Former medical doctor and now CEO of The Rites of Passage Institute, Dr Arne Rubinstein has spent over 30 years facilitating transitions for boys and men. And yesterday, he was announced as Australian Father of the Year 2025 by The Fathering Project and Australian Fathers Day Council.

Maggie chatted with Arne in Season 1 of The Good Enough Dad, so we thought it was timely to revisit their conversation, which explored not only what Arne has learnt from the many thousands of fathers and kids he's worked with over the years, but what he's learnt from his own experience of being a dad to his own two sons.

Congratulations to Arne and to all the other dads, father figures and workplaces who were honoured at this year’s awards.

LINKS: To see the full list of recipients, go to australianfatheringawards.org.au

Arne Rubinstein on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/arnerubinstein/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorarnerubinstein/ and Rites of Passage https://ritesofpassageinstitute.org/

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Trent Dalton is a two-time Walkley Award-winning journalist and internationally bestselling author whose work has touched hearts around the world. But behind the accolades lies a childhood marked by immense hardship—substance abuse, domestic violence, parental separation and poverty.

But Trent turned pain into prose. His debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe—a semi-fictionalised take on his childhood—became a literary sensation and later Netflix’s most successful Australian-made series. His 2021 non-fiction work, Love Stories, was adapted for the stage and will tour in late 2025, around the same time his next novel, Gravity Let Me Go, is set for release.

Trent doesn’t shy away from the gritty and uncomfortable, but what sets him apart is his unwavering belief in beauty, love and hope—something he often credits to his wife of 25 years, journalist Fiona Franzmann. They now live in Brisbane with their daughters, Beth and Sylvie.

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Sean Abbott is part of Australia’s cricket team, which means he spends a LOT of his working life away from home.

A standout fast bowler, Sean made his professional debut at just 18 and has gone on to become one of the top performers in Australian cricket. From dominating the domestic scene to helping Australia win the 2023 World Cup, he's faced up to some of the best batters in the game. And while he’s known for his bowling, he’s no slouch with the bat—once scoring a blistering century in just 41 balls.

But while he’s achieving success in his career he’s also juggling family life with his wife Brier, three-year-old daughter Ella and baby Arlo. And he’s very aware of the sacrifices he and his family are making as he thoughtfully navigates the terrain of being a good-enough dad and a world-class athlete.

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