Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to acknowledge and to celebrate an extraordinary resident of Adelaide's western suburbs: Katherine Bennell-Pegg, whose achievements continue to inspire Australians right across the country. Katherine was born in Sydney in 1984 and, from a very young age, she had an ambitious dream: to become an astronaut. While many childhood dreams fade, Katherine's only grew stronger. With the encouragement of her parents, she committed herself to learning, excelling at school and pursuing interests including aerobatic flying and amateur astronomy. Katherine went on to the University of Sydney, completing honours in aeronautical and space engineering and a Bachelor of Advanced Science in physics. She also served in the Army Reserve, showing strong leadership and discipline well beyond her years then. Her service was recognised with the Sword of Honour and the Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey Memorial Award for topping her officer class at the Royal Military College.

In 2007, Katherine completed her degrees and was awarded the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. This opportunity took her across Europe as part of the Joint European Master in Space Science and Technology program. By 2010, she had completed two master's degrees, in space science and space engineering. From 2014 to 2019, Katherine lived and worked in Europe, building an impressive career at Airbus. During this time, she married her husband, Campbell Pegg, and together they welcomed two daughters.

In 2019, Katherine and her family returned to Australia to join the newly established Australian Space Agency in Adelaide. She served as assistant manager of the chief technology office before becoming Director of Space Technology. In 2023, she began astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Germany and in April 2024 became the first person to qualify as an astronaut under the Australian flag.

Katherine has been directly involved in NASA's Artemis program, which will return humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Katherine and her husband, Campbell, worked on the Orion spacecraft, the vehicle central to these missions. Australians are watching with pride and anticipation as she prepares to go further into space than any Australian before her.

In recognition of her remarkable journey and her contributions, Katherine was named Australian of the Year for 2026, the third South Australian in just seven years to win that prestigious award. As her local MP, I'm so proud to recognise Katherine Bennell-Pegg as a constituent who embodies determination and excellence. Her achievements show that Australians from our local communities can reach national recognition and even reach for the stars.

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