The Good Weekend magazine in The Age is celebrating its 25th anniversary and in a special edition today named the 25 Australians its panel considers the greatest change makers over the past 50 years.

“Who made Australia what it is today? We asked a panel to name the 25 people who have changed the nation the most,” the introduction boldly proclaims.

There were eight judges, four each from Melbourne and Sydney, possibly because that’s where the magazine circulates or maybe because that’s where the editors think Australia starts and finishes.

They came up with a mixed bunch, trying to focus on the arts and sciences without dwelling too much on politics. In the process they forgot about the law (except for Eddie Mabo) and overlooked sport (except for Cathy Freeman).

The magazine’s top 10 Australian change makers of the past 50 years:

1. Germaine Greer
2. Rupert Murdoch
3. Paul Keating
4. Gough Whitlam
5. Judith Wright
6. Patrick White
7. John Howard
8. Bob Hawke
9. Eddie Mabo
10. Noel Pearson

They are all eminent people, obviously. It’s disappointing however, that two foreigners were named as the top two Australians.

Greer has hardly been in the country for 20 years and Murdoch is an American citizen.

Here are my top 10 change makers:

1. Kerry Packer
2. Bob Hawke
3. Graham Kennedy
4. Murray Gleeson
5. Paul Hogan
6. Sir Charles Court
7. Rod Laver
8. Don Dunstan
9. Ron Barassi
10. Kylie Minogue

I didn’t have a points system or any objective judging criteria. These are just people who I think influenced Australian life and society, shaped their fields and/or represented Australia to the world.

Kerry Packer isn’t my favorite Australian of the last 50 years, but I find it hard to ignore his influence across a range of sectors including media, business and sport. World Series Cricket was a revolution in its day.

Paul Keating has conveniently written Bob Hawke out of the history books as a reformist, but Hawke changed the economy for the better and improved relations between workers and industry.

Graham Kennedy was the premier entertainer of his generation and Murray Gleeson was the country’s foremost legal figure.

Paul Hogan created an international stereotype about Australians that lingers today, while Rod Laver dominated tennis from the amateur era through to professionalism, winning two grand slams.

Sir Charles Court helped facilitate the Western Australian mining boom and Don Dunstan changed South Australian society after decades of conservatism.

Ron Barassi changed football forever when he crossed from Melbourne to Carlton.

Kylie Minogue (pictured) is my token woman.