Queen’s Birthday honours ​2019: Meet the Illawarra recipients

Meet the Illawarra residents recognised on the Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List.

2019 Illawarra Honours recipients.

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The Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List recognises a diverse range of the Illawarra’s contributions and service across all fields, including professional endeavours, community work, and research.

Congratulations to this year’s Illawarra recipients.

ROSS CUNNINGHAM- AM

Coledale’s Ross Cunningham has been made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his for significant service to arts administration, and to industry recognition.

“It’s a true honour and I am absolutely chuffed,” he said of the honour. “I am very proud to be an Australian and it feels really lovely to be recognised.”

Mr Cunningham’s long career in the performing arts began at a very early age, taking up a job at a Kogarah movie theatre.

Ross Cunningham, AM.

“I was a young boy, about 14 years old and my job was to make ice creams and clean up after the matinee show at the local picture theatre,” he said.

“I got hooked on it and after the HSC instead of becoming a teacher and breaking my parents’ hearts, I took up a job as the assistant manager of the picture show.”

While his career started small, it quickly grew to huge new heights. Mr Cunningham was a founding member of the Helpmann Awards, and more recently the Sydney Lyric theatre.

“Being part of the Helpmann Awards is probably one of my proudest achievements,” he said.

“He had a vision to create something like the Tony Awards for people here in Australia and now the Helpmann Awards is going on to its 19th presentation.

“That journey has been absolutely wonderful because we formed something that acknowledges our Australian Artists and performers.”

A standout moment in Mr Cunnighham’s career was the opening of the Lyric Theatre at Sydney’s Star Casino, where he assisted in the planning of a free concert for 50,000 people.

“We had Diana Ross on a big stage in Darling Harbour for a free concert, in the Lyric Theatre we had Michael Crawford by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and then we had Tom Jones playing in the showroom,” he said.

“It was an extraordinary thing to be a part of. To pull it all was just incredible.”

While working as the executive director of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Mr Cunningham was commuting from his Coledale home to the sunshine state for work.

“I’d come home on a Friday night and head back on a Monday morning,” he said.

“It was an incredible opportunity so my wife said ‘go on then, have fun’.”

During his time in Queensland, Mr Cunningham was able to bring the Bolshoi Ballet to Australia for the first time, another of his career highlights.

“We had over 200 dancers and performers fly in,” he said. “That was pretty magical.”

SHI XUE DOE- AM

Distinguished Professor Shi Xue Dou has been appointed a member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to science education in the field of superconducting and electronic materials.

Professor Dou is the Director of the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials at the University of Wollongong and is one of the most influential scientists in energy materials

research in the world.

Through his guidance, Professor Dou’s team at the University of Wollongong have made significant advances and breakthroughs in the field of superconductivity and energy materials.

Professor Dou said he was “delighted” to receive the honour, and thanked his team for their hard work and commitment.

Distinguished Professor Shi Xue Dou, AM.

“It is a recognition not only for myself but for all my colleagues, my former and current students for their dedication and contribution to my career,” he said.

“Over the past 30 years we have built the institute from nothing to now a world class materials research institute through generations of many alumni members effort.”

Professor Dou said his research, and the Queen’s birthday honour would not have been possible without his family, in particular his wife.

“I would like to thank my family members for their support, in particular to my wife Distinguished Professor Hua Kun Liu who has sacrificed her own career, taken care of our children and dedicated all her life and energy to my career,” he said.

DAVID AND DIANNE NORTH- OAM

Mount Pleasant husband and wife duo Dianne and David North have both been awarded Medals of the Order of the Australia, for service to the community of the Illawarra.

Having moved to the region more than 40 years ago, both David and Dianne have formed strong relationships within the community, offering their time as volunteers in several different organisations including Rotary, scouts and the Illawarra basketball association.

While David knew his wife had been nominated by her peers, he had no idea he too had been nominated, and the same went for Dianne.

“That’s what made it so funny,” David said. “I was jumping for joy when I found out Dianne had been awarded an OAM and then I found out I had too.’

Dianne said it was “very special” to share the honour with her husband.

David and Dianne North, OAM.

“It’s just incredible, and very unexpected,” Dianne said. “To receive it together makes it that bit sweeter.”

Dianne was recognised for her years of commitment to Rotary, and local basketball in particular.

Having been a member with Rotary for many years, Diane said one of her proudest moments was working with Interplast, an organisation that sends teams of volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to the Asia Pacific to provide life-changing surgery and medical training.

In 2015, Diane’s Rotary districts raised $45,000 to send a team of doctors to Mombasa, Fiji to assist people in need.

“They did all kinds of surgeries like fixing cleft-palates and cleft-lips, things we take for granted,” she said.

“In Australia doctors are able to treat people within a few months of birth, but over there you see adults walking around with cleft lips.”

Diane was instrumental in raising a further $45,000 for another team of doctors to be sent to the Solomon Islands.

David’s honour was awarded based on his contribution to Scouts Australia and the Illawarra Basketball Association.

David has volunteered with many organisations like rural fire brigades, Surf-Lifesaving Australia and Rotary over the years and in 2018 was announced as the Wollongong City Council Senior Citizen of the Year.

While he was “chuffed to be recognised” David said he was most proud of his wife.

