Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2022: North Coast recipients

Brian Henry, Dr Hugh Fairfull-Smith, Susan Bell, Marie Taylor, Thomas Anzac Cummings and Brian Williams are among those on the Northern Rivers to be feted for the service.

The 2022 Queen’s Birthday Awards see 992 Australians honoured, including 669 in the General Division of the Order of Australia - and a swag of standouts from the Northern Rivers.

Many recipients share common traits of selflessness, excellence, and a commitment to service.

Governor-General David Hurley said each comes from a different background with unique stories which show how they have served in different ways.

“This diversity is a strength and each has impacted their community and made it better,” Mr Hurley said.

“For that, we thank them and, today, we celebrate them.

“Collectively the recipients, whose achievements span community service, science and research, industry, sport, the arts and more, represent the very best of Australia.”

Brian Henry OAM, of Goonellabah

For service to the community through a range of roles

Former Lismore MP Thomas George congratulates Rotary Club of Goonellabah member Brian Henry on Kadina Park funding.

“It was a surprise,” Mr Henry said, “the first I knew about it was when I got a notification from the government body that organises these awards and they tell you that you’ve been nominated.

“I don’t know who nominated me.

“The first advice came about a month or two ago and then they sent me a ‘you have been successful letter’ and they send you a profile and ask you to check it over, for accuracy I suppose.

“They advise you whether you’ve been accepted or not – which they did a couple of weeks ago, and here I sit.

“It’s not something that you expect or seek.”

Mr Henry and his wife Helen moved to Lismore in 1982 when the couple were looking to settle in the country.

“The beauty of living in a regional town is that you get the opportunity to participate in your community in a whole swag of ways on some volunteering basis,” Mr Henry said.

Noted for his lobbying for the Kadina Park Upgrade project, and co-leading the Lismore Regional Gallery acquisition committee to acquire Geoff Hannah’s ‘Hannah Cabinet’, Mr Henry continues to be actively involved with community groups.

He is currently president of the Rotary club of Goonellabah.

“The Hurfords nominated us to work out how we were going to raise $1 million for a work of art in a regional town,” Mr Henry said.

“We have been heavily involved with Our Kids Cancer accommodation and raised $1 million to build that and that was successful and then someone tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘You’ve done it once you can do it again’.”

Dr Hugh Fairfull-Smith OAM, of Terranora

For service to geriatric medicine

Dr Hugh Fairfull-Smith, now retired, was a Northern NSW geriatrician who worked with people with dementia.

The nomination and award has come as a “complete surprise” for one of the most renowned geriatricians in the Northern Rivers.

Dr Hugh Fairfull-Smith, the Scottish trained geriatrician from the University of Aberdeen, said he felt “very honoured to be recognised in this way”.

“I feel very proud because that’s not the reason you go to work,” Dr Fairfull-Smith said.

“About three or four years ago one of my colleagues said I should do it (nominate for an OAM) but all I know is that she did not proceed.”

Dr Fairfull-Smith has served in the role of director, Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services, Northern New South Wales Local Health District for over 35 years.

“Lismore was a wonderful surprise; everyone was incredibly welcoming. It was also a time for the influx of other young consultants (Drs Cook, Herdman, Ashwell, Laird, Townend, Curtin, to name a few) and we made friends for life.

Now retired, Dr Fairfull-Smith spends time with family and community.

“It’s very pleasant to know that I have been recognised,” Dr Fairfull-Smith said.

Susan Bell OAM, of Skennars Head

For service to the community through a range of roles

The accomplished businesswoman and educator said receiving this distinction doesn’t become real until you’ve spoken to someone about it.

After receiving an email about 10 days ago Ms Bell said she wasn’t permitted to tell anyone about it at the time.

“You can’t talk to anyone about it and I’ve been bursting at the seams to tell my parents,” Ms Bell said.

The 70-year-old said she is a bit gobsmacked that she was singled out for the award.

“I look around in particular the Northern Rivers at so many people doing so many extraordinary things - it is a humbling experience,” she said.

“It’s amazing, just amazing.”

Ms Bell was previously a business incubator manager where ‘mum and dad’ companies would come to her for help in setting up their particular idea.

“Seeing people’s dreams come true was a wonderful area to work in,” she said.

Heralding from the business world, Ms Bell remains in contact with past students she has helped into the workforce.

“It’s so heartwarming,” she said.

Born in Yorkshire, Ms Bell emigrated to Australia in 1965 with the personal adage of ‘British by birth, Australian by choice’.

“I am just so humbled that I have been awarded this,” she said.

Marie Taylor OAM, of Empire Vale

For service to community health 

Marie Taylor, 91, of Empire Vale said “overwhelmed” would be one word she would use after learning she had been awarded an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Awards.

