Australia Day honours: 12 northern beaches residents named
A married couple dedicated to volunteering and a second generation bush firefighter are among 13 northern beaches locals to make the 2023 Australia Day Honours list.
Manly
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A married couple who have devoted countless hours of voluntary service across seven decades and a man dedicated to protecting us from the ravages of bushfires since he was 16 years old are three locals who feature in the 2023 Australia Day Honours list released today.
They, and the other nine recipients, may not be widely known, but they are everyday heroes who have been recognised for their selfless services to the community.
Others include a man who has composed music for Olympic and Commonwealth Games and a woman who has coached, mentored and managed thousands of young school sportswomen.
JOHN AND PAM WARD, ELANORA HEIGHTS
The couple met in 1957, were married several years later and brought up six children at Elanora Heights.
Now retired, they both had busy careers as school teachers — Mr Ward was a science teacher who ended up principal of Barrenjoey High School at Avalon while Mrs Ward was an infants school teacher — yet they both had time to give their time, energy and skills to a wide variety of community organisations and activities.
They have both been awarded Medals of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community through a range of organisations.
Both have been prominent office holders in the Australian Labor Party on the northern beaches with Mr Ward, 83, president of its Narrabeen-Pittwater branch and its honorary treasurer between 1987 and 1996.
His other community activities include president of the Elanora Park Tennis Club; a member and examiner of the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia; a “pioneer” volunteer at the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Mr Ward is also a life member of the Sydney North Secondary Schools Sports Association, Manly-Warringah Teachers Association and NSW Teachers Federation.
He is former president of the Sydney North Secondary School Sports Association, former secretary of the Parramatta District Men’s Basketball Association; was a referee with the Sydney Basketball Referees Association and an umpire with the Chequers Netball Club.
Mr Ward also found time to serve as honorary treasurer at the Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch for six years; president of the 2nd Narrabeen Scout Group; a member of Manly-Warringah Environmental Education Association and a nine-year stint as vice-president of the Aboriginal Education Council (NSW).
Mrs Ward was just as busy as her husband while serving as secretary of the Pittwater-Narrabeen Branch of the ALP since 1988 and a member of the NSW party’s powerful Administrative Committee since 2012.
As well as being a member of St Anthony’s, Terrey Hills, Social Justice Group, she is a former representative and vice-president of the Aboriginal Education Council, a life member of Manly-Warringah Teachers Association; a former examiner at Royal Life Saving Society Australia; a former assessor at AUSTSWIM, a volunteer at Learn to Swim for 11 years; a volunteer at the Sydney Olympics and a former secretary of Chequers Netball Club.
Other activities included being on the committee at Elanora Heights Girl Guides.
“Yes, we’ve been pretty busy,” Mr Ward said.
“Pam’s still with the Education Department’s learn to swim program.
“We both have a love of sport and very often people would saw ‘we nominate John Ward for this and Pam Ward for that’ and we’d be silly enough to say ‘yes’ and we’d end up with a job.
“Pam says we showed leadership … but we’re honoured to receive this award.”
Mrs Ward said she was delighted that they were nominated.
“I am sure there are a lot of people out there who are equally worthy.”
GREG BOWMAN, FRESHWATER
Medal of the Order of Australia Medal
For service to the tourism and hospitality industry.
As the founder of his business Great Big Events, an international sport presentation and production company, Mr Bowman has been a crucial part of some of biggest sporting and community events seen in Australia and overseas.
It started in 1994 when the former teacher composed and provided the music and fanfares at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.
He then went on to compose the music for the medal ceremonies at the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games then at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester 2002; Melbourne 2006; Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018.
Mr Bowman also provided music at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth in 2011 and the European Games in Azerbaijan in, 2015.
He was the executive producer of sport presentation at the Sydney Olympic Games as well as the Rugby World Cups in Australia 2003, France 2007, New Zealand 2011 and Japan 2019.
His talents were also used as an executive producer at the Basketball World Cups in Turkey, Spain, China and Australia as well as at ICC Cricket World Cups, Aquatics World Championships, Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games and Invictus
Games.
Mr Bowman was a producer for the “Corroboree 2000” Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk;
Reconciliation Convention Melbourne 1997, and CHOGM, 2002 and 2011 as well as at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Athens, 2004, Beijing, 2008, London, 2012 and Tokyo, 2020.
He is currently sports presentation director, Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Mr Bowman said he was lucky to be able to combine his two loves — sport and music — into a business that has taken him and his family around the world.
“I’ve been very fortunate.
“I work with an amazing team.”
ANNE HORNE, WARRIEWOOD
Medal of the Order of Australia.
For service to school sports.
Ms Horne, who is currently a Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
(PDHPE) teacher at Barker College in Hornsby, has had an association with girls’ representative school sport for decades.
