Friday, 27 June 2025
Celebrating Excellence at the ASA2025 Gala Dinner
The 31st Annual ASA Conference Gala Dinner was a night of celebration, recognition and connection as the sonography community came together in Melbourne to honour the profession’s best and brightest.
Held as part of ASA2025, the Gala Dinner marked a standout moment in the conference program. With a packed room of delegates from across Australia and New Zealand, the evening began with a heartfelt welcome and reflection on the incredible impact sonographers make every day. From the opening moments to the final song on the dancefloor, the atmosphere was one of pride, energy and celebration.
The night’s formalities honoured the achievements of sonographers across clinical, research, education and volunteer domains through the annual ASA Awards of Excellence.
Among those recognised were:
Sonographers of the Year 2025
Each recipient was acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to patient care, innovation and leadership in their region:
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ACT – Nikki Nokes
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NSW – Catherine Robinson, FASA
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New Zealand – Carol Bagnall
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Queensland – Erika Cavanagh, FASA
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South Australia – Matthew Le
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Tasmania – Kathryn Fenton
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Victoria – Angela Farley, AFASA
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Western Australia – Caterina Watson, AFASA
Other major award recipients included:
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Rural and Remote Sonographer of the Year – Sadie Atkins
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Emerging Sonographer of the Year – Leanna Chen
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Tutor/Clinical Supervisor of the Year – Danielle Bowles, AFASA
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Researcher of the Year – Sandhya Maranna, FASA
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Sue Caitcheon Volunteer of the Year Award – Donna Napier, FASA
The second half of the evening saw the induction of four new ASA Fellows: Ilona Lavender, Natalie Clements, Michael Foster-Greenwood and Robyn Bowman. Fellowship represents the highest level of ASA membership and recognises sustained contributions to the profession.
The final award of the night was the prestigious Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Jacqui Robinson, FASA. With more than 30 years in the field, Jacqui has advanced vascular ultrasound through transformative education, groundbreaking research, and clinical innovation. She has shaped national and international practice standards, trained generations of sonographers, and led work to improve healthcare access in rural Australia. In her speech, Jacqui encouraged the audience to “stay curious, embrace challenges, and invest in your workplace and in the people alongside you.”
As the formalities concluded, the celebration truly began, with sonographers taking to the dancefloor to reconnect, unwind and honour the spirit of this year’s theme: Educate. Elevate. Celebrate.
Congratulations to all our 2025 award recipients. Your dedication continues to inspire, uplift and lead the sonography profession into the future.