Tasmania Australia Day honours 2024: Duncan Kerr, Peg Putt, James Markos and Emma Lee
Leaders in the Tasmanian community from across the spectrum have been recognised with Australia Day honours. Full list >>
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Prominent Tasmanians have been celebrated in the 2025 Australia Day Honours List, their contributions spanning Indigenous advocacy, environmental conservation, healthcare, and public service.
The awards highlight the significant impact of individuals across the state in shaping Tasmania’s future and addressing critical challenges at a national and international level.
Indigenous leader invigorated by honour
For Dr Emma Lee, who has been awarded an OAM for her service to the Indigenous community of Tasmania, the recognition is deeply meaningful.
“For me, this is recognition that our 40,000-year-old culture is vibrant,” she says.
“Our knowledge has a place in today’s society. Our cultural practice can create innovation and regional development. This award recognises a group effort.”
Dr Lee’s work has ranged from fisheries projects to youth development, with a strong focus on bridging cultural understanding.
She says more Tasmanians are now open to Indigenous histories and perspectives than ever before.
“Since 2016, I’ve seen more Tasmanians open to our truth and our histories and finding their own place in relation to that.
“With our fisheries work, we are delivering a local delicacy back to Tasmanians, so big conversations can happen over sharing Abalone.”
The honour has invigorated Dr Lee’s passion for contributing to Tasmanian society and inspired hope for future generations of Indigenous Tasmanians.
“You have to see it to be it, right? And so I think for our young people this award is more about looking forward to our future generations and saying it doesn’t matter where you come from. It’s not about the money.
“It’s about the contribution you make that’s generous and compassionate and open to truth.”
‘Somewhat conflicting’ award for former Greens leader
Former Tasmanian Greens leader Peg Putt was awarded an AM for her lifelong dedication to conservation and the environment.
Ms Putt, now working on the international stage with The Wilderness Society and presenting at the UN, remains proud of her local achievements too, which include securing protections for large tracts of Tasmania’s forests, supporting the land rights movement, ending corporal punishment in public schools, and ensuring Tasmania remains GE-free in its food cropping.
Her transition to politics was unexpected and she says she was pushed into it by Bob Brown – “who can be very persuasive”.
“I discovered that it used a lot of my abilities together in a way that I didn’t know could be done until I was there and that it was the sort of thing I was good at,” Ms Putt says.
“I like thinking across a range of subjects. I like trying to make change. And I love meeting people and representing them and their interests. So actually, it turned out to be a very satisfying and rewarding career, if somewhat gruelling at times.”
Ms Putt acknowledged the Australia Day honour was “somewhat conflicting,” as she recognises January 26 as Invasion Day, but she expressed gratitude for the recognition of her long and varied career. “Never give up, I say. No matter how hard it is, you get up the next morning and you try again, just keep chipping away. There’s always somewhere you can make a difference, particularly in my area [climate change and the environment].”
Self-proclaimed workaholic on public health success
“Chipping away” is something Dr James Markos understands.
A retired respiratory and sleep specialist who has spent most of his career at Launceston Hospital, he has – somewhat unbelievably – witnessed the collapse of smoking as a cool and glamorous pastime.
“For so long we didn’t think [smoking] would ever stop. It’s still higher in Tasmania than it should be, but overall, what a staggering public health success, fighting the tobacco giants.”
Dr Markos has been awarded an AM for his “significant service” to medical education and research, and it is a career that he happily admits has consumed him.
“I am a famous workaholic, for my whole career, I was always racing against the clock.”
Dr Markos says one of his high points was a public health campaign against wood-burning stoves, especially in valley communities such as Launceston, where the smoke is particularly damaging.
“When I started describing their impact as being as bad as smoking, suddenly everyone sat up and took notice,” he recalls.
“I was quite proud of that line.”
But it has been his work on sleep disorders that has been most satisfying, Dr Markos says, saying disrupted sleep impacts every single facet of life and health.
“From your relationships to what you eat to mental illness to if you perform well at work – bad sleep contributes to everything, even domestic violence I think. Helping people get on top of that is where I have felt I have made a meaningful contribution.”
Former Justice reflects on his ‘lucky life’
For retired politician and former Justice of the Federal Court Duncan Kerr, being awarded an AO reflects what he calls his “lucky life”.
Mr Kerr credits his parents with instilling values that have shaped his career. “They taught me the importance of service to others and a fair go,” he says. “Life is rich. But I trust there still remains some Claremont boy in the man. If there is, he is greatly honoured to also have been recognised by this award in the Order of Australia.”
Former Tasmanian Labor senator Nick Sherry also made an Officer of the Order of Australia in the General Division (AO) for his “distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, to the governance and operation of the superannuation industry and to the people of Tasmania”.
Mr Sheer held a number of portfolios during 22-year political career which he stepped away from in 2012.
He has since forged a career in the insurance industry.
Australia Day honours
OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AO) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
* The Honourable Duncan James Kerr SC: For distinguished service to the law and social justice, to the Parliament of Australia, and to the people of Tasmania.
* The Honourable Nicholas John Sherry: For distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, to the governance and operation of the superannuation industry, and to the people of Tasmania.
MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
* Dr James Markos: For significant service to medical education and research, particularly respiratory and sleep disorders.
* Ms Margaret Ann (Peg) Putt: For significant service to conservation and the environment, and to the Parliament of Tasmania.
MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (OAM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
*Mrs Joanne Gay Cook: For service to community mental health.
*Mr Shane Gerard Donnelly: For service to the Parliament of Tasmania.
* Mr David John Downie: For service to the community of Campbell Town.
*Mr David John Gatenby: For service to the community of Tasmania.
*Ms Margaret Elizabeth Hoban: For service to the arts, particularly through music.
*Miss Laura-Jude Johnson: For service to community mental health, and to youth advocacy.
*Dr Emma Lee: For service to the Indigenous community of Tasmania.
*The Reverend Josephine Margaret Pyecroft: For service to the Anglican Church of Australia.
*Miss Angela Maree Russell: For service to nursing.
*Mr Vlastislav Pavel Skvaril: For service to the community through charitable organisations.
*Mrs Denise Mary Talbot: For service to the community, and to women.
*Mrs Marion Woodward: For service to the community, and to agriculture.
PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (PSM)
*Mr Warwick Brennan
*Ms Ingrid Ganley
*Mrs Catherine McDonald
*Mr Simon Thomas Roberts
AUSTRALIAN POLICE MEDAL (APM)
*Mr Matthew Richman
*Ms Brenda Orr
AUSTRALIAN FIRE SERVICE MEDAL (AFSM)
*Ms Kathryn Elizabeth Gillham Tasmania Fire Service
*Mr Adam William Jones Tasmania Fire Service
*Mr Andrew James Skelly Tasmania Fire Service
EMERGENCY SERVICES MEDAL (ESM)
*Ms Bianca Janelle Callinan Tasmania State Emergency Service
*Mr Paul James Le Fevre Tasmania State Emergency Service
*Mr Curtis Ian Salter Tasmania State Emergency Service
Originally published as Tasmania Australia Day honours 2024: Duncan Kerr, Peg Putt, James Markos and Emma Lee
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