30-06-2025
Why we need more 'champion Australians' like BackTrack's Bernie Shakeshaft
Twenty years after it was established, BackTrack has become one of the most successful and sustainable youth development programs in the country.
In 2020, its creator Bernie Shakeshaft was named Australia's Local Hero as part of the Australian of the Year Awards, and his phone has been ringing off the hook for five years since.
"I think it has given BackTrack a much broader footprint," Mr Shakeshaft says of the national recognition. "They're pretty big awards, they've given us a bit of national exposure."
"[The phone calls] weren't just from different towns wanting to get something started; It started tweaking the interest of a lot of private wealth or philanthropists, they were looking for organisations they could then back and support themselves."
Based in Armidale in NSW, BackTrack began in 2005 as a job-ready program for high school kids, but Mr Shakeshaft quickly recognised there was no quick fix for kids who might have grown up with trauma or around crime.
He said many kids as young as 11 and 12 might have already been having criminal issues or schooling issues. He and other volunteers saw how many weren't safe at home or were already sleeping rough.
"We started with one little thing, and that was to get those kids at that time work-ready, so we're trying to keep them off the streets at night and trying to keep them out of stolen cars and work out somewhere safe for them to stay," Mr Shakeshaft said.
"And that's where the dogs came into it ... we had tried 50 different things and there were wins, but we hadn't quite cracked it."
He had a litter of working dog puppies, brought them to work one day and said it was a "light bulb" moment when he let them loose on the lawn with the kids.
"That was the first time I saw these wild kids sitting with these pups, and they were so soft and gentle."
It was 2006 when Mr Shakeshaft got a call from a mate asking if he knew about dog high jumping - he didn't - but quickly learned what it was about and decided to give it a crack.
"We grabbed half a dozen dogs, went down there and we won the Armidale Show just with a few mates, then the next week it was the Guyra Show, so we took a few of the kids and they won that, then there was the Walcha Show a few weeks later."
Then came the BackTrack Shed, where they began training programs like welding and metalworking, which included maths and literacy for kids who weren't going to school. Research done by the University of New England showed youth crime plummeted by almost 50 per cent.
Around 2015, they rolled out a pilot program to house and feed nine participants. Suddenly, almost 90 per cent of participants were able to find work. But many struggled with long-term employment, so seven years ago, BackTrack developed its own commercial business to provide work opportunities.
"We'll have our 21st birthday next year, and we're doing a 100-year vision; we want this to be here well past my use-by-date."
Mr Shakeshaft is encouraging others to nominate someone for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.
He said people putting in hard work in their community normally weren't loud about what they're doing, but nomination alone can give them the drive to keep going.
"You don't go around blowing your own trumpet, you know," he said. "It is a pretty important cause. If you look down the history of Australians of the Year or people winning those awards, it's not people out there broadcasting themselves.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE NOW!
"People know about the special stuff that unique individuals are doing, and you see it in your own towns. [Nominating someone] is a marvellous gesture. Even if they don't win the award, to be nominated is pretty cool, and I think it helps people; it motivates them.
"I've met some bloody champion Australians, and getting to meet other down-to-earth, really cool people that are doing something a bit special, it is a part of the journey that has touched me the most. It is eye-opening to see the special things people are doing right across the country.
"That's probably the most special part of the awards, I reckon."
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
Twenty years after it was established, BackTrack has become one of the most successful and sustainable youth development programs in the country.
In 2020, its creator Bernie Shakeshaft was named Australia's Local Hero as part of the Australian of the Year Awards, and his phone has been ringing off the hook for five years since.
"I think it has given BackTrack a much broader footprint," Mr Shakeshaft says of the national recognition. "They're pretty big awards, they've given us a bit of national exposure."
"[The phone calls] weren't just from different towns wanting to get something started; It started tweaking the interest of a lot of private wealth or philanthropists, they were looking for organisations they could then back and support themselves."
Based in Armidale in NSW, BackTrack began in 2005 as a job-ready program for high school kids, but Mr Shakeshaft quickly recognised there was no quick fix for kids who might have grown up with trauma or around crime.
He said many kids as young as 11 and 12 might have already been having criminal issues or schooling issues. He and other volunteers saw how many weren't safe at home or were already sleeping rough.
