Mission Australia is fortunate to have the support of our dedicated Ambassadors. Their efforts help us to raise awareness and funds so that we can continue to transform the lives of Australians in need. In alphabetical order...

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

The Australian Rugby Union Players Association is a proud supporter of Mission Australia.

Players from the Wallabies, the Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs and the Western Force – as well as representatives from the various state union academies will support our services through out the year.

JONATHAN COLEMAN

“I’ve always felt that Mission Australia was a fantastic organisation because of all the work they do for homeless no matter what age or race. We are only ever a few degrees of separation from being homeless ourselves.”

Now living back in Australia, Jonathan Coleman has been credited as being one of Australia's most successful exports to the UK. Jono created a name for himself in the 80s through Simon Townsend’s Wonder World, and as one half of The Jono and Dano Show, a popular program on the TripleM network. Since late 2004, Jono has been the host of the nationally syndicated weekly radio series My Generation for MCM Entertainment syndicated to 105 stations around Australia on the Gold Network every weekend. It is the second biggest syndicated show in Australia and will continue to grow in 2008.

Jono and his family made the decision to return to Sydney in December 2006 after 16 years in London. Together with MCM (Producers of My Generation) Jono has created a new Radio show called The Jonathan Coleman Experience co-hosted by Julia Zemiro. The show airs on The Classic Hits Network (ARN) in drive time. Jono also appears weekly as Entertainment Reporter for Mornings With Kerri-Anne on the Nine Network.

MAX CULLEN

Max Cullen is a well-known Australian having had a long career in the visual and performing arts. Starting as a Newspaper artist and cartoonist, painter and sculptor, Max trained at Sydney's National Art School in 1956 and later studied at the Julian Ashton Art School and in 1960 commenced a sculpture cause with Lyndon Dadswell. In 1963 Max began to study acting under Hayes Gordon at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre which lead to performances in over a dozen plays at the Ensemble where he also designed sets, directed plays and wrote and produced review sketches. Since then he has had a prolific acting career on the stage, in film and on television.

Max has more than 30 film roles to his credit including Australia, The Wolverine, Spider & Rose, Sunday Too Far Away, Runnin’ on Empty and Kiss or Kill. He has also featured in some 50 television programs such as Skippy, Matlock, Dad & Dave, Bodyline, Cowra Breakout, The Flying Doctors and A Country Practice. He has been seen in Police Rescue, G.P. and The Damnation of Harvey McHugh. For 12 years he was Arts Reporter on Channel Nine’s Sunday Program.

His current solo exhibition and installation of unearthed treasures and framed recycling ‘Recessionism’ is exhibited at The Picture House Gallery in Gunning, NSW.

LORRAE DESMOND

Lorrae Desmond (MBE) is one of Australia’s most loved stars. Best remembered for her Logie Award winning role as Shirley Gilroy in the television series A Country Practice, which she played from 1981-1992. Before playing Shirley Gilroy, Ms Desmond was known as a glamorous singer, touring Internationally. In 1962, she made history when she was the first female to win a Gold Logie for Most Popular Female Personality for The Lorrae Desmond Show. Other television appearances include Number 96 in 1973 and Arcade (1980). She also had a guest appearance on Home and Away.

Lorrae was invited to tour Vietnam, to entertain the troops and after 5 tours, was awarded an M.B.E. for Welfare of Australian Troops serving overseas and for Contribution to Australian Show Business. Ms Desmond is now retired from performing and is indulging in her first love – writing. She has co written a musical; an adaptation of Bryce Courtenay’s Smoky Joe’s Café retitled Honey, which won the Best New Australian Play 2008. Her wish is to find a producer for a major production of Honey.

ANDREW 'Fishtail' FISHER

Andrew "Fishtail" Fisher has been racing for the last 9 years in the MG series, Lotus series, V8 Ute series and Fujitsu V8 Super Car series. Andrew finished 4th in his first year of the series and was Rookie of the year. Andrew now carries the Jesus All About Life campaign as the main signage on his race cars.

In 2008 Jesus Racing addressed around 30,000 high school students and presented at numerous men's events around the country. In 2009 he is looking to address over 50,000 students in schools all around Australia.

Andrew is a business management consultant in Sydney and is a member of Gymea Baptist Church.

SONIA LIPSKI

Sonia Lipski is a Miss World Runner Up for 2008 and will compete again in the 2009 Miss World Australia competition. A fourth year student at the University of Sydney studying a triple major in Sociology/Social Policy, Government/International Studies and Pharmacology. Sonia believes strongly in the Miss World motto Beauty with A Purpose, and is committed to using her time and talents to continue to raise awareness for the cause of poverty and homelessness throughout her Miss World experience and beyond.

"The most wonderful thing a human being can do, is to help another, and this is exactly what Miss World's Beauty with a Purpose encourages. My volunteer work with the homeless has put a human face on a social problem that is often ignored or misunderstood," these are real Australians in crisis, and we all need to do our part in offering genuine compassion, understanding and a hand up."

