Alastair McLeod
Celebrity chef
Alastair McLeod is a celebrated chef, TV personality, ambassador, and corporate host with a big passion for food.
Known for his quick wit, he’s best recognised for Channel Seven’s Weekender, Network 10’s Ready Steady Cook and Ten Minute Kitchen. His distinctive Irish accent is also a familiar feature on ABC and 4BC radio.
Alastair hosts corporate events, food festivals, and outdoor shows across Australia. He was the national Master of Ceremonies for the Good Food and Wine Show for over a decade and frequently appears at renowned events such as the Noosa Food and Wine Festival and Regional Flavours.
After training in Michelin-recognised restaurants across Europe, he held top roles in Queensland, including Executive Chef at Brisbane’s award-winning Baguette, where he helped the restaurant win multiple awards. He also headed Brett’s Wharf and founded the acclaimed Tank Restaurant and Bar. Now, Alastair channels his passion for fresh, seasonal cuisine into his catering company, Al’FreshCo.
Alexa Leary OAM
Paralympic swimmer
Alexa Leary OAM is an Australian para-swimmer known for her extraordinary resilience. After a life-threatening cycling accident in 2021 left her with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), she undertook a remarkable rehabilitation journey, relearning to walk, talk, and rebuild her independence. Defying expectations, Alexa rose to represent Australia in para-swimming at the elite level, bringing home two gold and one silver medal at the Paris Paralympics in 2024. She has earned national recognition for both her athletic achievements and her advocacy. Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), she now uses her platform to motivate others, sharing her message of perseverance, mindset, and the power of never giving up.
Ali Brigginshaw
Rugby League legend
Ali Brigginshaw is the current captain of the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland Maroons, and Australian Jillaroos. Starting her rugby league journey with the North Ipswich Tigers, she overcame early barriers for women in the sport, excelling in touch football, Muay Thai, and boxing before returning to rugby league after high school. Since debuting for the Queensland Maroons and Jillaroos in 2009, Ali has become one of the greatest female rugby league players, leading the Broncos to four NRLW titles and captaining Australia to multiple World Cup victories. A Dally M Medal winner and true legend of the game, Ali has announced 2026 will be her final season, where she will continue inspiring the next generation of rugby league players.
Astrid Jorgensen OAM
Pub Choir founder
Astrid Jorgensen OAM is a choral conductor, composer, entertainer, and author who believes everyone can sing (not well, but literally). As founder and director of Pub Choir® and Couch Choir, she is a global leader in accessible, communal music-making. Known for her sharp wit and infectious enthusiasm, Astrid has delivered her live, improvised music lessons to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
Her work has been praised by Mariah Carey, Kate Bush, KISS, Radiohead, and Sir Barry Gibb and featured in outlets like BBC World News, The New York Times, and NPR, as well as on Australian Story and The Project. In 2025, she wowed Simon Cowell on America’s Got Talent. Under her leadership, Pub Choir has raised over $1 million for grassroots charities.
A 2020 Queensland Young Australian of the Year finalist, Astrid received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2024 for her service to the community. Astrid lives in Brisbane with her partner Evyn and their furious chihuahua, Penny.
Cate Campbell OAM
Olympic swimmer
Cate Campbell is one of Australia’s most decorated swimmers, with a career spanning four Olympic Games and highlighted by eight Olympic medals (four gold) and 29 international medals across World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships, and 13 world records.
Born in Malawi and raised in Australia, Cate debuted at the 2008 Beijing Olympics at just 16, winning two bronze medals. She later represented Australia at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, where she proudly carried the flag alongside Patty Mills. Cate retired in 2024, concluding a career defined by resilience, excellence and leadership.
Beyond the pool, Cate was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to sport and is an ambassador for the Melanoma Institute of Australia. She also served on the Australian Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission (2013–2024), including three years as Chair, and helped reshape team culture as part of the Australian Dolphins Athlete Leadership Group.
Ethan Read
AFL rising star
Born and raised on the Gold Coast, Ethan Read grew up passionately supporting the SUNS before realising his dream of joining the team. Selected with Pick 9 in the 2023 AFL Draft, Ethan was one of four SUNS Academy graduates to join the club, alongside Jed Walter, Jake Rogers, and Will Graham. Ethan is a mobile and skilful ruckman whose work rate and ball use are outstanding features of his game, along with his aggressive work at stoppages. A member of the Gold Coast SUNS Academy, he was a dominant force for the Allies at the National Championships and earned All Australian honours. He also claimed the Hunter Harrison Medal, awarded to the best performing player from non-Victorian Academy teams in the Coates Talent League.
Gorden Tallis
Rugby League legend
After an impressive start with the St George Dragons, Gorden joined the Brisbane Broncos in 1997, where he cemented his legacy over eight seasons, playing 160 games and clinching three premiership titles.
A natural leader, Gorden captained the Queensland Maroons from 1998 to 2001, representing his state in 20 electrifying matches. On the international stage, he played 11 tests for Australia and captained the team in 2003.
Renowned for his fearless playing style and unfiltered honesty, Gorden has become a respected voice in rugby league, offering sharp insights and a deep understanding of the game that continues to inspire fans and players alike.
Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson
Paralympic swimmer
Grant “Scooter” Patterson is Cairns-born, Queensland-made, and one of Australia’s most-loved Para swimmers. A Four-time Paralympic medallist across Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 — with silver and bronze across the 50m breaststroke and 150m individual medley — Scooter has spent more than two decades earning his place in the pool. Born with a rare form of dwarfism (diastrophic dysplasia) and named for the trike that takes him everywhere, he turned a 1.5-second miss at Beijing 2008 into a Paralympic career that still hasn’t slowed. As a 2026 QLD Day Ambassador, Scooter brings the warmth, grit and humour Queenslanders recognise on sight. He’s proud to celebrate the state that raised him, and to bring more Queenslanders along.
