PUBLISHING icon Ita Buttrose has been named the 2013 Australian of the Year at an awards ceremony held this evening in front of Canberra’s Parliament House. 

Buttrose, who was presented with the award by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, was acknowledged for her extraordinary and inspiring achievements in a groundbreaking media career and her role in raising awareness of health care and media issues.

Beginning her career as a 15 year old copy girl at The Australian Women’s Weekly, Buttrose quickly became a cadet journalist on the women’s section at the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph.

At just 23 she was appointed women’s editor of these two newspapers and, in 1971, created Cleo magazine for Sir Frank and Kerry Packer. It became the top selling monthly women’s magazine and propelled her to national celebrity status.

In 1980 she became the first woman editor of an Australian metropolitan newspaper – the Murdoch owned Daily Telegraph and later the Sunday Telegraph. She was the first woman appointed to the News Limited Board in 1981.

Buttrose also continues to champion social and health issues; since 2011 she has been National President of Alzheimer’s Australia and is also Vice President Emeritus of Arthritis Australia.

Now aged 71, Ita also uses her national profile to raise awareness of breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and prostate cancer.

Her children Kate and Ben Macdonald were in the audience to see their mother honoured.

South Australia’s Emeritus Professor Ian Maddocks was named Senior Australian of the Year 2013 for his lifetime of health care achievements; inspiring refugee and mentor Akram Azimi of Western Australia was named Young Australian of the Year 2013 and Indigenous community leader Shane Phillips from NSW was announced as Australia’s Local Hero 2013.

Meanwhile, Dawn Mayne was announced as the 2013 Queanbeyan Citizen of the year.  Dawn spent 17 years as a member of the Queanbeyan Show Society Committee and held roles as the publicity office and secretary.  Queanbeyan’s Junior Citizen of the year was Ally Durr who was recognised for here fund raising efforts and raising awareness of Lyme disease.