“I had a notification that I was in contention and I thought, yeah, and didn’t think any more of it,” Ms Taylor said.

“When it really hit home was when the ABC rang me on Thursday and my friend that was with me said ‘I didn’t know you were coming up for that’ and I said well, I don’t believe anything until it has happened,” she said.

“You’ve got to see it to believe it.”

After moving to the area around 1976 with her husband, Ms Taylor set up the North Coast Ostomy Support Group.

“When I got cancer there was no support whatsoever. When we first started there weren’t enough (people) to have a meeting but we ended up with around 50 for Christmas luncheon.

“I’ve gone 91 years and I couldn’t say anything wrong about the good work that our surgeons and doctors do here. I take my hat off to them.”

Ms Taylor said the group has been ‘out of action’ for two years because of Covid but before then they’d meet three times a year – the first Saturday in March, July and December.

She said she was as surprised to reach her 90s as she was to receive an OAM.

“My son gave me a 90th birthday and I knew there was something going on and I ended up going into a turnout with 45 people,” she laughed.

“What I’ve done over the years is try to help other people.

“I’ve only done what I thought was the right thing to do.

“What I did, I didn’t do for any accolades.”

Thomas Anzac Cummings OAM, of Ballina

For service to the community of Ballina 

Ballina Sub-Branch, Returned and Services League of Australia

• President, 1957-1959.

• Member.

Ballina RSL Club

• President, 1960-1964.

• Founding Member, since 1954.

Far North Coast Legacy (previously Ballina Division, Lismore Legacy Club)

• Reserve Member, since 2001.

• Legatee Member, 1959-2001.

Ballina Jockey Club

• Former Chairman, 15 years.

• Former President.

• Former Director.

• Life Member.

• Member, since 1950s.

Horse Racing

• Former Member, Northern Rivers Racing Association.

• Former Member, Ballina Diggers Race Club.

Ballina Municipal Council

• Former Councillor.

• Assisted with foundation of the Ballina Holiday Park (now Reflections Holiday Park, 1960s).

• Assisted with foundation of the Ballina War Memorial Pool, 1960s.

Ballina Lions Club

• President, 1957-1958, and 1963-1964.

Ballina Chamber of Commerce and Industry

• Former Director.

• Former Member, 50 years.

Business

• Founder and Managing Director, A Cummings & Co.

• Former Board Member/Merchandising Director, Retravision (Qld).

• Former Proprietor, Cummings Retravision franchises, including stores in Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore, Coolangatta, Yamba, Grafton and Tweed Heads, more than 40 years.

• Proprietor, Bicycle Sales and Repair store, late-1940s.

Awards and recognition include:

• Simon Nivison Award, Racing NSW.

• Ballina Racecourse Grandstand named the Anzac Cummings Stand in his honour.

• Inaugural Don King Award for Community Service, Ballina Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2011.

Brian John Williams OAM, of Townsend

For service to emergency response organisations

Mr Brian Williams, 69, of Townsend, OAM for service to emergency response organisations in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Awards.

Mr Williams wondered what the heck was going on when he received a phone call from the Governor-General’s office a couple of weeks ago.

“It was a bit of a shock, I said you’ve got the wrong bloke,” he laughed.

“I was half thinking it was a scam phone call.”

The lifelong firey said you aren’t supposed to find out who nominates you but he has a “sneaky feeling” he knows who nominated him.

“Strange enough it wasn’t anyone from the Fire Service, I believe it was a member from my wife’s family that we don’t see a real lot of,” Mr Williams said.

“I will catch him one day.

“I’ve been with the RFS since I was 16. I’ve never not been part of the service. I’ve worked my way as a young kid right through every facet of firefighting or being a member of a volunteer brigade through to being a captain and senior officer.

“The last 10 years of my working life I ended up being a paid officer with the service.”

Mr Williams is a strong advocate for the amount of work performed by volunteers.

Mr Williams began his RFS journey at Wamberal on the Central Coast.

“My captain there said we’re like a family and that’s how we’ve always treated it, and that’s how I’ve grown up and become captain of the brigade.

“I’ve always tried to instil that in our members – that we look after each other like we’re family.

“We’re doing something that can be very dangerous and over the years we’ve lost some very good firefighters.

“You’ve got to have that comradeship, more than that you have to have that family unit to work and be able to talk to each other after the events.”

He said all the brigades are trained the same way so a crew from Lismore can seamlessly jump on a truck in Nowra.

“There are a lot of beautiful little communities right through the NSW countryside,” Mr Williams said.

For Mr Williams, receiving an OAM was “very unexpected”.

“I’m very proud that I am thought of this way. It’s a huge honour,” he said.