"We started with one little thing, and that was to get those kids at that time work-ready, so we're trying to keep them off the streets at night and trying to keep them out of stolen cars and work out somewhere safe for them to stay," Mr Shakeshaft said.
"And that's where the dogs came into it ... we had tried 50 different things and there were wins, but we hadn't quite cracked it."
He had a litter of working dog puppies, brought them to work one day and said it was a "light bulb" moment when he let them loose on the lawn with the kids.
"That was the first time I saw these wild kids sitting with these pups, and they were so soft and gentle."
It was 2006 when Mr Shakeshaft got a call from a mate asking if he knew about dog high jumping - he didn't - but quickly learned what it was about and decided to give it a crack.
"We grabbed half a dozen dogs, went down there and we won the Armidale Show just with a few mates, then the next week it was the Guyra Show, so we took a few of the kids and they won that, then there was the Walcha Show a few weeks later."
Then came the BackTrack Shed, where they began training programs like welding and metalworking, which included maths and literacy for kids who weren't going to school. Research done by the University of New England showed youth crime plummeted by almost 50 per cent.
Around 2015, they rolled out a pilot program to house and feed nine participants. Suddenly, almost 90 per cent of participants were able to find work. But many struggled with long-term employment, so seven years ago, BackTrack developed its own commercial business to provide work opportunities.
"We'll have our 21st birthday next year, and we're doing a 100-year vision; we want this to be here well past my use-by-date."
Mr Shakeshaft is encouraging others to nominate someone for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.
He said people putting in hard work in their community normally weren't loud about what they're doing, but nomination alone can give them the drive to keep going.
"You don't go around blowing your own trumpet, you know," he said. "It is a pretty important cause. If you look down the history of Australians of the Year or people winning those awards, it's not people out there broadcasting themselves.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE NOW!
"People know about the special stuff that unique individuals are doing, and you see it in your own towns. [Nominating someone] is a marvellous gesture. Even if they don't win the award, to be nominated is pretty cool, and I think it helps people; it motivates them.
"I've met some bloody champion Australians, and getting to meet other down-to-earth, really cool people that are doing something a bit special, it is a part of the journey that has touched me the most. It is eye-opening to see the special things people are doing right across the country.
"That's probably the most special part of the awards, I reckon."
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
Twenty years after it was established, BackTrack has become one of the most successful and sustainable youth development programs in the country.
In 2020, its creator Bernie Shakeshaft was named Australia's Local Hero as part of the Australian of the Year Awards, and his phone has been ringing off the hook for five years since.
"I think it has given BackTrack a much broader footprint," Mr Shakeshaft says of the national recognition. "They're pretty big awards, they've given us a bit of national exposure."
"[The phone calls] weren't just from different towns wanting to get something started; It started tweaking the interest of a lot of private wealth or philanthropists, they were looking for organisations they could then back and support themselves."
Based in Armidale in NSW, BackTrack began in 2005 as a job-ready program for high school kids, but Mr Shakeshaft quickly recognised there was no quick fix for kids who might have grown up with trauma or around crime.
He said many kids as young as 11 and 12 might have already been having criminal issues or schooling issues. He and other volunteers saw how many weren't safe at home or were already sleeping rough.
"We started with one little thing, and that was to get those kids at that time work-ready, so we're trying to keep them off the streets at night and trying to keep them out of stolen cars and work out somewhere safe for them to stay," Mr Shakeshaft said.
"And that's where the dogs came into it ... we had tried 50 different things and there were wins, but we hadn't quite cracked it."
He had a litter of working dog puppies, brought them to work one day and said it was a "light bulb" moment when he let them loose on the lawn with the kids.
"That was the first time I saw these wild kids sitting with these pups, and they were so soft and gentle."
It was 2006 when Mr Shakeshaft got a call from a mate asking if he knew about dog high jumping - he didn't - but quickly learned what it was about and decided to give it a crack.
"We grabbed half a dozen dogs, went down there and we won the Armidale Show just with a few mates, then the next week it was the Guyra Show, so we took a few of the kids and they won that, then there was the Walcha Show a few weeks later."
Then came the BackTrack Shed, where they began training programs like welding and metalworking, which included maths and literacy for kids who weren't going to school. Research done by the University of New England showed youth crime plummeted by almost 50 per cent.
Around 2015, they rolled out a pilot program to house and feed nine participants. Suddenly, almost 90 per cent of participants were able to find work. But many struggled with long-term employment, so seven years ago, BackTrack developed its own commercial business to provide work opportunities.
