AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD-WINNERS REPRESENT AUSTRALIA'S MULTICULTURAL FACE CANBERRA, January 27, 1998/MedianetInternational/Asianet/-- Two of Australia's most prestigious annual awards were recently won by Tan Le, a Vietnamese-Australian, and Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman. The 1998 Young Australian of the Year Award went to a 20 year old university student Tan Le who arrived in Australia from Vietnam as a refugee at the age of four. In a moving acceptance speech which earned a spontaneous standing ovation from an audience which included the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, Ms Le described Australia as a country that had welcomed her and made her "realise she mattered". Highlighting the key role immigrants play in Australian society, Ms Le said, "When people come as refugees or immigrants to Australia, theirs is not just a physical immigration. It is also an immigration of hopes and aspirations. It is an immigration of dedication and hard work, it is an immigration of the heart." "It is important that the fullness of this immigration be welcomed. I therefore accept this award as a young Australian, on behalf of all young Australians,on behalf of all who have been welcomed, and on behalf of all who continue to welcome." Ms Le's award is an appreciation of the economic as well as social and cultural benefits of immigration to Australia. Among her many activities, Ms Le is currently developing opportunities for Australian businesses wishing to trade in Asia. She has also organised major cultural events which have helped to promote multiculturalism in Melbourne's west. In many ways, her achievement embodies the Australian national ethos of giving everyone "a fair go". Despite limited English when first arriving in Australia, Ms Le achieved an outstanding academic record, graduating from high school and starting university studies in law and commerce at the age of 16. Her mother and role-model Mai Ho, the mayor of Maribyrnong Council in Victoria, is Australia's first female Vietnamese mayor. Displaying similar leadership skills, Ms Le became president of a Vietnamese community organisation providing training and finding jobs for Vietnamese Australians, when she was 18. The 1998 Australian of the Year Award went to Aboriginal athlete, Cathy Freeman. Ms Freeman was previously the 1990 Young Australian of the Year and is the first person to have received both awards. Ms Freeman was also the first Australian woman to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships, when she won the 400 metres in 1997. In her acceptance speech Ms Freeman said that the fact that she was the sixth Aboriginal Australian to be named Australian of the Year indicated that the "contributions to the Australian way of life by the Aboriginal culture are being recognised." While congratulating the two award winners, the Australian Minister for Immigration, Mr Philip Ruddock said Ms Le and Ms Freeman illustrated Australia's multicultural success. For further information please contact Chris De Cure, Director, Images of Australia Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade:Tel. 61-2-6261-3746; Fax 61-2-6261-2342. Photo available through AsiaNet.