Queen’s Birthday Honours: North shore residents honoured
Surgeons, netball coaches and firefighters are among the 29 north shore residents recognised in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours. SEE THE FULL LIST.
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The outstanding achievements of residents across Sydney’s north shore have been recognised in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
A total of 29 locals received the recognition for their extensive work to the community in fields ranging from medicine to music and sport.
Governor-general David Hurley said the awards placed a spotlight on Australians who represented the best of who we are as a nation.
“In this list we see all the positives that are in our community – we see the great ideas, we see the hard work, we see the love and compassion for fellow human beings – it’s a microcosm of Australia,” he said.
Among those honoured was firefighter Mark Dobson – recognised for pioneering mental health programs for first responders.
Mr Dobson, who received an Australian Fire Service Medal, wrote the first mental health policy for any State Government agency, which led to the Beyond Blue Framework.
The Wollstonecraft resident joined Fire and Rescue NSW in 2002, developed the critical incident support program and continues to serve in the field as the station officer at Alexandria.
He told the North Shore Times his work in the field was built on his experience developing mentorship initiatives during his early career in the navy.
“In the navy I started to realise the best way to support people was to listen to them and as my life and career progressed other opportunities like that presented themselves,” he said.
“In the Fire Service everything was reactive (so) the programs we developed were about being on the front foot to support people after being exposed to potentially traumatic events.
“It was also about preparing people better for those incidents and shifting the focus from a reactive to a more proactive outlook.
“I find I can now go into a fire station and have a conversation around mental health whereas in the past a lot of firefighters saw themselves as unbreakable. I think now there are a lot more people who are willing to reach out for help if they need it.”
The medal also recognises his work with the University of NSW and the Black Dog Institute to develop the mental health RESPECT program, which has been adopted by other agencies including Ambulance NSW.
AO – Officer of the Order of Australia.
Four north shore residents were appointed AO for their extensive service to the community.
Ralph Evans was recognised for distinguished service to international trade and investment, to business and venture capital endeavours and to the community. The Cremorne Point resident has served as the deputy chair of ICM Agribusiness since 2011 and previously held positions at Austrade and the Trade Policy Advisory Council. His community work includes serving as the chair of the Sydney Eisteddfod from 2013 to 2015.
Dr Catherine Foley was recognised for distinguished service to research science, to the advancement of women in physics, and to professional scientific organisations. The St Ives Chase resident has worked as the chief scientist at CSIRO since 2018 and has previously held positions at the Australian Institute of Physics and Science and Technology Australia. Ms Foley was previously awarded the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year award in 2013.
Diane Grady was recognised for distinguished service to the community through business and advisory roles, to the advancement of women and girls, and to charitable initiatives.
The Northbridge resident has served in professional directorship roles at various organisations including Macquarie Group, Grant Thornton, BlueScope Steel and Woolworths. Ms Grady is also a current board member at Tennis Australia.
Prof Ronald Oates was recognised for distinguished service to paediatric medicine, as an advocate for child health and welfare, to medical education, and to professional societies. The Mosman resident has worked at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead since 1997 and has held various positions within the Child Protection Service. He has also authored 14 books and 144 scientific papers on paediatrics, and child health/protection.
AM – Member of the Order of Australia
Ten north shore residents were appointed AM for their service to fields including medicine and the arts.
Prof Robert Baxter was recognised for his significant service to medical research, to endocrinology, and to tertiary education. The Naremburn resident has worked at the University of Sydney, the Kolling Institute of Medical Research and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Malcolm Boyd was recognised for his significant service to civil engineering, to tertiary education, and as a role model. The Northbridge resident has worked as executive officer of the Council of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney and founded the Mecasil Technology Group.
Libby Christie was recognised for her significant service to performing arts administration, and to women in business. The Cremorne Point resident has served as the executive director of Ballet Australia since 2013 and was previously the managing director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
David Fahey was recognised for his significant service to emergency response organisations, and to medicine in the field of anaesthesia. The Cremorne resident has served as the assistant commissioner (clinical) of St Johns Ambulance NSW since 2012 and is a senior staff specialist anaesthetist at Royal North Shore Hospital.
Julie Fitzgerald was recognised for significant service to netball as a coach, and as a mentor of sportswomen. The Wahroonga resident has held various positions at the NSW Netball Association and is a mentor at the Ku-ring-gai and Northern Suburbs Netball Associations. Ms Fitzgerald was also the foundation coach of the GWS Giants and is the current head coach of the athlete development program for the 2022 Commonwealth Gems.