“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of this without Dianne,” he said.

“She’s always been there supporting me, whether it was professionally or on weekends away with Scouts.”

RONALD SMART PSM- OAM

A Wollongong resident, who has dedicated much of his life to helping others with the Salvation Army, has been recognised by the Australian honour system.

Ronald Smart PSM has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to music, and to the international community of Sierra Leone.

Dr Smart has been a member of the Salvation Army Brass Band movement for over 50 years, and has dedicated years of time into improving education prospects for people in Sierra Leone.

“I’ve always been an educator and I’ve always tried to find opportunities for opportunities for young people to thrive and succeed,” he said.

“Five years ago I made a trip to Sierra Leone to see what we could do for the people and I decided almost instantly that education was the thing to do.”

So he formed a small board and began fundraising in order to build a school in Sierra Leone.

Dr Ronald Smart, PSM, OAM.

In total, Dr Smart assisted in raising $350,000 through fundraising events such as Banding Together for Africa concert, where the countries best brass musicians performed for a huge Sydney audience.

With the money, a primary school was constructed in Jui village in Sierra Leone, West Africa, as well as an 800-seat auditorium.

“It is the only school in Sierra Leone with an auditorium,” Dr Smart said. “It’s been called the model school of Sierra Leone which is very special.”

Following the tragic Beslan school siege in 2004, in which 330 people including 186 children, Dr Smart raised enough money to send a team of medical practitioners and psychologists to the town to help “bring it back to life”.

“Went over and saw what was happening, and these kids were changing from black to colour,” he said.

“It was a wonderful experience and one that sits very comfortably with me.”

Dr Smart said he was “delighted” to be awarded an OAM and said he was surprised by the honour.

“I’ve done a lot in my time and I’ve enjoyed all of it,” he said. “To be recognised in this way was totally unexpected but I’m very chuffed.”

WILLIAM (BARRY) SWAN- OAM

A sixth generation Illawarra miner has been an awarded an OAM for his service to the mining sector.

William Swan, better known as Barry, has dedicated much of his life to improving the health of coal miners.

Mr Swan was born into a coal mining family and a coal mining community and saw first hand the effects the profession on the health of his friends and family.

“When I was 19 it was my duty to sit with my grandfather as he died and that was the defining moment for me,” he said.

“I thought to myself that if I ever got the opportunity, I wanted to improve the health of coal miners.”

So that’s exactly what he did. Mr Swan worked his way through the ranks and was appointed chair of the Joint Coal Board health and safety committee, the chair of the standing dust committee and eventually a board member of the Combined Minings Union.

William (Barry) Swan, OAM.

“During that time I worked with some really great people to improve the safety for coal miners underground,” he said.

“We created what was a very successful program to drop the level of airborne dust in mines and we became world leaders in dust prevention.”

Mr Swan also served as central councillor and general secretary of the Australasian Coal and Shale Employees’ Federation, as well as secretary and a board member of the Southern Districts Miners’ Federation.

Honoured by the recognition, Mr Swan said he would never have been able to achieve all he has without the support of his wife Margaret.

“I think the old adage that behind every great man is an even greater woman is very true,” he said.

“She’s given me continuing support and kept me under control when I could have been out of control.”

Mr Swan said while he was “always a leader, never e of the cattle”, he was guided by many great people.

“I always wanted to get out there and achieve exactly what I had planned, but I could never have done that without some of the great leaders I worked with along the way,” he said.

IN OTHER NEWS

VICTOR GEORGE CHAPMAN- AM

Wonoona’s Victor Chapman has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to the indigenous community, to tertiary education, and to the visual arts. Mr Chapman has been a University of Wollongong Fellow, since 2011 and was Involved in the establishment of the Aboriginal Education Centre.

He has also worked at many schools across the region, including as principal at Gwynneville Public School from 1976 — 1979, Berkeley Public School from 1980 — 1986 and Thirroul Public School from 1987 — 1990.

DOREEN BRYARS- OAM

Doreen Bryars has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the performing arts, particularly as a musical director.

Ms Bryars is the current musical director of the Lamplighters Male Choir, the Minstrels Sining Group and former musical director of Arcadians Theatre Group.

JOHN FLETCHER- OAM

The late John Fletcher of Oak Flats was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to horse racing.

Mr Fletcher was the ambassador for the Illawarra Turf Club, as well as a life member and former vice-chairman. He was also a former chairman of the South-East Racing Association.

RICHARD POON- OAM

Fairy Meadow’s Richard Poon was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community through emergency response organisations.

Mr Poon worked as St John Ambulance sergeant from 1962 to 2018, a first aid

First Aid Instructor for the Australian Red Cross from 1999 to 2016 and a NSW Ambulance officer from 1975 to 1980.

TERRY PROSSER- OAM

Barrack Heights’ Terry Prosser has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to canoeing.

Mr Prosser has been an Illawarra Canoe Club coach since the 1970s and a life member since 1977.

DAVID SMITH- OAM

Mount Warrigal’s David Smith has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to skydiving.

Mr Smith has been the independent director of the Australian Parachute Federation since 2015 and was the founder and owner of Air Safety Solutions, which manufactured safety and rescue products used by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, emergency medical services and Defence, as well as restraints and life preservers for parachutists.