| 1967 | "The Seekers" | Singing Group |
| 1968 | Lionel Rose | Boxer |
| 1969 | Lord Casey | Statesman |
| 1970 | Cardinal Sir Norman Gilroy | Prelate |
| 1971 | Evonne Cawley (nee Goolagong) | Tennis Player |
| 1972 | Shane Gould | Swimmer |
| 1973 | Patrick White | Novelist |
| 1974 | Sir Bernard Heinze | Musician |
| 1975 | Professor John W. Cornforth | Scientist |
| 1976 | Sir Edward Dunlop | Surgeon |
| 1977 | Raigh Roe | Country Women's Association Worker |
| 1979 | Harry Butler | Naturalist |
| 1980 | Professor Manning Clark | Historian |
| 1981 | Sir John Crawford | Economic Adviser |
| 1982 | Sir Edward Williams | Chairman, Commonwealth Games Foundation |
| 1983 | Robert de Castella | Marathon Runner |
| 1984 | Lois O'Donoghue | Aboriginal Activist |
| 1985 | Paul Hogan | Entertainer |
| 1986 | Dick Smith | Businessman and Adventurer |
| 1987 | John Farnham | Singer |
| 1988 | Kay Cottee | Solo Yachts Woman |
| 1989 | Allan Border | Test Cricketer |
| 1990 | Fred Hollows | Ophthalmologist |
| 1991 | The Most Rev. Peter Hollingworth | Prelate |
| 1992 | Manduwuy Yunupingu | Singer |
| 1993 | - | - |
| 1994 | Ian Kiernan | Environmentalist |
| 1995 | Arthur Boyd | Artist |
| 1996 | Dr John Yu, AM | Paediatric Medicine |
| 1997 | Professor Peter Doherty | Immunology Research |
| 1998 | Cathy Freeman | Athlete |
| 1999 | Mark Taylor | Test Cricketer |
| 2000 | Sir Gustav Nossal | Immunologist |
| 2001 | Lt. General Peter Cosgrove | Lieutenant General |
| 2002 | Patrick Rafter | Sportsman - Tennis |
| 2003 | Professor Fiona Stanley AC | Child health researcher "&" advocate |
| 2004 | Steve Waugh AO | Test Cricket Captain |
| 2005 | Doctor Fiona Wood AM | Plastic Surgeon, and Spray on Skin Pioneer |
| 2006 | Professor Ian Frazer | Clinical Immunologist and Inventor of the Cervical Cancer Vaccine |
| 2007 | Professor Tim Flannery | Scientist, Writer and Thinker |
| 2008 | Lee Kernaghan OAM | Country Music Legend |
| 2009 | Professor Michael Dodson AM | Aboriginal Leader and Advocate for Reconciliation |
| 2010 | Professor Patrick McGorry AM | Mental Health Expert |
| 2011 | Simon McKeon | Social Entrepreneur |