Johnathan Thurston AM
Rugby League legend
Johnathan Thurston AM is one of rugby league’s greatest players and a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights and empowerment.
As a player, Johnathan showcased exceptional skills and leadership, earning four Dally M Medals, three Golden Boots and a Clive Churchill Medal. He won the 2004 and 2015 NRL Premierships, represented Queensland in State of Origin 37 times and played 38 Tests for Australia.
Beyond his on-field achievements, Johnathan has been a tireless advocate for the Indigenous community, campaigning for equality, education, and opportunities for young Indigenous Australians. Through initiatives like the JT Academy and his role as an ambassador for Indigenous organisations, he continues to drive positive change and inspire future generations.
Today, Johnathan continues to make an impact as a commentator, mentor, and ambassador, leaving an indelible legacy both on and off the field.
Kay McGrath OAM
Journalist and community advocate
Kay McGrath is an award-winning journalist, news presenter and passionate social justice advocate who presented prime time news bulletins in Queensland for more than 40 years.
Beyond her distinguished media career, Kay has been a driving force in the fight against domestic and family violence. For four and a half years, Kay chaired the Queensland Government’s Domestic and Family Violence Implementation and Prevention Council established following the landmark ‘Not Now, Not Ever’ Taskforce headed by Dame Quentin Bryce. Today, she continues her vital work as a member of the council. Kay’s commitment to protecting and empowering communities is unwavering.
She served as Patron of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation for 20 years, Patron and co-founder of Protect all Children Today, and a Life Ambassador for Act for Kids. Kay is a member of Chief Executive Women and a founding member of Women in Media Qld. Her remarkable contributions were recognised in 2019 when she was honoured as a Queensland Great.
Laura Geitz
Netball star
Laura Geitz is one of Australia’s most respected sporting leaders and a proud Queenslander. A former captain of the Australian Diamonds and Queensland Firebirds, Laura enjoyed a distinguished 10-year international netball career, winning World Cup titles, Commonwealth Games medals and leading the Firebirds to back-to-back national championships. Since retiring in 2018, Laura has embraced life beyond the court as a mother of four and advocate for healthy, active lifestyles. Raised in the Darling Downs town of Allora and now living in Brisbane, Laura remains deeply connected to Queensland and passionate about celebrating the people, communities and spirit that make the state so special.
Lee Kernaghan OAM
Country music artist
Lee Kernaghan’s music rumbles across the Australian landscape like a souped-up ute belting out a cloud of dust.
For more than three decades, this modern-day bush balladeer has bridged the gap between country’s classic storytelling and a new breed of arena-rock showmanship. From the moment his debut album, The Outback Club, made waves in 1992, Kernaghan has channelled the heart and grit of regional Australia with tracks that have become anthems.
Whether he’s banging out crowd favourites onstage or putting his time and resources behind the communities he loves, Kernaghan has become a living symbol of the outback’s give-it-a-go ethos.
Pat Rafter
Tennis champion
Pat Rafter is one of Australia’s most beloved tennis champions, renowned for his achievements, sportsmanship and generosity. Born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Pat turned professional in 1991 and quickly rose through the ranks, winning back-to-back US Opens in 1997 and 1998 and becoming the first Australian to win back-to-back titles since Neale Fraser in 1959 and 1960. In 1998, he became the first male player in the Open era to win the American Summer Slam by winning the Montreal/Toronto, Cincinnati, and US Opens in the same year.
Pat reached world number one ranking in 1999 and famously defeated Roger Federer in the French Open, remaining the only player to have never lost to him. Known for his integrity and generosity, he was awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award four times and donated $300,000 of his US Open winnings to the Starlight Foundation.
Pat retired in 2001, was named Australian of the Year in 2002, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.
Wally Lewis AM
Rugby League legend
Wally Lewis, ‘The King’, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Rugby League players and captains of all time. From his debut in the inaugural State of Origin match in 1980, he became the face of Queensland Rugby League, making 31 Origin appearances and captaining the team 30 times. Under his leadership, Queensland won nine of the 12 annual titles, with Wally earning a record eight Man of the Match awards — an unmatched feat.
Internationally, he represented Australia in 33 test matches, captaining the Kangaroos 23 times. Renowned for his toughness, skill and leadership, Wally was named the Best Player in the World and honoured with a statue at Lang Park (now Suncorp Stadium) in 1992.
Wally was recognised for his contributions to Rugby League with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987 and induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was elevated to Legend of Australian Sport, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greats.
William Barton
Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer
William Barton is Australia’s leading didgeridoo player and an acclaimed composer, instrumentalist and vocalist. He has created works for orchestras, string quartets, jazz and rock bands, collaborating with some of Australia’s most renowned composers.
William’s passion is to showcase the versatility of the didgeridoo, taking audiences on a musical journey. His major commissions include works for members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Queensland Symphony Orchestra, as well as collaborations with contemporary dance companies such as Leigh Warren and Dancers. Notably, his work Breathe premiered at both WOMADelaide and the Edinburgh International Festival in 2012. In 2026, he further expanded his creative repertoire composing the score for Flora, a co-production between The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Committed to his culture and community, William inspires the next generation through workshops across Australia, teaching the art of the didgeridoo and storytelling.
until QLD Day