to doubting colleagues that these bacteria could survive in the acid swamp that is the stomach’s normal environment.

Peter Doherty — 1996

Professor Peter C. Doherty was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1996 ‘for discoveries concerning the specificity of the cell mediated immune defence’, which has laid the foundation for our understanding of how our bodies fight infections.
And earlier Nobel winners include:

• Sir John Warcup Cornforth 1975 
• Sir John Carew Eccles 1963
• Sir Frank MacFarlane Burnet 1960
• Sir Howard Florey 1945

Then there are the Australian Doctors that we have given our highest honour to, by naming them Australian of the Year. These awards are selected by the Australia Day Council, from nominations by the Australian community and have included the following doctors:

2006 — Professor Ian Frazer for developing a vaccine to prevent and treat cervical cancer.
2005 — Dr Fiona Wood was named Australian of the Year for developing a revolutionary spray-on skin for burn victims. Fiona may have been born in the north of England, but she has been a fantastic citizen of West Australia and a fine ambassador for the whole country.

2003 — Australian of the Year went to Professor Fiona Stanley for her ongoing research into childhood illness and improving the health and wellbeing of children and youth. What more can be said of this amazing woman whose energy and vitality leave most of us lesser mortals feeling tired just thinking about all she has achieved! It is truly fitting that the State has chosen to acknowledge her contribution to health and wellbeing around the State by building and naming a Medical Institution after her - the Fiona Stanley Hospital.

These people have been outstanding citizens and have helped create a vibrant medical research community here in Australia. But for every one of them, there are literally thousands more who in their own unique way contribute to the health and wellbeing of our communities. The nurses in our world class hospitals daily do things that most of us would blanch at: and their colleagues who clean the hospitals not only create a healthy environment, but often help with the healing process by offering smiles and words of encouragement to those most in need of it.

In our communities the nurses again do their caring best, supported by other unsung heroes - the care-givers who often un-noticed will visit the frail and vulnerable in their own homes, in their institutions and in their nursing homes. And even the most brilliant of Nobel winners would acknowledge that they would never have achieved their pinnacles of fame without the support of their families and colleagues in their research teams.

Australia Day is the day we revel in being Aussies, and so we should. But how we live is built upon the hard work and dedication of tens of thousands of quiet heroes who have made Australia what it is today - a wonderful place to live and work. So let’s celebrate on the fabulous 26th January and tell our children about some of the heroes they made not have heard of as much as the sporting super-stars: let’s tell them about Fiona Stanley, Fiona Woods, Barry Marshall and all those without whom Australia wouldn’t be as great as it is.

The content of these articles is not tailored for any particular individual's circumstances. The author does not take into account your physical condition, medical history or any medication you may be taking. Any advice or information provided by the author cannot replace the advice of your health care professional. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent those of HBF unless clearly indicated.