Queen’s Birthday Honours awards reveal shining stars in Sutherland, St George

The man responsible for rolling our Healthy Harold in schools is just one of the Sutherland Shire and St George locals who have been recognised for their incredible service to the community in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. See the full list here.

Many people will remember the joy of visiting the Healthy Harold van at school to learn about living a good lifestyle.

Well now one of the people integral to seeing the program rolled out has been awarded a Queen’s Birthday Honour.

David Hurley, the Governor-General, extended his congratulations after announcing honours for 992 Australians.

“Recipients share some common traits – including selflessness, excellence and a commitment to service,” he said.

“They’re from different backgrounds, their stories are each unique, and each has served in different ways.

“This diversity is a strength and each has impacted their community and made it better.

“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.”

Antony Hasham, AO

Tony Hasham, who hails from Sylvania, has been honoured with an Officer of the Order of Australia award for his distinguished service to children’s charitable organisations and to community health through drug prevention education programs.

Mr Hasham said he felt “quite honoured” to receive the award and as an migrant from Lebanon he is grateful to be an Australian.

Tony Hasham has been honoured with an Officer of the Order of Australia award for his distinguished service to children’s charitable organisations and to community health through drug prevention education programs. Picture: Supplied

“It feels great to be an Australian and to be in a country where the work of so many people is recognised,” he said.

Mr Hasham’s two great passions in life have been chairing Life Education Australia from 2005 to 2018 and charity Variety Australia chair for many years.

“The highlight of Life Education has been taking Healthy Harold into schools,” he said.

Mr Hasham was inspired by Healthy Harold founder, Ted Noffs who also established Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross. Mr Hasham wanted to continue to promote the message of stopping children turning to drugs and alcohol.

“Ted Noffs inspired me because Australia needs to be in a position to provide the right education and knowledge to children to enable them to make the right decisions and choices, and lead a healthy lifestyle,” Mr Hasham said.

Now the educational program continues teach young Australian schoolchildren safety about sex, alcohol and drug abuse.

Tony Hasham said he was honoured to be awarded. Picture: Supplied

In his charity work with Variety, Mr Hasham helped underprivileged and special needs children throughout the country with fundraising money that was distributed to institutions, hospitals and individuals.

His highlight was working with Dick Smith on the 1985 inaugural Bourke to Burketown Bash where people volunteers in their 20-year-old cars in the outback and raised $250,000.

Following that success, Mr Hasham continued to organise and oversee charity events and helped raise millions of dollars for Variety.

Mr Hasham said his passion for helping others came from being a migrant because he was always grateful to his father for choosing to come to Australia.

“I always felt I needed to give something back and I became addicted to helping children,” he said.

“My younger sister died from leukaemia and I want to help other children.”

Mr Hasham continues to be involved in raising money for Life Education Australia.

Dr Louis McGuigan, AM

Meanwhile, another amazing South Hurstville man Dr Louis McGuigan has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia honour for his significant service to rheumatology and community health.

He has been part of the Australian Rheumatology Association for decades and was previously on medical boards of committees.

He also worked in St George and Sutherland hospitals throughout his career.

Dr McGuigan said he too “felt humbled and extremely proud” to be nominated and awarded the honour.

He is most proud of giving people more access to rheumatology services in regional and rural areas, having set up 50 outreach clinics around the country for those with arthritis to get treatment.

“I was watching real estate program Selling Houses Australia and it showed a woman in Queensland who had severe rheumatology that she couldn’t manage and she needed to move in order to seek treatment for her arthritis,” Dr McGuigan said.

“I thought, ‘we should be able to do better than that’.

“It is much easier for one doctor to look after 100 patients in their area than 100 people to travel to see one doctor.”

Dr McGuigan also established stroke units which has helped significantly improve treatment for survivors,

“The units are well organised and systematic, and now we hardly see the devastating effects of strokes,” he said.

“Having a specialised unit with staff who know exactly what to do and there is no delay in treatment makes a huge difference to people and allows them to continue to walk, talk and look after their families after having a stroke.”

Dr McGuigan said he had loved working in the local community as people had shown him kindness and support throughout his career and particularly when he lost his wife.

“It is a privilege to be a doctor,” he said.

Full list of OAM recipients

Laurie Barnes from Bexley was awarded for his service to baseball.

Mr Barnes has been involved in Arncliffe Scots Baseball Club for many years and has been president since 2006.

He has been involved in other baseball clubs and committees, played for Eagles Baseball Club, coached, umpired, and built up the juniors program.

The late Bruce Gimley, formerly of Miranda, was recognised for his service to veterans and the community.

He was the Miranda sub-branch RSL president from 2012 to 2016 and worked closely with the organisation for many years, having been a member since 1985.

He was also recognised for his community work as a member of the Gymea Community Aid and Information Service among other organisations.

Heather Mitchell, also from Miranda, has been awarded for her service to athletics.

She has been a part of world athletics and walking including the Oceania Open Championships, Commonwealth Games and World Masters Games.

She has also been heavily involved in Athletics Australia, Athletics NSW, race walking and was president of the Cronulla Sutherland Race Walking Club at a local level from 1984 to 2009.

She was also a board director of Little Athletics NSW from 2018 to 2020.

Port Hacking’s William Picken has been involved in the horse racing industry for decades and received an OAM for his service.

He was the chairman of the Sydney Turf Club from 2008 to 2019, has been a board member of Racing NSW and is heavily involved in the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales.

Jack Hawkins from Woolooware has been recognised for his service to the community through a range of roles including at NSW Ambulance and St John Ambulance.

He has held many high-level roles within Ambulance NSW and helped establish the Ambulance Games, the media unit and other important programs.

He has also been an active member of Bowls NSW and Cronulla RSL Memorial Bowling Club.

Pamela Griffith from Bardwell Park was awarded an OAM for service to visual arts.

She is the founder and director of the Griffith Studio and Graphic Workshop since 1976, and an artist.

Ms Griffith is also an author, had prominent commissions and exhibitions and was a member of art organisations.