Australia Day 2019 awards: Honours list, Order of Australia

High-profile stars including Olivia Newton John and Kylie Minogue lead the Australia Day 2019 Honours List that recognises outstanding individuals. SEE THE FULL LIST

Olivia Newton John and Kylie Minogue lead the Australia Day 2019 Honours List that recognises the contributions and service by outstanding individuals.

Other high-profile names on the list include former AFL coach and player Kevin Sheedy, Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, actor and comedian Magda Szubanski, legendary AFL commentator Dennis Cometti and former world no. 1 tennis player Roy Emerson.

Late TV personality Cornelia Frances has also been recognised and her son Lawrence Eastland will shed a tear or two for his “amazing mother” whose life’s work was recognised with a posthumous Order of Australia medal for services to the performing arts on the annual honours list.

“I’m so proud of her and only wish she was here to accept it herself,” he said from his Byron Bay home.

Aboriginal elder Diana Travis, the granddaughter of reconciliation champion Sir Doug Nicholls is one of four prominent indigenous campaigners for the 1967 referendum on Aboriginal rights who will also be awarded Australia Day honours.

Her message to activists pushing to change the date from January 26 is: “Stand up, speak out and stay strong.”

Olivia Newton-John has been recognised. Picture: Supplied

“You can only do so much but we all have a voice and we all should use it because change will only come from you, me, all of us.”

Ms Travis was just a teenager when she joined her grandfather to campaign for the ‘67 referendum but remembers being awed at the nation’s support.

An overwhelming 91 per cent of Australians voted to change the Constitution to allow the government to make laws for Aboriginal people and include them in the census.

“We were truly amazed at the wonderful non-Aboriginals who supported the referendum in that era — it was quite overwhelming and emotional,” she said.

But today she warns the nation will remain divided until the issue of Australia Day is resolved.

“We cannot go forward, we cannot unite until all of this is rightfully sorted out,” she told News Corp.

Ms Travis will be awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia along with fellow ‘67 campaigners Alfred Neal and Ruth Hennings.

Kylie Minogue wrapped herself in an Australian flag. Picture: @kylieminogue/Instagram

Prominent nurse, activist and ‘67 campaigner Dulcie Flower, a Torres Strait Islander woman from Cairns, will also be appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia.

The Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove announced 1400 awards today.

Included in the Australia Day Honours List are 1127 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia and 273 meritorious and military awards.

The breakdown of Order of Australia Honours in the Australia Day 2019 list is:

*19 appointed Companions of the Order (AC)

*71 appointed Officers of the Order (AO)

*282 appointed Members of the Order (AM)

*755 Medals (OAM) awarded.

Overall, women received 422 — or 37.4 per cent — of awards — the highest number and percentage ever. The number of nominations and awards for women are trending up.

Almost 46 per cent of awards (516 in total) were for outstanding service or achievement in the community.

ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement.

Anyone can nominate any Australian within the general division and all nominations are considered by the Council for the Order of Australia, which recommends awards for the Governor-General’s approval.

The Order of Australia also has Military Division. Awards in the Military Division are recommended to the Governor-General by the Minister for Defence.

There are four levels of award:

*AC: Companion of the Order of Australia, for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or to humanity at large

*AO: Officer of the Order of Australia, for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large

*AM: Member of the Order of Australia, for service in a particular locality or field of activity, or to a particular group

*OAM: Medal of the Order of Australia, for service worthy of particular recognition

See the full list of the General Division of the Order of Australia below:

MERITORIOUS AWARDS

Meritorious awards are awarded to members of particular services.

Nominations come from within their organisations and are recommended by the relevant minister in all jurisdictions for the Governor-General’s approval. The awards in this group are awarded for ‘outstanding service’ and recipients are entitled to use the appropriate letters after their names.

*PSM: Public Service Medal (Federal, State, Territory and local government employees)

*APM: Australian Police Medal

*AFSM: Australian Fire Service Medal

*ASM: Ambulance Service Medal

*ESM: Emergency Services Medal (Note: Emergency Services is plural).

*ACM: Australian Corrections Medal

See the full list of the Meritorious Awards below:

MILITARY AWARDS

Military awards are presented for outstanding achievements or service within the Defence Forces.

All awards, except commendations, entitle recipients to use the appropriate letters after their names. All awards are approved by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence, except the Victoria Cross for Australia.

Gallantry Decorations are awarded for heroic courage in action:

*VC: Victoria Cross for Australia (requires Her Majesty The Queen’s approval)

*SG: Star of Gallantry

*MG: Medal for Gallantry

*Commendation for Gallantry

*Distinguished Service Decorations are awarded for outstanding command and/or leadership in warlike operations:

*DSC: Distinguished Service Cross

*DSM: Distinguished Service Medal

*Commendation for Distinguished Service

*Conspicuous Service Decorations are awarded for outstanding service or achievement in non- warlike situations:

*CSC: Conspicuous Service Cross

*CSM: Conspicuous Service Medal

See the full list of the Military Awards below:

Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. If you know someone worthy, nominate them now at www.gg.gov.au.

Originally published as Australia Day 2019 awards: Honours list, Order of Australia