12-07-2025
Holding out for a local hero: the search for Australia's next Vicki Jellie
Vicki Jellie was told a cancer centre for her community would never happen. But she never gave up hope.
After losing husband Peter to cancer, Ms Jellie made it her mission to bring treatment services to her part of regional Australia.
It was a dream of her husband's that she didn't discover until after his death in 2008.
From there, Peter's Project was born - a group dedicated to fighting for better cancer services for Warrnambool on the south-west coast of Victoria.
Ms Jellie lobbied governments and rallied the community to raise funds.
The region raised $5 million in just nine months, while $25 million came from state and federal governments.
The South West Regional Cancer Centre opened in July 2016, offering radiotherapy treatment for regional patients.
Ms Jellie's campaigning led to a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards. She was named Victoria's Local Hero before then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced in Canberra that she was Australia's Local Hero of 2017.
Ms Jellie said the years since the opening of the centre and the Australian of the Year honour had been a whirlwind.
"The opening of the centre was something that had come together after years of work by so many people," she said. "It was just such a great outcome for the community."
She had never expected to be recognised for her advocacy.
"I didn't do it for that, that's not my style," she said. "I did it because it was in my heart and the community followed on board to work together to do that. To be told I'd received the award was, of course, an honour, but very humbling, and I continue to pursue the cause for the community because even though it was my name on the award, for me, our community's name was on it."
Ms Jellie said the emotional weight of her husband's diagnosis was intensified by the fact they were required to travel three hours for treatment.
"We had no family in Melbourne yet had to go down there for treatment for weeks on end, away from our jobs, our family and children," she said. "It was a huge upheaval."
Ms Jellie says she knows Peter would be proud of the outcome their community achieved.
"He was a very big community person," she said. "He was in the rural fire brigade and on school councils, we were also a community-minded family so it means a lot to be able to achieve it, even though a lot of times along the way, we never knew if we would. We knew it wouldn't bring him back but that it was going to benefit so many in our region for generations to come."
Ms Jellie said the Local Hero award led other communities to seek advice.
"I had contact from a lot of different groups around Australia, that weren't all necessarily cancer related, that felt they did not get the same services as our metropolitan counterparts and asked how they could move forward like we did," she said.
"Really, my response to them was 'You have to work as a team and you have to not give up when you easily could', because we didn't give up, we kept going even though we were told we would never get such a centre."
The South West Regional Cancer Centre provides oncology, haematology, radiation therapy and other support services.
"There have been some really great outcomes," Ms Jellie said. "And I still get feedback from people just down at the supermarket or elsewhere, who have now been able to stay at home and have their treatment, and that is the biggest benefit."
She hopes others in her community and elsewhere around Australia who are making a difference will be recognised for their dedication with a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards.
"You don't have to look far to see all the great clubs and groups we have here, and it's the quiet achievers in those groups that go around doing things, not for acknowledgment, but sometimes we need to really say to people that what they are doing is something extraordinary," she said.
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
Vicki Jellie was told a cancer centre for her community would never happen. But she never gave up hope.
After losing husband Peter to cancer, Ms Jellie made it her mission to bring treatment services to her part of regional Australia.
It was a dream of her husband's that she didn't discover until after his death in 2008.
From there, Peter's Project was born - a group dedicated to fighting for better cancer services for Warrnambool on the south-west coast of Victoria.
Ms Jellie lobbied governments and rallied the community to raise funds.
The region raised $5 million in just nine months, while $25 million came from state and federal governments.
The South West Regional Cancer Centre opened in July 2016, offering radiotherapy treatment for regional patients.
Ms Jellie's campaigning led to a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards. She was named Victoria's Local Hero before then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced in Canberra that she was Australia's Local Hero of 2017.
Ms Jellie said the years since the opening of the centre and the Australian of the Year honour had been a whirlwind.
"The opening of the centre was something that had come together after years of work by so many people," she said. "It was just such a great outcome for the community."
She had never expected to be recognised for her advocacy.
"I didn't do it for that, that's not my style," she said. "I did it because it was in my heart and the community followed on board to work together to do that. To be told I'd received the award was, of course, an honour, but very humbling, and I continue to pursue the cause for the community because even though it was my name on the award, for me, our community's name was on it."
Ms Jellie said the emotional weight of her husband's diagnosis was intensified by the fact they were required to travel three hours for treatment.
"We had no family in Melbourne yet had to go down there for treatment for weeks on end, away from our jobs, our family and children," she said. "It was a huge upheaval."
Ms Jellie says she knows Peter would be proud of the outcome their community achieved.
"He was a very big community person," she said. "He was in the rural fire brigade and on school councils, we were also a community-minded family so it means a lot to be able to achieve it, even though a lot of times along the way, we never knew if we would. We knew it wouldn't bring him back but that it was going to benefit so many in our region for generations to come."
Ms Jellie said the Local Hero award led other communities to seek advice.
"I had contact from a lot of different groups around Australia, that weren't all necessarily cancer related, that felt they did not get the same services as our metropolitan counterparts and asked how they could move forward like we did," she said.
"Really, my response to them was 'You have to work as a team and you have to not give up when you easily could', because we didn't give up, we kept going even though we were told we would never get such a centre."
The South West Regional Cancer Centre provides oncology, haematology, radiation therapy and other support services.
"There have been some really great outcomes," Ms Jellie said. "And I still get feedback from people just down at the supermarket or elsewhere, who have now been able to stay at home and have their treatment, and that is the biggest benefit."
She hopes others in her community and elsewhere around Australia who are making a difference will be recognised for their dedication with a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards.
"You don't have to look far to see all the great clubs and groups we have here, and it's the quiet achievers in those groups that go around doing things, not for acknowledgment, but sometimes we need to really say to people that what they are doing is something extraordinary," she said.
