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Gill Hicks

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Gill Hicks
portrait photo
Gill Hicks, 2016
Born1968[1]
Occupation(s)motivational speaker for peace, author, curator
Known forsurvivor of 2005 London bombings

Gillian Claire Hicks, AM MBE, is an Australian motivational speaker, author, curator, and trustee for several cultural organisations. She is the founder of the London-based not-for-profit M.A.D for Peace.[2] She began her career as a speaker in the wake of the 7 July 2005 London bombings.[3] She was the last living victim rescued. Both her legs were amputated below the knee, and her injuries were so severe that she was initially not expected to live. She was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital without a name, identified only as "One Unknown".[4]

The Adelaide, South Australia-born Hicks has lived in London since 1992. She is former Publishing Director of the architecture, design and contemporary culture magazine Blueprint. Director of the multi-disciplinary design and publishing group Dangerous Minds, and Head of Curation at the UK's Design Council.[5]

Her first book, One Unknown,[6] was shortlisted in 2008 for the Mind Book of the Year. In 2008 she also carried the Olympic torch in Canberra.[7] Hicks was named South Australian of the Year in November 2014.[8][9][10]

Gillian Hicks was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2016 Australia Day Honours list "for significant service to the promotion of peace in the community through public engagement, education and network building initiatives".[11]

Personal life

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Hicks married art historian Joe Kerr on 10 December 2005 and separated in 2009.[12] In 2011 she met industrial designer Karl Falzon and returned to live in Australia, giving birth to her daughter Amelie in 2013.[13]

Awards and honours

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  • 2015 South Australia's Australian of the Year[14]
  • Ambassador for Peace Direct (Best New Charity), 2005[15]
  • Advocate for the Leonard Cheshire Disability, 2006[16]
  • MBE for her services to charity in the Queen's New Year's Honours List for 2009[17]
  • UK's Australian Woman of the Year 2009[18]
  • Honorary Doctor of Science from Kingston University, 2013, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, in recognition of her determination to overcome her injuries, and of her work raising awareness of disability.[19]
  • Recipient of the Iman Wa Amal Special Judges Award at the 10th Annual Muslim News Awards for Excellence in March 2010[20][21]
  • Listed in the Who's Who of Australian Women, 2011[22]
  • Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of South Australia [23]

References

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  1. ^ "Dr Gill Hicks AM MBE, b. 1968".
  2. ^ "Gill Hicks survived the London bombings of 2005 and is now a peace 'actionist'". Conversations with Richard Fidler. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Ending conflict is a personal choice all of us can make, says London blast victim Gill Hicks". news.com.au. 8 September 2011.
  4. ^ Paris, Natalie (7 July 2007). "Gill Hicks: 'I will never stop saying thank you' - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. London. ISSN 0307-1235. OCLC 49632006. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  5. ^ Gill Hicks: Biography
  6. ^ Hicks, Gill (20 June 2008). One Unknown. Rodale. ISBN 978-1905744145.
  7. ^ Gill Hicks TedX Sydney
  8. ^ "Gill Hicks, London bomb survivor and amputee named 2015 South Australia's Australian of the Year". abc.net.au. 14 November 2014.
  9. ^ David Winter (17 December 2014). "Australian of the Year finalists' treasured objects on display". The Canberra Times.
  10. ^ "Bomb survivor SA's Australian of the Year". Courier Mail. 12 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia (A-L)" (PDF). Australia Day 2016 Honours Lists. Office of the Governor-General of Australia. 25 January 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Gill Hicks: 7/7 bomb survivor on her marriage break-up and new baby". Daily Mirror. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  13. ^ "'I'm here. I'm Gill': how defiance saved Gill Hicks, survivor of the 7/7 London bombings". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  14. ^ 2015 SA Australian of the Year Recipients Announced
  15. ^ Peace Direct website
  16. ^ "Leonard Cheshire Disability website". Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  17. ^ "Australia Day UK Awards 2009". australiaday.co.uk. Australia Day Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  18. ^ Australian Woman of the Year designation for Gill Hicks[permanent dead link], australiaday.co.uk (2009)
  19. ^ "Honorary degree marks courage of 7/7 survivor Gill Hicks". www.kingston.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  20. ^ "10th Annual Muslim News Awards for Excellence". Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  21. ^ Gill Hicks speaks at the Young Muslims Advisory Group
  22. ^ "What we do". whoswhowomen.com.au. Who's Who of Australian Women. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  23. ^ "UniSA honours Gill Hicks". UniSA. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
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