The women of western Sydney shine this International Women’s Day

Winner: Augusta Supple

Augusta Supple is an award-winning arts strategist and producer with over 25 years of experience in the performing arts. Based in Western Sydney, she has worked across Australia, the USA, and Canada as a theatre producer, director, and writer. Augusta has led arts policy and industry initiatives at Create NSW and the City of Parramatta. Currently an independent consultant, she is leading market research for a new performing arts degree at Western Sydney University. She has also produced festivals like Play Parramatta and the Rose Scott Women Writers Festival. Augusta secured over $800M in funding at Create NSW and is the founding director of Vitagraph Publishing.

Winner: Durga Owen

Durga Owen is a community lawyer and academic at Western Sydney University with over 20 years of experience advocating for refugees, migrant youth, and women. She coordinates the Community Care Refugee Program, a volunteer-run food bank and legal service benefiting hundreds of families in Western Sydney. Durga has served on advisory panels, including the Women, Peace, and Security Roundtable, where she provided recommendations to the Federal government on issues affecting migrant and refugee women. Fleeing war in Sri Lanka and seeking asylum in Australia with her mother, she now lives in Western Sydney with her husband and three children.

Winner: Patricia Fleming

Patricia, a proud Gamilaroi/Wayilwan woman living on Dharawal Country, has dedicated her career to improving the health and well-being of Aboriginal communities. She currently leads a team at the NSW Ministry of Health, focusing on Closing the Gap Priority Reform 4—ensuring shared access to data for Aboriginal communities across NSW. Previously, as a public health epidemiologist, Patricia played a key role in the COVID-19 response, including developing an Aboriginal COVID-19 response plan. She has led various Aboriginal-focused public health programs and is a third-generation descendant of Stolen Generation survivors. As a board director of the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, she contributed to its strategic plan and supported its transition to independence in 2022. Patricia continues to advocate for self-determination and social justice in health care for future generations.

Winner: Dr Hilda Tafadzwa Mugadza

Dr. Hilda Tafadzwa Mugadza is a distinguished social science professional specializing in African migration, child protection, and culturally competent service delivery. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Western Sydney University, where her research focused on African migrant parenting within Australia's child protection system. With a Master’s in Social Change and Development and a law degree from the University of Namibia, Dr. Mugadza has worked across various sectors, providing consultation and services to both government and non-government child protection agencies, with a particular focus on African Australian children and families

Winner: Melissa Wu

Melissa is an accomplished Olympian, world-class diver, strength and conditioning coach, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker. She represented Australia at five Olympic Games, earning multiple medals, including a silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. One of the few Australian divers to achieve such success, Melissa's career is defined by resilience and determination. She has inspired many with her work ethic and perseverance in one of the world's most demanding sports. Beyond diving, Melissa is passionate about mental health advocacy and helping athletes build resilience and confidence in their pursuits.

Winner: Lucy Lin

Lucy Lin is a LinkedIn Top Voice, speaker, and commentator on innovation, diversity, and careers. Her 2024 LinkedIn posts garnered over 4 million impressions, reaching more than 2 million members. Lucy hosts the Emerging Tech Unpacked podcast, which explores emerging technologies and features inspiring women in STEM. She is the founder of Forestlyn, a program development and marketing consultancy, NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS), and an Entrepreneur in Residence at Western Sydney University, where she leads the diverse founders program. With 20 years of experience driving growth for startups, universities, and corporations, Lucy has lived and worked in five countries but calls Western Sydney home.

Winner: Sonja Vujanic

Sonja is a passionate advocate for equitable education, representing Liverpool on the NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and collaborating with government leaders to support youth across Western Sydney. She led a project to improve mental health education in schools, resulting in key recommendations presented in Parliament. Sonja has represented youth at national summits and advocated for tailored education for students with disabilities at NSW Parliament. Her speeches on domestic violence and educational inequity were presented in federal parliament. As an elected representative on the University of Sydney's Academic Board, she champions underprivileged students and has expanded volunteer participation with Teach Learn Grow. From 2022-24, Sonja chaired the eSafety Commissioner’s Youth Advisory Council, shaping online safety policies.

Winner: Lindy Deitz

Lindy is the Chief Executive Officer at Campbelltown City Council and is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of Council's operations and services, and works closely with the elected representatives on the council.