Professor Henry Brodaty AO Named 2026 NSW Senior Australian of the Year

Professor Henry Brodaty AO, one of Australia’s most respected clinicians, researchers and advocates for people living with dementia, has been named the 2026 NSW Senior Australian of the Year.

Professor Henry Brodaty AO, one of Australia’s most respected clinicians, researchers and advocates for people living with dementia, has been named the 2026 NSW Senior Australian of the Year.

The award recognises a lifetime of extraordinary contribution. Based at the Prince of Wales Hospital and UNSW Sydney, Professor Brodaty’s influence has shaped the way governments, practitioners, researchers and society engage with dementia - replacing despair with determination, silence with support, and stigma with science.

“I’m extremely honoured by this recognition,” said Professor Brodaty. “Over more than four decades we’ve moved from hopelessness to hope - from stigma to science - in the way we understand and respond to dementia. I’m proud to have played a part in this transformation, alongside so many dedicated colleagues, carers and people living with dementia who continue to inspire and drive our progress.”

He will now represent New South Wales as a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year, to be announced at the national ceremony in Canberra in January 2026.

Founding the Alzheimer’s movement in Australia

Professor Brodaty’s vision was instrumental in establishing the Alzheimer’s movement in Australia. He co-founded and was president of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Society (ADARDS) NSW in 1982 and ADARDS Australia in 1984 - the foundation for today’s Dementia Australia, the national peak body for people impacted by dementia and their carers.

This was more than a service - it was a shift in national consciousness. In 1984, he was invited to the meeting where Australia was one of four countries that established Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). He later was Chairman of ADI which now unites 120 countries in global advocacy and works closely with the World Health Organization.

Transforming clinical care

In 1985, Professor Brodaty established one of Australia’s first memory clinics, providing multidisciplinary dementia assessments at a time when older people were often dismissed with vague diagnoses and little support. His model, built on compassion, excellence and teamwork, became the national benchmark.

To improve early diagnosis, he developed the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG), a quick and reliable screening tool now used globally. He also led national GP education reaching more than 5,000 doctors, embedding dementia care in primary practice.

Recognising the effects of dementia on family carers, Professor Brodaty developed a carer’s training program that reduced carer stress, delayed nursing home admission and was cost-effective. This was emulated internationally and led to the current Australian government funded Going to Stay At Home program which combines respite care with carer education estimated to save millions of dollars annually.

Professor Brodaty was a leader in old age mental health services in Australia and globally, and served as President of the International Psychogeriatric Association.

Leading research and prevention

As Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Professor Brodaty has led pioneering research into dementia prevention. The landmark Maintain Your Brain trial - the world’s largest online dementia risk-reduction study - provided older Australians with digital coaching in fitness, nutrition, brain training and wellbeing, demonstrating real cognitive gains and significant cost-effectiveness.

Professor Brodaty has long been a trusted voice for governments, health systems and communities. His leadership has shaped major national initiatives, including the NSW Framework for Dementia Care and the National Dementia Action Plan and reforms improving aged care safety, deprescribing and post-diagnosis care.

Despite global recognition, he remains grounded - continuing to see patients as a senior psychogeriatrician at Prince of Wales Hospital, mentoring young clinicians and engaging widely across NSW to improve community understanding of dementia.

In recognising Professor Henry Brodaty as NSW Senior Australian of the Year, we celebrate a world leader who has transformed dementia care from every angle - clinical, academic, systemic and personal - guiding Australia toward a future where dementia is better understood, better treated and increasingly prevented.

“This award is a tribute to my father, who lived with young-onset dementia, my mother, who was his devoted carer, and to all those living with dementia and their families,” said Prof. Brodaty.