"We'll have our 21st birthday next year, and we're doing a 100-year vision; we want this to be here well past my use-by-date."
Mr Shakeshaft is encouraging others to nominate someone for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.
He said people putting in hard work in their community normally weren't loud about what they're doing, but nomination alone can give them the drive to keep going.
"You don't go around blowing your own trumpet, you know," he said. "It is a pretty important cause. If you look down the history of Australians of the Year or people winning those awards, it's not people out there broadcasting themselves.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE NOW!
"People know about the special stuff that unique individuals are doing, and you see it in your own towns. [Nominating someone] is a marvellous gesture. Even if they don't win the award, to be nominated is pretty cool, and I think it helps people; it motivates them.
"I've met some bloody champion Australians, and getting to meet other down-to-earth, really cool people that are doing something a bit special, it is a part of the journey that has touched me the most. It is eye-opening to see the special things people are doing right across the country.
"That's probably the most special part of the awards, I reckon."
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
Twenty years after it was established, BackTrack has become one of the most successful and sustainable youth development programs in the country.
In 2020, its creator Bernie Shakeshaft was named Australia's Local Hero as part of the Australian of the Year Awards, and his phone has been ringing off the hook for five years since.
"I think it has given BackTrack a much broader footprint," Mr Shakeshaft says of the national recognition. "They're pretty big awards, they've given us a bit of national exposure."
"[The phone calls] weren't just from different towns wanting to get something started; It started tweaking the interest of a lot of private wealth or philanthropists, they were looking for organisations they could then back and support themselves."
Based in Armidale in NSW, BackTrack began in 2005 as a job-ready program for high school kids, but Mr Shakeshaft quickly recognised there was no quick fix for kids who might have grown up with trauma or around crime.
He said many kids as young as 11 and 12 might have already been having criminal issues or schooling issues. He and other volunteers saw how many weren't safe at home or were already sleeping rough.
"We started with one little thing, and that was to get those kids at that time work-ready, so we're trying to keep them off the streets at night and trying to keep them out of stolen cars and work out somewhere safe for them to stay," Mr Shakeshaft said.
"And that's where the dogs came into it ... we had tried 50 different things and there were wins, but we hadn't quite cracked it."
He had a litter of working dog puppies, brought them to work one day and said it was a "light bulb" moment when he let them loose on the lawn with the kids.
"That was the first time I saw these wild kids sitting with these pups, and they were so soft and gentle."
It was 2006 when Mr Shakeshaft got a call from a mate asking if he knew about dog high jumping - he didn't - but quickly learned what it was about and decided to give it a crack.
"We grabbed half a dozen dogs, went down there and we won the Armidale Show just with a few mates, then the next week it was the Guyra Show, so we took a few of the kids and they won that, then there was the Walcha Show a few weeks later."
Then came the BackTrack Shed, where they began training programs like welding and metalworking, which included maths and literacy for kids who weren't going to school. Research done by the University of New England showed youth crime plummeted by almost 50 per cent.
Around 2015, they rolled out a pilot program to house and feed nine participants. Suddenly, almost 90 per cent of participants were able to find work. But many struggled with long-term employment, so seven years ago, BackTrack developed its own commercial business to provide work opportunities.
"We'll have our 21st birthday next year, and we're doing a 100-year vision; we want this to be here well past my use-by-date."
Mr Shakeshaft is encouraging others to nominate someone for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.
He said people putting in hard work in their community normally weren't loud about what they're doing, but nomination alone can give them the drive to keep going.
"You don't go around blowing your own trumpet, you know," he said. "It is a pretty important cause. If you look down the history of Australians of the Year or people winning those awards, it's not people out there broadcasting themselves.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE NOW!
"People know about the special stuff that unique individuals are doing, and you see it in your own towns. [Nominating someone] is a marvellous gesture. Even if they don't win the award, to be nominated is pretty cool, and I think it helps people; it motivates them.
"I've met some bloody champion Australians, and getting to meet other down-to-earth, really cool people that are doing something a bit special, it is a part of the journey that has touched me the most. It is eye-opening to see the special things people are doing right across the country.
"That's probably the most special part of the awards, I reckon."
Help find the 2025 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire.
The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them.
Nominate online at Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
