National award for Indigenous optometrist Harrison
Optometrist Harrison Pike from Canberra has received the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference emerging leadership award.
Presented by the First Nations Eye Health Alliance (FNEHA), the accolade was announced at the 2026 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference in Naarm/Melbourne recently.
Harrison is the first Indigenous student to graduate from the Master of Optometry at the University of Canberra, and an optometrist at OPSM Canberra City.
Lose Rose Fonua, CEO of FNEHA, said the alliance congratulated Pike on receiving the award.
“As a valued member of FNEHA and our conference leadership group, Harrison represents the next generation of leaders helping to improve eye health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through culturally safe, community-centred care,” she told Insight.
“His recognition highlights the important role optometrists play in closing the gap in vision outcomes and the need to continue to grow a strong, skilled, and culturally responsive eye health workforce.
“We hope Harrison’s achievement inspires more emerging practitioners to work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and contribute to a stronger future for eye health across Australia.”
“I was deeply honoured to receive the Emerging Leadership Award,” he said on the Optometry Australia website.
“A huge thank you to the First Nations Eye Health Alliance for this recognition. I don’t do this work for award, however receiving this means a great deal to me and reinforces my commitment to continuing to advocate for better eye health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
