Mr McCooke is an Ocean Grove (Victoria) Surf Lifesaver and has rescued dozens of people from dangerous surf during his 30-year career. He also is a Crew Member of the Life Saving Australia Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. Mr McCooke was acknowledged as Victorian and National Surf Lifesaver of the Year in 2004, from a field of 33,000 active lifesavers, for his work in promoting life-saving automatic defibrillators as standard equipment for surf lifesaving kits.

"This is the first time that we have been involved with the Australia Day Ambassador Program and we are excited to be hosting Mr Alistair McCooke and his family at our Twilight on the Duck event in 2012", Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam said.

Mr McCooke will attend the Twilight on the Duck Cocktail Party on Wednesday 25^th January at Tall Timbers and then join in the festivities on Australia Day at the Twilight on the Duck event at West Esplanade Smithton.

Professionally Mr McCooke works as a paramedic who has helped establish emergency response service programs for expatriate staff in Saudi Arabia and been a health and safety supervisor in a United Nations humanitarian mine clearance project in Iraq, where he also trained medics.

Mr McCooke is a passionate campaigner with Ambulance Victoria for 'heart safe' communities by having the equipment located wherever large numbers of people gather and in 2011 Mr McCooke was part of the Who Are We, Australia? panel at the BMW Edge in Federation Square, discussing issues of national identity with other notable Victorians.