She was the head of Girl’s Sport at the independent Sporting Association (ISA) for 10 years.
Among a wide range of roles with the ISA, Ms Horne, who played hockey as a youth, was its hockey and softball convener and Representative Convenor for the two sports.
She was also the ISA’s softball selector and manager from 1996 to 2022.
Ms Horne also had roles with NSW Combined independent Schools as its softball convener, selector and manager.
She was NSW All Schools assistant softball coach and manager a number of times as well as NSW assistant at the Pacific School Games in 2017.
Ms Horne was the NSW delegate on the selection panel for the National School Girls
Softball Team five times.
“I’m a believer that sport, particularly for girls, is a really important thing,” she said.
“Everybody has to feel like they belong and that it’s worthwhile and meaningful for them.
“While I’ve done all this representative stuff, it’s the grassroots of the sport that is really important to me.
“I say ‘give it a go, be involved, be active and be part of a team’.”
Mr Horne mentioned that some girls, who she had coached or helped organise coaching for, played softball for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
“Playing a sport teaches you more lessons in life than anything else,” she said.
“It’s the essence of life really.
“You’re not always going to be selected, you’re not always going to be the best. You learn from the time you don’t actually succeed more than the times you do.”
ROBYN TWIGG, BALGOWLAH
Medal of the Order of Australia.
For service to the community through a range of organisations.
Ms Twigg said she had “devoted my entire life to being a volunteer” and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Whether it was being the highest individual fundraiser for the Cancer Council’s Hornsby Relay for Life 100km, 24-hour walk, helping the victims of domestic violence or being a carer, mentor and supporter for vulnerable people, she has been active in the community across four decades.
Ms Twigg is currently a volunteer with Daughterly Care, helping older people with dementia in their own homes and was a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for 20 years; the Handicapped Toy Library for 15 years as well as being am assistant Cub Scout Leader for 11 years.
She is also a passionate supporter of the Effort TZ Orphanage in Tanzania, managed by her adult son.
Ms Twigg said she advocates for people in the community who “don’t have a voice”, such as struggling families from non-English speaking backgrounds or people with mental health issues.
She said while she had helped many people and volunteered with numerous organisations, her work with the female victims of domestic violence and helping their children get a good start in life, stood out.
“Getting a girl a scholarship to attend St Leo’s Catholic College, or helping a single Indian mum with her dying wish that she see her five-year-old girl’s first day at school, those for me are my more important things,” she said.
“My mother always said to me that you share what you have with others.
“My greatest achievement is actually being a voice for people who cannot have their own voice.”
BELINDA MASON KNIERIM, NORTHERN BEACHES
Medal of the Order of Australia.
For service to the arts and human rights.
The photographer, who has made a career as a social documentarian and human rights advocate, said she had experiecned many proud moments that involved enabling people facing multiple discriminations the opportunity to speak their truth at United Nations forums.
These included the 2013 United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva; the 2016 United Nations Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disability in Geneva; the 2014 UN World Conference on Indigenous Persons in New York as well as the 2016, 2018 and 2020 UN Commission of the Status of Women in New York.
“This validation of their experiences provides equity in conversations about social and political change,” Ms Mason Knierim said. “This has empowered many participants to become advocates for human rights. For others less confident to speak out, they have allowed their testimonies from projects to be provided to various Royal Commissions and Inquires.”
Ms Mason Knierim, a member of the United Nations Association of Australia and United Nations Women Australia, also founded the Museum of Understanding Through Tolerance and Inclusion, which supports projects including the UNSEEN travelling Arts Hub that is currently led by women with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness.
“Our long-term goal is to compliment this travelling museum with a brick-and-mortar version of arts and human rights advocacy.
“As we are very new, we are currently a not-for-profit working towards charitable status.”
GAIL LONNON, AVALON
Medal of the Order of Australia.
For service to the community of Avalon.
Ms Lonnon has been a tireless volunteer in her community including being on the committee of the Avalon Community Library since 2001 and its roster secretary between 2006 and 2019.
She has been a Public Officer, since 2018, for Avalon Ladies Probus as well as a past president an treasurer of the NSW Federation of School Community Organisations.
Ms Lonnon was a founding member and teacher at the Taronga Zoo Education Centre; a current member of the National Trust of Australia (NSW) and; a life member of the Avalon. Presentation Trust.
She also had stints as an office holder with the Parents and Citizens Association at Barrenjoey High School and Avalon Public School.
MARY MCKENDRICK
Medal of the Order of Australia.
For service to primary education.
Ms McKendrick is a co-founder of the independent John Colet School at Belrose.
She was headmistress at the school from 1985 to 1993 and again in 2015-2016.
