Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg named Australian of the Year for 2026 | Australia Day

As a girl, Katherine Bennell-Pegg would lie on the dry grass in her backyard, gazing up at the stars and dreaming about one day reaching them.

While she’s yet to enter space, the now-41-year-old is closer than most could ever hope for.

The first Australian astronaut to train under their own flag, Bennell-Pegg has been awarded one of the nation’s highest honours – Australian of the Year.

The trailblazing space scientist said she was inspired by Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas, astronauts who grew up in Australia but travelled to space as US citizens in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

“When I received my blue flight suit, and right there, bright on the left shoulder was the Australian flag, it was quite emotional, because it marked something so much greater than myself,” she said during her acceptance speech at a ceremony in Canberra on Sunday night.

“It said that the door has opened for Australia to take our place at the forefront of human endeavour.”

Bennell-Pegg said she hoped to use the award to inspire young people to chase their dreams.

“It gave me hope – hope that one day more Aussie flags on spacesuits will follow,” she said.

Born in Sydney, Bennell-Pegg grew up on the city’s northern beaches and studied aeronautical engineering and physics at Sydney University.

She studied two masters degrees in Europe and in 2021 was invited to undertake astronaut training with the European Space Agency.

In 2024, she became the first Australian woman to graduate from the program, and the first astronaut to fly under the Australian flag.

While she waits to be called up for space flight, the 41-year-old calls Adelaide home, where she volunteers with the West Beach Surf Life Saving club.

In December 2024, she was appointed as an Air Force reservist.

Bennell-Pegg takes over as Australian of the Year from AFL legend Neale Daniher, who received the honour in 2025, for his work raising over $100m for research into motor neurone disease.

Daniher, who suffers from MND himself, didn’t attend the awards ceremony at Canberra’s National Arboretum on Sunday because he was too unwell to fly, his wife Jan said.

“We call MND the beast. He’s struggled in the last couple of months,” she told awards night host Leigh Sales.

“MND has taken away Neale’s ability to move, talk, eat, swallow and eventually it will take away his ability to breathe.”

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the creation of the Neale Daniher MND clinical network, a government-funded program to help tackle the neurological condition.

The program would help more Australians access clinical trials, treatment and care, Albanese announced.

“Neale, your courage and advocacy has brought hope to so many, and we will ensure your work continues to change lives,” he said.

Awards for Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and local hero were also handed out on Sunday night.

Former electrician-turned-ultra-marathon-runner Nedd Brockmann took out the Young Australian category, recognised for running from Perth to Sydney to raise money for a homelessness charity.

Pioneering dementia researcher Henry Brodaty won Senior Australian of the Year for his work identifying cost-effective, targeted interventions to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The local hero award was given to Frank Mitchell, a Noongar man from Western Australia who has created more than 70 upskilling roles for Indigenous people in the construction and electrical industries.