TANIA MAJOR

Tania Major is a Kokoberra woman from the remote community of Kowanyama in Cape York Queensland. She holds a degree in Criminology from Griffith University, and at 21 became the youngest elected regional councillor in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). In 2006 Tania was announced as the Queensland Young Australian of the Year, and was further honoured by being named the Young Australian of the Year in January 2007. She was also voted as “Young Leader of the year” for the 2007 Deadly Awards.

Since 2002 Tania has publicly addressed many national and international forums, speaking on aboriginal and Youth affairs as these relate to remote communities, particularly those in Cape York. Along with her mentor, Noel Pearson, she has tried to bring the realities of life in many of these communities to the foreground of wider Australian thinking and to engage mainstream Australians in the collaborative challenge of seeking solutions to long standing problems.

After 4 years with the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, Tania is now working to establish a private consultancy and advocacy business, and to set up a youth foundation to support other young aboriginal people with the potential for leadership. She is currently completing her Masters degree in Public Policy at Sydney University and working on her business part time.

KATIE NOONAN

Katie Noonan has topped both the pop and jazz charts, blown away opera fanatics, performed alongside countless luminaries of myriad fields, and backs it all up by being an incredible songwriter, producer and keyboardist in her own right. In addition to a successful solo career, she sings in the bands george and Elixir, and also duets with her mother, Maggie Noonan. Katie founded the band george with her brother Tyrone.

After a series of successful independently released EPs, they signed to Festival Mushroom Records, and released the debut album Polyserena in 2002, which entered the ARIA charts at #1. george won the Best New Artist ARIA award in 2003, performing Breathe In Now at the ceremony. This facet of her musical education has never been more evident than in Katie's new album and her first outing for SonyBMG, Blackbird - the music of Lennon and McCartney. Katie is married to Isaac Hurren, her longtime partner and collaborator in Elixir. They have two young sons, Dexter Reed and Jonah Atticus Roc.

CATRIONA PETTIT (nee Rowntree)

"My involvement with a number of Mission Australia youth services has given me an amazing opportunity to see first hand how these programs can really help to turn lives around. The results are incredible but without support, these programs simply wouldn’t exist."

Catriona studied journalism before working as a researcher with Business Review Weekly and Prime Television. In 1991 she moved to FM radio as a newsreader and music program host, first in community radio and then with the ABC's youth FM radio station, Triple J, for which she presented until 1996. Former host of the Nine Network's series Wonder World, she is best-known as a presenter for the network's highly successful travel series, "Getaway". In 2006 she authored a travel book, Catriona's Australia: My Favourite Aussie Locations, published by Harper Collins.

In 2008, Catriona married James Pettit. Since the marriage, Catriona has chosen to adopt her husband's last name

MYLES POLLARD

"Having had a son recently, has given me a very different perspective as a father; family is absolute and my sensitivity to families doing it tough has probably been heightened. Being a Mission Australia Ambassador therefore is an honour and I welcome the opportunity to give the more unfortunate people in Australia a chance to be everything they wish to be."

Since graduating from NIDA in 1998 Myles has acted in many productions on Australian television including "Water Rats", “Home and Away", “All Saints", Wildside”, "Double Trouble" “Packed To The Rafters” and most recently “Underbelly 2”. He recently shot scenes in “Wolverine” staring Hugh Jackman which comes to theatres in 2009. Myles secured a place in the hearts and minds of many Australians as Nick Ryan in the successful series "McLeod’s Daughters"

ALBERT TORRENS

Albert Torrens, a former rugby league star whose career lead him to play for Australian clubs the Manly Sea Eagles and St George Illawarra and the Huddersfield Giants in the UK.

Since retiring from the game, Albert has been working as the aboriginal outreach worker for Mission Australia, driving the Missionbeat van around the streets of Sydney, helping those in need.

DANIEL WIDDOWSON

“Mission Australia is caring for those who are often forgotten about, it’s loving those who are often unloved, and it’s placing hope in those who are often feeling hopeless. What’s not to love about a mission such as that?”

Daniel Widdowson wakes Sydney up each morning via the airwaves on Australia’s largest Christian radio station FM103.2. He hosts and writes the breakfast show with co-host Aaron Wright. Though Daniel is Nationally recognised as the friendly face to wake up to on Australia’s highest rating children’s television program, Saturday Disney. Daniel began hosting, writing, and segment producing Saturday Disney in 2000. From 2000-2007 he reported across globe, met some a mazing people, and hosted over 350 shows. He also found himself joining the writing team for Home and Away, the National no.1 Drama.

His role at Network Seven became even more diverse when he contributed to backyard renovations around Australia on Ground Force. His face was first Nationally recognised in the Fox Studios Australia commercials in 1999 as he welcomed Australians aboard the Titanic. Working at Channel 7 has given Daniel the chance to present and be part of the Good Friday Appeal, Perth Telethon and Carols in the Domain over the past six years.

Daniel also works as the youth and young adults Pastor for Coast Community Church on the Central Coast.

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