Beccy Cole and her ex-wife Libby O’Donovan both awarded OAM in Queen’s Birthday honours list
They were once a double act, and in an a poignant irony, both Beccy Cole and her ex-wife Libby O’Donovan were awarded Queen’s Birthday honours. Read the full SA list.
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Here are South Australia’s recipients for this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours.
BECCY COLE OAM
It’s been almost 30 years since a young singer won the Star Maker award at the Country Music Awards of Australia by singing Reba McEntire’s Just a Little Love and Slim Dusty’s Bushland Boogie.
Since then, South Australian Beccy Cole has carved out the kind of career that many performers can only dream of, but being named an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours holds a special place in her heart.
“I have always been a fan of the Queen and anything royal,” Cole says.
“I was born in 1972 so I was fascinated by all the Princess Diana stuff growing up and anything to do with the royals. I think this is a huge honour.”
Being recognised for services to country music, Cole has a slew of awards throughout her career that has seen her release 10 studio albums. But for the 49-year old singer, the OAM is more about some of her life-changing performances, including several tours to perform for troops stationed in places such as Iraq and the Solomon Islands, as well as an array of benefit concerts to help those in regional Australia who her music has touched the most.
“You want to believe it’s not just because you get up on stage and sing,” says Cole.
“For me, this is a lot about getting up on stage and entertaining the troops, going to scary places, singing for the floods and the fires and the droughts.”
Cole’s achievements also include her work with the LGBTIQ community.
READ MORE: Beccy Cole reveals how art, music and equine therapy helped her through one of the darkest periods of her life – her split with fellow musician Libby O’Donovan.
ELIZABETH ANNE O’DONOVAN OAM
Better known as Libby, the singer, composer and musical director was also recently honoured with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Icon award. She received her OAM for services to jazz and cabaret. O’Donovan is an acclaimed solo performer with a magnificent voice, but has also performed with small ensembles and recently released her latest album, Back to Broken Hill.
After her split from wife of nine years, Libby said she would cherish the time they had together, and in terms of recovery – laughter remained the best medicine.
GREG CHAMPION OAM
Singer and songwriter Greg Champion captured the true blue spirit of the AFL with his massive hit, That’s The Thing About Football.
Adelaide-raised Champion and fellow members of Victorian football comedy commentary team the Coodabeen Champions have each been awarded the OAM medal for service to the performing arts and to radio.
Champion, 67, said he was “accidentally” born in the small Victorian city of Benalla while his father was stationed there for work but that his family actually lived in Hectorville.
His most famous song, That’s The Thing About Football, was released in 1994 and was featured on the Seven Network’s AFL coverage for nearly a decade.
An avid Crows supporter, Champions says that “for the first year or two of their existence, they made me their no. 1 ticket holder in Melbourne”.
However, Champion is equally proud of his broader musical career, which includes over 20 albums of original material and won him a Golden Guitar Award and two Tamworth Songwriters Awards.
PAULINE KENNY OAM
Teaching and feeding disadvantaged youth have been at the centre of Pauline Kenny’s life and the Mount Gambier community leader has now received an OAM for all her hard work.
The 84-year-old’s award is for service to primary education but it was her passion for all things sport which led to her successful career.
“I volunteered for sporting programs and youth groups, but I never thought teaching would come out of it,” Mrs Kenny said.
“I loved it and I don’t think I ever woke up and didn’t want to go to work.”
MARNIE HUGHES-WARRINGTON AO
Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington was inspired by her father who was a staff member at Monash University. As a child, he would take her to the university.
“One day I asked, ‘what’s a professor?’ and my Dad responded with ‘a professor is a really smart person’. A professor overheard and added ‘a professor is not only a smart person, a professor is somebody like you’.”
“Moments like that stick with you and it made me realise that not everybody gets that kind of exposure to universities and that perhaps everyone should.”
Prof Hughes-Warrington has been made an AO for her distinguished service to tertiary education.
