Cathy Freeman has delivered a unifying message after being named a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), Australia’s highest civilian honour, as part of the 2026 Australia Day awards.
Freeman is one of only ten Australians to receive the AC this year, joining a select group recognised for eminent service to the nation.
The honour marks a significant moment for the four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and two-time world champion, whose impact has extended well beyond the athletics track since her retirement more than two decades ago.
Speaking after the announcement, Freeman said the recognition carried personal significance because another Indigenous sporting trailblazer had previously received the same honour.
‘This means a lot to me, knowing that [Australian tennis star] Evonne [Goolagong Cawley] has already been here before, it almost makes me feel really comfortable in it all a bit more,’ Freeman said.
She also revealed that her mother, Cecilia Barber, played a central role in helping her come to terms with the meaning of the award, reframing it as something bestowed by the broader community rather than an institution.
Cathy Freeman describes Australia’s highest honour as a gift from the people, guided by her mother’s perspective
Freeman says Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s earlier recognition helped her feel more comfortable accepting the honour
The Olympic champion stresses she remains apolitical while expressing pride in her identity and community
‘It’s a lovely honour and Mum was like: ‘It’s a gift from the Australian people Catherine’.’
Freeman stressed that she has remained deliberately separate from political debate throughout her life, despite the unavoidable intersections between her career, identity and national conversations around reconciliation and Australia Day.
‘I am very apolitical, I have always been about just being true to who I am and I am proud of who I am and the community I belong to,’ she said.
‘I’m proud to be Australian, it just gives you energy, feeds positive energy.’
Her comments reflect a stance she has held since winning the 400 metres at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, when she carried both the Australian and Aboriginal flags in her victory lap.
Freeman said her focus has always been on collective progress rather than division.
‘I’m a person who is only ever interested in being creative together and moving forward together,’ she said.
‘We are a multicultural society and obviously I am a very proud Indigenous woman.’
The Australia Day honour recognises Freeman’s achievements on track and long-term youth leadership work
Freeman says the recognition energises her and reinforces pride in being Australian
One of ten AC recipients, Freeman joins leaders from politics, science, law and philanthropy
The AC recognises Freeman’s athletic achievements and her long-term work in education and youth advocacy.
In 2007, four years after retiring, she established the Cathy Freeman Foundation, now Murrup, to support education outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The 2026 Australia Day Honours List recognised 680 Australians in the General Division of the Order of Australia.
Of those, 10 were appointed Companions of the Order (AC), 38 were appointed Officers (AO), 160 were appointed Members (AM), and 472 received Medals (OAM).
Freeman joins other high-profile AC recipients this year.
They include former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and former federal finance minister Mathias Cormann, now OECD secretary-general.
Others honoured are quantum physicist Michelle Simmons, immunologist Anne Kelso, cancer epidemiologist Bruce Armstrong and geologist Peter Cook.
Philanthropist Paula Fox and Chief Justices Andrew Bell and Chris Kourakis were also appointed.