Between 2010 and 2017 she was the primary mistress and deputy headmistress from 2009-2015.
She was a teacher between 1985 and 2015 and is a member of the school board.
ALAN HILL, ELVINA BAY
Medal of the Order of Australia
For service to conservation and the environment.
Mr Hill is the current secretary and treasurer of South West Rocks Community Dune Care on the Mid-North Coast, as well as one of its founding members.
He is also a co-founder of South West Rocks Bitou Bashers and, as a volunteer, helped rehabilitate 15kms of coastline.
Mr Hills set up a visiting volunteer program with more than 500 participants at South
West Rocks in 2007 and has been involved with community awareness raising of threats posed to fragile ecosystems.
SUPERINTENDENT DANIELLE EMERTON
Australian Police Medal (APM)
Superintendent Danielle Emerton, who recently served in the Northern Beaches Police Command, joined the NSW Police Force in 1994 where she worked as a general duties officer at Newtown.
In 1995, as a Probationary Constable, she received a Region Commander’s Unit
Citation for her involvement in a siege where she was confronted and threatened by an offender armed with a gun.
She was involved in the Redfern Riots as part of the Sydney District Operational Support
Group and was part of the Incident Response Group for the Maroubra Riots.
In 2014, she was promoted to Inspector and took up tactical and portfolio duties at Burwood and then on the Northern Beaches.
She received a Region Commander’s Commendation for her professionalism, courage and bravery exhibited in the peaceful resolution of a siege at Enfield in 2015.
In 2021, she was instrumental in the development of the Human Rights Discovery Tool which is used as an educational Police Force reference tool.
In 2022, she created the iLead Women’s Development Program, which aims to embrace and strengthen women’s leadership.
Supt. Emerton is currently with the Auburn Police Area Commander.
WARREN CREE, BELROSE
Australian Fire Service Medal (AFM)
Mr Cree has a longstanding personal and family link to the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) — his father, mother, brother, wife and children are all either RFS volunteers or salaried officers.
He followed his father into the Davidson Brigade at age 16 in 1986. By the age of 18, he was elected Deputy Captain.
In 2000 he became Senior Deputy Captain and made Captain in 2002.
Mr Cree was elected as a Deputy Group Captain and then Group Captain in 2020, a position he still holds.
He has managed many local fires as Incident Controller, Operations Officer, and Logistics Leader and fulfilled the same jobs on multiple deployments during the devastating 2019-2020 “Black Summer” bushfires.
Mr Cree contributes countless hours to district brigade meetings, cadets and district training initiatives and is an advanced structure firefighting and breathing apparatus principal trainer.
He is also committed to volunteer welfare and helps many volunteers through difficult times, including after the Black Summer fires.
Mr Cree is a member of the Northern Beaches District Advisory Committee, Senior
Management Team, Bush Fire Management Committee and the Area Command
Engagement Group.
BELINDA HOOKER, BEACON HILL
Australian Fire Service Medal
Ms Hooker was appointed to Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) in January 1996.
She has progressed through the FRNSW ranks from recruit to Inspector and senior officers say she has been an example to all firefighters through her generous nature, passion for decency, equality and dedication
Ms Hooker provides leadership to other female firefighters, both through her direct achievements, and as a mentor to others seeking help.
She is heavily involved in the Women’s Inclusive Network and FRNSW Sports Association.
Ms Hooker has spent time in education and training, operational safety and was a team
leader and research project officer for the cladding task force, which enhanced FRNSW building fire safety.
She implements and delivers professional development programs in the FRNSW’s Education and Training Directorate as well as contributing to frontline firefighting including leading Strike Teams during the 2019-20 bushfires and floods, as a multi-operational liaison and strategic safety officer.
GARY TALL, TERREY HILLS
Ambulance Service Medal
Dr Tall began his retrieval medicine career in 1993 with the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter before joining what later became the New South Wales Ambulance (NSWA) retrieval service at St George Hospital.
He became the Medical Director of the Sydney Aeromedical Retrieval Service in 1997 and transitioned the service to what is now the NSW Aeromedical Control Centre.
Dr Tall became the Director of Aeromedical Clinical Operations in 2005.
He continues to work as a Senior Staff Specialist with NSWA Aeromedical Retrieval teams and as a Senior State Retrieval consultant with clinical oversight of critically unwell or injured patients across NSW.
Dr Tall has played a critical role in State Emergency Management as the State Medical Controller since 2011 and Acting State Health Services Functional Areas Coordinator since 2018, overseeing state wide responses during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2019-20 bushfire and flood emergencies.
While retaining a significant managerial role in NSWA for 18 years, Dr Tall has maintained active clinical practice in both Emergency Medicine and medical retrieval operations since 1993.
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