IAN CUMMINS OAM
Ian Robert Cummins, 62, is a hero to thousands of people with a disability.
“Someone without an intellectual disability, they can turn off when they finish work ... people like me can’t turn off, we live with this on a daily basis,” said Mr Cummins.
He has dedicating most of his life to being a voice for those with intellectual disabilitiess - and does not want to be paid for his contributions. So his Order of Australia medal for service to people with disability is fitting.
NICOLAS PAPAZAHARIAKIS OAM
The legend of Adelaide’s dining scene, Nicolas Papazahariakis is best known for Chloe’s Restaurant, which he ran for 33 years, is being recognised for his service to the hospitality industry.
“I would say to my staff, ‘make the people complain’,” the 75-year-old North Adelaide resident said. “At least if they complain to us, we might be able to do something better. It’s about talking to the customers and understanding what they enjoy.”
Mr Papazahariakis ingrained himself in all facets of industry, becoming a member of various business and tourism boards and was president of the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association between 1996-2006.
DONNA BUSS OAM
Bringing a miniature horse into the Flinders Medical Centre palliative care unit was a proud moment for the late Donna Buss, a believer in the therapeutic qualities of the animals.
Ms Buss, who died in July last year, has been awarded an OAM for service to mental health through therapy.
Ms Buss always had a passion for horses and after finding herself in cancer remission she began to realise their healing potential, opening Nolton Park Horses Healing Hearts in 2017.
Her husband Terry Buss says “Nolton started with one miniature horse” but as more people wanted the service, it grew to six horses.
MIRIAM SILVA AM
Five years ago, on the Queen’s Birthday, Miriam Silva was diagnosed with “an aggressive cancer’’. She was admitted to hospital and spent six months there fighting the disease. It was a turning point in her life.
Ms Silva says that fighting cancer inspired her to be there for the others as people were there for her.
“I remember the difference it made to me,” she said.
Now, Ms Silva has been awarded an AM on the Queen’s Birthday for her significant service to the multicultural community and to women.
“(This award) has changed a really dark time to something that’s really positive,” she says.
PETER DE CURE AM
Helping those in need, whether that be the sick or children, has been a driving force for Peter De Cure.
The 61-year-old has been chair or a director of children’s charity Variety since 2007 and chair of Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT since 2020. He has also served in chair and deputy chair roles with the Australian-American Fulbright Commission as well as numerous other professional, community and education roles.
Now, Mr De Cure, of Myrtle Bank, has been made an AM for his significant service to the community through a range of roles.
TANYA MONRO AC
Professor Monro is Australia’s first female chief defence scientist, and also became the University of Adelaide’s first female professor of physics in 2005.
As Adelaide’s queen of light, Professor Monro realised the true power of optic fibres to perform a wider variety of functions, including sensing their surroundings.
The technology has been used to support vital medical advances, as well as helping industries grow the economy.
Professor Monro, who is now based in Canberra after 15 years leading research and raising a family in Adelaide, has been named a Companion of the Order of Australia for her “eminent service to scientific and technological development”.
BRAD CHILCOTT AM
There’s been many defining moments in the life of human rights advocate and founder of not-for-profit Welcoming Australia, Brad Chilcott.
Not least, the image more than a decade ago of a “10-year-old white Aussie kid holding a ‘sink the boats’ sign”, at a protest outside the Inverbrackie Detention Centre.
“At the time, I thought, whatever you think of this policy, something has gone really wrong in the heart of our nation, if a parent can send their child out in public with that sign and think it is OK.
“I realised we needed to be having a different conversation … to recognise fear and division never build a better future but generosity and welcome can,” he said.
The 43-year-old, awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his “service to asylum seekers and refugees, and to the multicultural community”, also reflects on his upbringing in a conservative Christian community.
PAULINE FIELDEN (OAM)
This local sporting icon has spent 62 years giving back to Contax Netball Club, not that she’s keeping count of her remarkable sporting achievements.
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