By Stephanie Leong
In the heart of every thriving community lies a champion, someone who not only dreams of a better future but also actively works towards it.
In December 2024, Seddon resident Gary Lee OAM was inducted into the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll at Government House.
From humble beginnings since arriving in Melbourne as an international student, Gary Lee has always recognised the importance of community.
His contribution includes various acts of kindness including; supporting the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) Telethon for World Refugee Day, volunteering for Travellers Aid as a wheelchair support crew at the Australian Open, a regular plasma donor for Lifeblood, and mentoring young leaders.
From international student to advocate, Gary Lee found his niche as an international education champion leading him to be presented with the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) ‘Distinguished Contribution’ award in 2018.
Currently, he heads the international education portfolio at the City of Melbourne and he manages the City of Melbourne’s partnership with the State Government International Education Recovery Plan 2025.
Gary has established many legacy projects over the years for the City of Melbourne. These include The Couch – International Student Centre, the ‘Our Shout’ food voucher Covid-response program for international students and he championed the ‘Forget the Stereotypes’ exhibition at the Immigration Museum.
The hashtag #garyleecious is more than just a fun pun, or a clever Instagram name; Gary is a movement. Known for his innovative approaches to community engagement, Gary has spent over two decades working tirelessly to improve the lives of those in his community, mainly international students, migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum.
One of his more notable achievements includes his involvement in supporting the Moroccan Children’s Appeal, led by his good friend, Fatima Baraka. The Appeal successfully helped Yahya El Jabaly, a young Moroccan boy get life-changing facial reconstruction surgery from Professor Tony Holmes at the Royal Children’s Hospital back in 2015.
Although he was continually told to do less grassroots work if he wanted more up the corporate ladder, Gary refused to turn his back on those in need. He likes getting his hands dirty and strongly believes that’s the key to empowering communities. He aspires to lead by example. ‘I am okay living outside the mainstream – I always have. I was never going to give up or buckle to peer pressure.’ His philosophy centres on the idea that effective leadership is not about authority or power, but rather about serving and empowering others.
Gary is the founder of PoisE’n and PoisE’n Bollypop dance crews, co-founder of cultural consultancy One Chai Please, sits on The Huddle Advisory Committee, the Victorian Multicultural Commission Regional Advisory Council (RAC), is a committee member for the Order of Australia (Victoria) Committee, and a previous board member of Multicultural Arts Victoria. He also writes for The Westsider.
