The 2024 Telstra Best of Business Awards National Gala was held in Melbourne with seven businesses recognised for their achievements in their respective categories.
Among the awardees, the Business of the Year distinction was given to DJAARA, the representative body of the Dja Dja Wurrung of Central Victoria that has built a successful enterprise by tapping into ancient knowledge and traditional practices to modern agriculture and aquaculture. DIARRA also won the Indigenous Excellence award.
“What stands out about this year’s winner is their connection to purpose which drives this organisation at its core. More than 20 years ago, 15 people gathered on a verandah and recognised their collective strength and the positive impact they could have on their people and community,” said Amanda Hutton, Group Executive, Telstra Business.
“Like so many businesses, they faced challenges to become the thriving enterprise they are today, and it’s success stories like DJAARA and our other category winners that highlight the incredible resilience of Australia’s small business community,” Hutton added.
The other awardees and the respective categories they won for are:
- Ikuntji Artists (Northern Territory) – Accelerating Women
- The Push-Up Challenge (Western Australia) – Building Communities
- Bellberry (South Australia) – Championing Health
- Verterra Ecological Engineering (Queensland) – Embracing Innovation
- Proptech Labs (New South Wales) – Outstanding Growth
- Wildlife Drones (Australian Capital Territory) – Promoting Sustainability
The finalists were chosen following a rigorous judging process across the states and territories. They were then invited to Melbourne this week where Telstra hosted a series of workshops and networking opportunities with some of the country’s top business and industry leaders to accelerate their growth.
The winners were then chosen based on an analysis of each business and their impact on Australia’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, as well as in-depth interviews with business leaders including MindTribes CEO Div Pillay, Small Business Australia Executive Director Bill Lang, and Frank Green Founder and CEO Benjamin Young.
Telstra’s Best of Business Awards program has been part of Telstra’s commitment for the past 30 years to support small businesses by celebrating their achievements and the people behind them while also giving them the opportunity to learn from Australia’s best business minds.
