Young Citizen of the Year 2026
Eleanor Buckham

Awarded to citizens who have made a noteworthy contribution during the previous year and/or given outstanding service to the local community for a number of years.

Eleanor has made an outstanding contribution to young people and the wider South Australian community through her leadership with the South Australian Youth Forum (SAYF), the state’s largest youth-led body.

Since joining SAYF in 2024, she has taken on significant leadership responsibility, helping to establish and facilitate the organisation's new 18-24 branch, while also facilitating the 14-18 branch. In these roles, she has mentored emerging leaders, strengthened youth participation across age groups, and helped shape SAYF’s policy influence on issues including civics education, mental health, loneliness, and period poverty.

Her advocacy has extended to Parliament House and the national stage, where she represented young South Australians as an expert witness at the National Inquiry into Civics Education, championing meaningful reform to strengthen democratic understanding among young people.

Eleanor’s impact is also evident through her work in research, regional engagement, and social justice. She has contributed to innovative youth-led research with Flinders University, including co-designing a youth-informed mental health app and supporting published research on youth belonging and public spaces.

Through the statewide All Voices Tour, she engaged hundreds of regional young people, presented their perspectives in Parliament, and helped establish the KI Youth Movement to ensure ongoing youth voice on Kangaroo Island.

She has also led SAYF’s involvement in community initiatives such as 'Walk a Mile in My Boots', supporting people experiencing homelessness.

Compassionate, evidence-driven, and deeply committed to inclusion, Eleanor exemplifies active citizenship and youth-led change, and is a respected role model whose work continues to strengthen community connection and democratic participation across South Australia.

Photograph: Eleanor with Australia Day Ambassador Christine Robertson OAM and Mayor Michael Coxon.