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
Vicki Jellie was told a cancer centre for her community would never happen. But she never gave up hope.
After losing husband Peter to cancer, Ms Jellie made it her mission to bring treatment services to her part of regional Australia.
It was a dream of her husband's that she didn't discover until after his death in 2008.
From there, Peter's Project was born - a group dedicated to fighting for better cancer services for Warrnambool on the south-west coast of Victoria.
Ms Jellie lobbied governments and rallied the community to raise funds.
The region raised $5 million in just nine months, while $25 million came from state and federal governments.
The South West Regional Cancer Centre opened in July 2016, offering radiotherapy treatment for regional patients.
Ms Jellie's campaigning led to a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards. She was named Victoria's Local Hero before then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced in Canberra that she was Australia's Local Hero of 2017.
Ms Jellie said the years since the opening of the centre and the Australian of the Year honour had been a whirlwind.
"The opening of the centre was something that had come together after years of work by so many people," she said. "It was just such a great outcome for the community."
She had never expected to be recognised for her advocacy.
"I didn't do it for that, that's not my style," she said. "I did it because it was in my heart and the community followed on board to work together to do that. To be told I'd received the award was, of course, an honour, but very humbling, and I continue to pursue the cause for the community because even though it was my name on the award, for me, our community's name was on it."
Ms Jellie said the emotional weight of her husband's diagnosis was intensified by the fact they were required to travel three hours for treatment.
"We had no family in Melbourne yet had to go down there for treatment for weeks on end, away from our jobs, our family and children," she said. "It was a huge upheaval."
Ms Jellie says she knows Peter would be proud of the outcome their community achieved.
"He was a very big community person," she said. "He was in the rural fire brigade and on school councils, we were also a community-minded family so it means a lot to be able to achieve it, even though a lot of times along the way, we never knew if we would. We knew it wouldn't bring him back but that it was going to benefit so many in our region for generations to come."
Ms Jellie said the Local Hero award led other communities to seek advice.
"I had contact from a lot of different groups around Australia, that weren't all necessarily cancer related, that felt they did not get the same services as our metropolitan counterparts and asked how they could move forward like we did," she said.
"Really, my response to them was 'You have to work as a team and you have to not give up when you easily could', because we didn't give up, we kept going even though we were told we would never get such a centre."
The South West Regional Cancer Centre provides oncology, haematology, radiation therapy and other support services.
"There have been some really great outcomes," Ms Jellie said. "And I still get feedback from people just down at the supermarket or elsewhere, who have now been able to stay at home and have their treatment, and that is the biggest benefit."
She hopes others in her community and elsewhere around Australia who are making a difference will be recognised for their dedication with a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards.
"You don't have to look far to see all the great clubs and groups we have here, and it's the quiet achievers in those groups that go around doing things, not for acknowledgment, but sometimes we need to really say to people that what they are doing is something extraordinary," she said.
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
Vicki Jellie was told a cancer centre for her community would never happen. But she never gave up hope.
After losing husband Peter to cancer, Ms Jellie made it her mission to bring treatment services to her part of regional Australia.
It was a dream of her husband's that she didn't discover until after his death in 2008.
From there, Peter's Project was born - a group dedicated to fighting for better cancer services for Warrnambool on the south-west coast of Victoria.
Ms Jellie lobbied governments and rallied the community to raise funds.
The region raised $5 million in just nine months, while $25 million came from state and federal governments.
The South West Regional Cancer Centre opened in July 2016, offering radiotherapy treatment for regional patients.
Ms Jellie's campaigning led to a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards. She was named Victoria's Local Hero before then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced in Canberra that she was Australia's Local Hero of 2017.
Ms Jellie said the years since the opening of the centre and the Australian of the Year honour had been a whirlwind.
"The opening of the centre was something that had come together after years of work by so many people," she said. "It was just such a great outcome for the community."
She had never expected to be recognised for her advocacy.
"I didn't do it for that, that's not my style," she said. "I did it because it was in my heart and the community followed on board to work together to do that. To be told I'd received the award was, of course, an honour, but very humbling, and I continue to pursue the cause for the community because even though it was my name on the award, for me, our community's name was on it."
Ms Jellie said the emotional weight of her husband's diagnosis was intensified by the fact they were required to travel three hours for treatment.
"We had no family in Melbourne yet had to go down there for treatment for weeks on end, away from our jobs, our family and children," she said. "It was a huge upheaval."
Ms Jellie says she knows Peter would be proud of the outcome their community achieved.
"He was a very big community person," she said. "He was in the rural fire brigade and on school councils, we were also a community-minded family so it means a lot to be able to achieve it, even though a lot of times along the way, we never knew if we would. We knew it wouldn't bring him back but that it was going to benefit so many in our region for generations to come."
Ms Jellie said the Local Hero award led other communities to seek advice.
"I had contact from a lot of different groups around Australia, that weren't all necessarily cancer related, that felt they did not get the same services as our metropolitan counterparts and asked how they could move forward like we did," she said.
"Really, my response to them was 'You have to work as a team and you have to not give up when you easily could', because we didn't give up, we kept going even though we were told we would never get such a centre."
The South West Regional Cancer Centre provides oncology, haematology, radiation therapy and other support services.
"There have been some really great outcomes," Ms Jellie said. "And I still get feedback from people just down at the supermarket or elsewhere, who have now been able to stay at home and have their treatment, and that is the biggest benefit."
She hopes others in her community and elsewhere around Australia who are making a difference will be recognised for their dedication with a nomination in the Australian of the Year Awards.
"You don't have to look far to see all the great clubs and groups we have here, and it's the quiet achievers in those groups that go around doing things, not for acknowledgment, but sometimes we need to really say to people that what they are doing is something extraordinary," she said.
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
