SYDNEY, October 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Cathy Freeman has been voted Australia's Most Admired Woman, beating off a list of contenders that includes Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Hollywood actor Cate Blanchett and a host of business women, scientists and models.
The findings are contained in the inaugural Top 100 Most Admired Women in Australia report, compiled by Million Dollar Woman.
This is the first time the country's sporting and entertainment stars have been ranked alongside our most senior politicians, academics and business figures.
The verdicts were reached by compiling the votes of more than 1,200 Australian women, who ranked each candidate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The Top 10 Most Admired Women in Australia
Rank | Woman | Mean | |
1 | Cathy Freeman | 6.59 | |
2 | Dawn Fraser | 6.36 | |
3 | Cate Blanchett | 6.33 | |
4 | Olivia Newton-John | 6.28 | |
5 | Nicole Kidman | 6.14 | |
6 | Kylie Minogue | 6.05 | |
7 | Rebecca Gibney | 6.03 | |
8 | Miranda Kerr | 5.91 | |
9 | Delta Goodrem | 5.90 | |
10 | Toni Collette | 5.90 | |
Million Dollar Woman CEO Lynette Argent congratulated Freeman on her unique honour, saying she was an inspiration for all Australians.
"Cathy Freeman is a remarkable Australian who carried the hopes of a nation on her shoulders at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and who has always conducted herself in a dignified and gracious way," Ms Argent said.
"This study lifts a lid on who captures our interest, who displays highly regarded qualities like grit, perseverance, integrity and honesty.
"It is a fascinating insight into the Australian psyche, and provides a contemporary view of what it is to be an Australian leader."
While the analysis ranks the country's most revered women from 1-100, it also includes the Top 10 as voted by each generation:
Apart from the national winner, the report identifies the Most Admired Woman from each State.
Rank | State | Winner | Mean | |
1 | Most Admired Queenslander | Cathy Freeman | 6.59 | |
2 | Most Admired New South Welshman | Dawn Fraser | 6.36 | |
3 | Most Admired Victorian | Cate Blanchett | 6.33 | |
16 | Most Admired Northern Territorian | Leisel Jones | 5.66 | |
21 | Most Admired Tasmanian | Princess Mary of Denmark | 5.42 | |
22 | Most Admired Western Australian | Megan Gale | 5.41 | |
38 | Most Admired South Australian | Kasey Chambers | 5.14 | |
The overall findings suggest we revere women with a high public profile such as musicians, actors and sports stars.
Other women to make the list include:
Interestingly, Australian women of different generations have distinctly different views of who they admire most.
Overall Rank | Generation | Winner | Generational Mean | |
1 | Most Admired as voted by Generation Z | Cathy Freeman | 6.63 | |
8 | Most Admired as voted by Generation Y | Miranda Kerr | 5.94 | |
2 | Most Admired as voted by Generation X | Dawn Fraser | 6.68 | |
34 | Most Admired as voted by Baby Boomers | Evonne Goolagong | 7.26 | |
34 | Most Admired as voted by the Builders Generation | Evoone Goolagong | 8.39 | |
For a full list of those in the Top 100 Most Admired Women in Australia, the breakdown by category and voting results of each generation, go to www.milliondollarwoman.com.au/most-admired-australian-women
Lynette Argent is available for interview.
Twitter: #admiredwomen
Media enquiries
Adam Connolly
Tel: +61-417-170-084
