As a little girl, Katherine Bennell-Pegg looked to the stars and dreamed of leaving earth.
Now, she’s been awarded one of the nation’s highest honours.
In 2024, Ms Bennell-Pegg qualified to travel to space — the first Australian to do so under the nation’s flag.
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The trailblazing space engineer has been recognised for her achievements on the national stage, winning the 2026 Australian of the Year award.
While she’s yet to actually go to space, Bennell-Pegg says she’s ready to do so when the opportunity arises.
“When I grew up I was mesmerised by the stars above me, but they felt very far away,” she told reporters in Canberra on Sunday afternoon, before her award was announced.
“Seven out of 10 Australian kids under 12 want to go to space. It’s pinch-me stuff to be in this position.”
She said she was inspired by Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas – astronauts who grew up in Australia but travelled to space as American citizens in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Bennell-Pegg said she hoped to use the award to inspire young people to chase their dreams.
“There’s never been a path for Australian astronauts before. So I hope that what I’m doing is opening that door further for more to 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 then 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 to graduate from the program and the nation’s first-ever female astronaut.
The 41-year-old now calls Adelaide her home, where she volunteers with the West Beach Surf Life Saving club.
In December 2024, she was also appointed as an Air Force reservist.
She takes over as Australian of the Year from AFL legend Neale Daniher, who received the honour in 2025, for his work raising well over $100 million for research into motor neurone disease.
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.
