Entertainment stars Jimmy Barnes and son David Campbell are our top fathers, after being recognised as joint Australian Fathers of the Year by The Fathering Project.
The Fathering Project CEO Káti Gapaillard said for the first time since the annual awards began in 1957 two fathers would share the title.
Ms Gapaillard said Mr Barnes and Mr Campbell demonstrated the importance of fostering safe environments for children.
She said the pair had been open in sharing their parenting journeys to break multi-generational cycles of trauma and build a relationship of respect, love and mutual support.
“As a child, Jimmy fled from an abusive upbringing before having his first son David, whom he left shortly after his birth due to feelings of hopelessness and difficulty navigating his life as a new, young dad.
“Over the years, the duo has repaired their relationship to form a strong bond, as David now raises his own children in a safe, loving household with Jimmy as an active grandparent, breaking the familial pattern.”
Mr Barnes said fatherhood took a lot of skills and you had to learn on the job, but no job had ever been so rewarding.
“From the moment you look into your baby’s eyes until the day they are about to walk through the door to venture out on a life on their own, joy flows freely. That joy is accompanied by constant feeling of worry and trepidation.
“I have watched David on his journey, grow from a small child into an awkward young man, along the way we both made mistakes but nothing we couldn’t sort out with patience and love.”
Mr Campbell said to share the award with his father was special.
“He is the template for how I navigate my life as a parent. While it feels premature to receive this award – as my twins are in primary school and my son is only in year eight – it means so much to me all the same.”
Ms Gapaillard said by sharing their experiences, the pair inspired others to embrace vulnerability, strengthen family ties and demonstrate unconditional love regardless of circumstances.
“The 2024 Australian Fathering Awards, along with our #SafeWithYou campaign, reflect our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, supportive and loving environment.
“This year’s award recipients embody the #SafeWithYou premise, from their experience in breaking cycles of disadvantage, to creating safe spaces for children and fathers to play, grow and learn, and enabling fathers to connect with their children away from the workplace.”
Ms Gapaillard said the Awards recognised three other recipients, including:
- Community leader Shaun Chandran as Australian Community Father of the Year 2024 for his work in fostering a supportive and safe community of dads and families while raising awareness of perinatal mental health for new dads. His efforts are guided by the principle of “why dad alone, when we can dad together”.
- Adam Desmond as the Australian Sporting Father of the Year 2024 after founding and growing Binar Futures to become the first Aboriginal basketball association in Perth’s metro area. His work engages over 2000 primarily Aboriginal children each year, ensuring that no child is left behind.
- Ansvar Insurance as Australia’s Best Workplace for Fathers 2024 for its work in embedding flexible policies to ensure fathers can connect with their kids away from work. Ansvar Insurance provides support for fathers in critical times through staff-led efforts and has raised more than $15 million to support at-risk youth. Their work creates a culture of parental support, responding to historically low utilisation of parental leave among Australian fathers.
