Because age is just a number - Victorian Senior of the Year Awards 2024

Prof. Manjula Datta O’Connor: We are at the Government House today and I have been honoured to receive the Premier's Award for Victorian Senior of the Year 2024. My achievements are related to prevention and early intervention of family violence. 

Jack Cooper: I've built two ski clubs, helped start a tennis club at Beaumaris, I've been in Rotary for sixty years. I had a lot of sports that I was involved with: tennis, golf, squash, skiing. And it helps you generally. I've made a lot of friends in all sorts of areas.

Virginia Mack: I'm a retired social worker. So when I came to Warrnambool and didn't know very many people, I thought, what will I do? I'll join everything. So I've been working the past few years with people coming out of prison and working with them to reconnect with their community, keep them out of prison, reach some goals.

Prof. Manjula Datta O’Connor: I started the campaign to change the legislation of Victoria to include the dowry abuse in the Family Violence Protection Act in 2019. Victoria became the first state to enact that legislation.
Virginia Mack: Just because someone is ageing, it doesn't mean that they haven't got any ambition. Life doesn't stop then. In fact, that's when it can really kick in and get going. So I'd like people to understand that, you know, it's just a number.

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