The Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award commemorates the distinguished career of Elizabeth O'Neill OAM, who died in service of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Indonesia on 7 March 2007. The award builds on her tireless work to foster mutual understanding of Australia and Indonesia through accurate and informed media coverage.
The Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award is awarded to one journalist from Indonesia and one journalist from Australia each year. The award is open to high-achieving journalists from print, radio, television and online media organisations at any stage of their career.
Details on the 2025-26 award recipients and the program are available below.
2025-26 award recipients
Peter Ker
Mr Ker is a senior editor at the Australian Financial Review (AFR), specialising in resources, energy, mining and decarbonisation. He has over 24 years’ experience in print journalism, including for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Peter currently hosts the AFR’s ‘TechZero’ podcast, covering decarbonisation and the journey to net zero.
Irene Sarwindaningrum
Ms Sarwindaningrum is an editor at Kompas Daily Newspaper, for which she has been a reporter for over 18 years. She received the prestigious Adinegoro Award in 2022 for investigative reporting, for her involvement in an investigation into the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public policy.
About the program
Indonesian and Australian recipients of the Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award spend up to two weeks in Australia and Indonesia, respectively, on a fully funded program coordinated by the Australia-Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and supported by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Programs for successful candidates are developed to build a stronger understanding and appreciation of the broad range of issues facing contemporary Indonesia and Australia. The program will take place in 2026.
Programs are tailored to the journalist's area of expertise and reporting responsibilities in areas such as foreign and trade policy, development assistance, and education. They include a stay in the host country's capital city (Jakarta/Canberra), with visits to at least one other province/state/territory in the country visited.
The program may include engagements with:
- local media organisations, both commercial and government-owned
- the employer organisation of the host country participant
- academic institutions, including those with specialist journalism and communications programs
- media industry regulators and peak body organisations
- government and parliamentary officials and ministers (where possible)
- leading representatives of civil society and non-governmental organisations
Award conditions
The award covers:
- international airfares and domestic transfers from the participant's home city
- accommodation, internal transport, vaccinations, visas, travel insurance and other allowances.
The award does not cover the cost of travel for dependents, interpreters, camerapersons or other technical support people, additional baggage or other airline offerings. Successful applicants must have a valid passport with at least six months' validity from date of departure.