Six Belgians who are making their mark in Australia were honoured on Thursday at the inaugural Belgian-Australian Excellence Awards ceremony in Canberra.
The event took place at the Belgian Embassy in the Australian capital, where Ambassador Karl Stouthuysen announced the winners of six categories. They included a brewer, a chocolatier, an artist, a researcher, an engineer, and a finance expert.
Tineke Van der Eecken, an interdisciplinary artist and writer from Fremantle, Western Australia, was recognised in the Arts, Culture, and Community category.
Recognising the strength and vitality of Australia's Belgians
Florence Gabriel, a senior researcher at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, was honoured for STEM, Research, and Academia.
Antonin Demazy de Fortet, an engineer from Melbourne, Victoria, and founder of GG Advisory, received the Environment and Sustainability award.
Jimmy Van Eetvelde, co-founder of Madocke Beer Brewing Company on the Gold Coast, Queensland, was honoured for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Filip Tibos, a master chocolatier from Melbourne, Victoria, was acknowledged in the Food and Gastronomy category.
Krista Baetens, Global Markets executive at NAB bank in Sydney, New South Wales, received an award in the High Impact Corporate category.
Belgium’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Maxime Prévot, congratulated the winners via a video message during the event.
“This initiative wonderfully recognises the strength and vitality of the Belgian community in Australia,” he said, addressing the some 100 attendees. “Today, we celebrate the qualities that make Belgium proud — talent, creativity, entrepreneurship, and a strong sense of community — all thriving in Australia.”
Community involvement
The broader Belgian community in Australia, comprising about 8,000 individuals, was involved in nominating candidates and voting for them across the categories. A total of 53 nominees were put forward by the community, with a jury and 3,600 voters selecting the winners.
According to Ambassador Stouthuysen, the awards aim to highlight and honour businesses, entrepreneurs, individuals, Belgian partners, and Australians who share close ties with Belgium. “These people shine a light on Belgium in Australia, contributing to excellence, success, and presenting Belgium as an innovative country,” he said.
He also noted that the awards ceremony reflects a desire to acknowledge shared efforts and recognise significant accomplishments.
An annual tradition...
The initiative was co-launched by the Belgian Embassy in Australia and François Vantomme, editor-in-chief of the bilingual media outlet Le Courrier Australien/LCA News.
Vantomme said the concept had been on his mind for years and was in line with the ambassador’s goal of creating an event to reward and bring the Belgian community together. “We were on the same wavelength and decided to go for it,” he explained.
Highlighting the depth of talent within Belgium, Vantomme added, “If we do not acknowledge our own excellence, how can we expect others to do so?”
He anticipates the event will become an annual tradition.
