During an online ceremony on 16 November 2021, Philanthropy Australia has named Tim Fairfax AC as Australia’s 2021 Leading Philanthropist. The Leading Philanthropist Award recognises an individual philanthropist whose work is visionary, high impact and transformative. In addition to generous funding, Tim has provided time, knowledge and leadership to many organisations.

“For me, one of the highlights of philanthropy is not so much the giving, but the receiving, the fact that you can make a difference whether it’s helping an Indigenous arts centre in Alice Springs or empowering those who live in rural and remote Australia or giving creative arts education to young Australians, and the satisfaction and rewards of listening to the outcomes of various funding initiatives,” Tim said.

“Giving can take many forms. It’s certainly not all about dollars – we all have the capacity to make a contribution to society and I think as a nation, we lead by example. Just look at our volunteers – to me they are the unsung heroes … it is one of many forms of philanthropy which we should recognise.’’