Australian Senior of the Year 2009

Victorian philanthropist, Pat LaManna OAM, was named Senior Australian of the Year 2009, alongside indigenous leader Professor Mick Dodson AM who was named Australian of the Year 2009.

Both were presented with their prestigious awards by the Prime Minister, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, at a ceremony on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra on 25 January. 

Pat LaManna OAM of Balwyn, Victoria  is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Having come from a poor background himself, the 76 year old readily relates to the misfortunes of others.

He battled racism and economic adversity during the years after his arrival in Australia from Italy in 1948, but he persevered and became a successful entrepreneur. He has used these skills to give back to countless charities in Australia and the Third World.

He has been a member of the Lions Club for 40 years and founded the Lions Club of the Melbourne Markets in 1972 which has become the highest fund raising Lions Club in Australia. Due to his commitment, he has been elected president of the club seven times.

Mr LaManna also started the Hand-to-Hand Appeal for the Bionic Hands Department at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, raising $198,000, and the Pat LaManna Cancer and Research Stroke Foundation which has raised $1.5 million to date.

He established the annual Melbourne Passion Play in 1997, an outdoor re-enactment of the story of Christ that is funded by himself and is free to the public. These are but a few of the generous contributions Mr LaManna has made to the community, serving it with energy and devotion and proving how people can make a difference at any age.