Dr Jennifer Gordon was recognised for significant service to psychological medicine and to professional medical bodies. The Roseville resident is the chair of the Australian Doctors’ Health Network and has held previous served as chair and president at the Doctors’ Health Advisory Service NSW and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Dr Phoebe Ho was recognised for significant service to medical research, to haematology, and to professional bodies. The North Sydney resident’s work in the field includes leading clinical research at the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group and was also the founding director of the Sydney Blood Cancer Research Institute.
Peter Lancken was recognised for significant service to business, to the equipment hire and rental industry, and to the community. The Turramurra resident is the non-executive director of Kennards Hire and was the founding director of the Hire and Rental Industry Association.
Prof Peter Zelas was recognised for his significant service to medicine, to health administration, and to humanitarian medical initiatives. The Longueville resident has served as the chair of the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission and previously worked as the deputy chair of the Western Sydney local Health District. He has also volunteered as a surgeon for Doctors Without Borders in Liberia, Indonesia and Somalia.
Ian Langford- Brown was recognised for significant service to young people and the north shore community. The Killara resident’s extensive work includes serving as the direct chair of Scouts NSW and the chair of Scouts Australia. Mr Langford-Brown is also a current member of Chatswood Legacy.
OAM – Medal of the Order of Australia
Fifteen north residents were appointed OAM, recognising their community work across the local area and further afield.
Patrick Bollen was recognised for service to the community, and to sailing. The Wollstonecraft resident is the co-founder and director of Friends of Sydney Harbour also founded Sail for Cancer Research.
Kenneth Broadhead was recognised for his service to the community. The Wahroonga resident has been a member of the Ku-ring-gai SES since 2006 and has held various positions within the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Securities Studies.
Carol Dettmann was recognised for her service to the community, and to publishing. The Neutral Bay resident is the president of the North Sydney Community Centre and has served in various community roles including at Children Out of Detention, House of Welcome and North Sydney Friends of Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
Janice Cunningham was recognised for her service to Australia-United States Military Commemorations. The Mosman resident served as the secretary of the Australian American Association from 1985 to 2004 and is a current member of the Battle of the Java Sea Commemorations Committee.
Toni Field was recognised for service to netball and to the community. The Crows Nest resident has been a member of the Northern Suburbs Netball Association since 1998 and served as its president from 1993 to 2009m. Ms Field was also a founding member of the Lane Cove Public School Netball Club.
Georgina Loughnan was recognised for her service to people living with prader-willi syndrome. The Cammeray resident has served as the co-ordinator of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital since 1991 and is also member of the International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation.
Prof Roy MacLeod was recognised for his service to education, particularly to history. The Neutral Bay resident has worked as a professor at the University of Sydney since 1982 and was also a co-founder of the Pacific Circle organisation.
Dr Emily Matters was recognised for her service to education and to professional associations. The Lindfield resident is the president of the Classical Languages Teachers Association of NSW and has held various positions at the NSW Education Standards Authority. Dr Matters has also taught at various north shore schools including North Sydney Girls’ High School and Pymble Ladies College.
Dr Wendy Michaels was recognised for her service to women and to the dramatic arts. The Northbridge resident has served within organisations including the Society of Women Writers NSW, the independent Scholars Association of Australia, and Drama NSW. Dr Michaels is also a current member of the Australian Federation of Graduate Women NSW.
Leanne Neal was recognised for her service to youth and to nursing. The Riverview resident has worked as the Health Care Coordinator at Saint Ignatius’ College since 1991 founded the Ignatian Children’s Holiday Camp which provides respite care for severely disabled children.
Andrew Pierce was recognised for his service to the community and to accountancy. The Chatswood resident has served as the director of the Centre for Eye Health and as the president of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
Jean Wilmot was recognised for her service to sailing and to dance education. The Mosman resident is a long-term member and supporter of junior sailing at Middle Harbour 16ft Skiff Club and Northbridge Sailing Club. Ms Wilmot has also worked as a dance teacher for more than 60 years, specialising in classical ballet, tap, jazz ballet and ballroom.
Dr Roger Pillemer was recognised for his service to community health through medical advisory roles. The Cammeray resident has worked as a senior medical specialist at the NSW Workers’ Compensation Commission and is a current member of Safe Work Australia and the Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Jenetta Russell was recognised for her service to the community, and to business. The North Turramurra resident is a member of the Rotary Club of Wahroonga and has volunteered at various organisations including the Bush Children’s Education Foundation and Riding for the Disabled.
Dr William Trinh was recognised for his service to international humanitarian medical programs and to optometry. The Mosman resident is the chair of Australian Health Humanitarian Aid and has worked as an optometrist since 1989.