Our ambassadors

Reverend Bill Crews is a Uniting Church minister who has worked for many years in support of disadvantaged Australians, including the elderly and homeless.

He is chairman and founder of the Exodus Foundation, co-founder of the First Life Education Centre, and CEO and founder of The Bill Crews Charitable Trust, which operates a literacy program for Indigenous children in the Northern Territory.

Reverend Crews is one of Australia’s 100 National Living Treasures, and was awarded an International Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation.

Christopher Pyne was elected to the House of Representatives for the seat of Sturt in 1993. He retired from the Parliament in 2019.

Christopher was a Minister in the Howard, Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments, serving as Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Minister for Defence Industry.

In his time as Education Minister, he reformed the national curriculum, introduced compulsory literacy and numeracy testing for Australian teaching graduates, expanded explicit instruction teaching in remote schools in northern Australia, and delivered the National Innovation and Science Agenda. In 2006, he founded ‘headspace: the Youth Mental Health Initiative’.

Before entering Parliament, Christopher practised as a solicitor.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has overcome neglect and lack of education to become one of the AFL’s most valuable and beloved players. He also works as a teacher’s aide, and as a community development officer for the Essendon Football Club.

Since his debut in 2016, Anthony has played 88 games for the Essendon Bombers. After starting his senior career across half-back, Walla has developed into one of the league’s best forwards. He made a significant impact in 2019, booting 30 goals from 22 games in a career-best performance. He also signed a new three-year contract, meaning he will stay with the Bombers until 2022.

Anthony is from the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory. He was raised by his grandmother but when he was ten years old she passed away and he was left to fend for himself. He was frequently absent from school, was barely literate and spoke little English.

As a teenager, Anthony was adopted by Jane McDonald and moved to Gippsland in Victoria. Through hard work and determination and, at long last, support for his learning disability – Anthony made it to Year 11.

Anthony is passionate about using his experience to help other children have access to the support and learning opportunities that have helped him get to where he is today.