The 2025 Young Australian of the Year gives back to remote communities

Dr Katrina Wruck started the profit-for-purpose business Nguki Kula Green Labs to create "sustainable solutions for a healthier planet".

Its flagship project is the world's first reusable laundry system, which transforms low-value rocks into eco-friendly detergent.

"I was working with natural zeolite, which is a very abundant rock, and during my research, I discovered a way to turn it into zeolite LTA, which is actually the main ingredient in laundry detergent," she said.

Her postdoctoral research also examined how to break down dangerous "forever chemicals" into benign ones.

Dr Wruck's success was hard fought she said on Saturday night after being presented with her award at the National Arboretum Canberra.

"I stand here as a neurodivergent black woman, a golden trifecta that, by all accounts, wasn't supposed to succeed," she said.

"Early in my journey, I worked tirelessly to prove others wrong. But, along the way, I realised I wasn't doing it for them. I was doing it for myself, my family and the communities I represent."

Her business also tries to help the health and well-being of remote Indigenous communities by increasing access to free laundry facilities.

"In Australia, there's something called rheumatic heart disease, and it is a disease of poverty that affects predominately Indigenous people in remote communities," Dr Wruck said.

"One of the driving factors of rheumatic heart disease is caused by a bacteria, strep. Strep is highly contagious and one of the ways you can prevent strep is by having access to laundry facilities."

2025 Australian of the Year Awards

The name Nguki Kula means "water stone" in Kala Lagaw Ya, the language of the western Torres Strait Islands.

A proud Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman who has long advocated for First Nations knowledge, Dr Wruck also participates in community engagement programs. She was born in Logan in Queensland and now lives on the Gold Coast.

The students she speaks to frequently tell Dr Wruck that she's the first Indigenous scientist they've met. Her work has been recognised with several awards, and she is already well-known in her field.

At the ceremony on Saturday night, Dr Wruck said she proudly acknowledged both her Indigenous and immigrant heritage as "integral parts of my identity".

She said January 26 meant Australia Day, a celebration and a public holiday for some, "to others it is a stark reminder of the violent dispossession, a legacy that continues to this day".

She dedicated her award to "the young people daring to dream big".

"And the communities fighting for justice and the elders who continue to keep the fire burning," she said.

"Thank you for this honour - I carry it forward with pride, knowing there is still so much work to do. Together, we can build a future where culture, science and equity walk hand in hand."

National Australia Day Council chair John Foreman said Dr Wruck was helping to encourage others to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

"Katrina is forging new futures for our planet and for industry," he said.

"Her achievements and community work show other young people that they, too, have opportunities in the world of science and technology."