Geelong’s finest community servants recognised in 2022 Australia Day honours

One of the region’s most celebrated lifesavers has been bestowed posthumous recognition for his service on the 2022 Australia Day honours. EVERY LOCAL HONOUR

Geelong’s most oustanding community servants have been recognised among the 2022 Australia Day honours list.

Find out more about them below.

Helene Bender AM

Since her days as a schoolgirl, Helene Bender has dedicated her life to giving back to her community.

Now Ms Bender has had her OAM elevated to a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her service to the community through health, education, not-for-profit and sporting organisations.

Ms Bender said she was astounded to receive the esteemed honour.

“It’s unbelievable … you give back to your community, the best way that you’re capable and you don’t do it expecting recognition, you just do it to make it a better place,” she said.

Helene Bender has been awarded an AM. Picture: Alison Wynd

Ms Bender was chairwoman and a board member of the Barwon Health Foundation from 2007-2013 and help drive fundraising campaigns to upgrade Geelong hospital’s emergency department, redevelop the children’s ward and open a new operating theatre.

“Being set challenges is what I enjoy, and then the rewards at the end when you’re able to achieve that,” Ms Bender said.

For Ms Bender, another great challenge was working with the Barwon Health Foundation to ensure Geelong residents have access to quality, local public health facilities

“The family members [of the patients] then don’t have that added worry of having to travel up the highway and everything and then find somewhere to park and keep an eye on you know, how long they’re allowed to stay,” she said.

Ms Bender added that her long service work in community service across a range of organisations – including working as the former director of Dental Health Services Victoria, the former Deputy Chancellor of Deakin University and currently, the National Director of the Order of Australia – was also a credit to the dedicated teams she works with.

“You don’t do it by yourself … It’s also having a great team of people around you,” she said.

“I’ve been fortunate to be on some boards, and also chair some boards or be directors, where there’s just been quality CEOs and other board members or committee members, all working for the same outcome,” she said.

While Ms Bender has served decade long tenures on a variety of boards, she believes that one should only stay on board for at a maximum of nine or 10 years.

“The reason for that is, it’s important that new ideas keep coming along, and with that you need new people,” Ms Bender said.

— HANNAH COHEN

Antony Walker AM

Veteran journalist Tony Walker was torn when he learnt he had been nominated to become a Member of the Order of Australia.

Mr Walker – who worked as a foreign correspondent for much of his career – said he didn’t necessarily believe journalists should accept such awards for their journalism.

But, he said he eventually accepted the accolade for the achievements he had made outside of his chosen profession.

“I kind of thought about it and I suppose I sort of concluded that I had done some other things of use to the community,” he said.

He served as international editor at the Australian Financial Review from 2010-16 and was previously the newspaper’s Washington correspondent and political editor.

Australia Day Award winner

Mr Walker was the Middle East correspondent at the Financial Times from 1984-1993, Beijing bureau chief and North American correspondent.

Among his proudest achievements is his role in establishing the C.E.W Bean foundation to honour the memory of Australian war correspondents.

Mr Walker said the 2015 opening of the Oculus memorial, at the Australian War Museum, was a key achievement because it is the only dedicated memorial to war reporters in Australia.

“I feel quite proud of that ... it’s been used for memorial activities and it’s serving that purpose which I think is a good thing,” he said.

— OLIVIA SHYING

Elizabeth Butterworth OAM

Anglesea woman Elizabeth Butterworth has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her service to the community.

Ms Butterworth is recognised for her range of longstanding contributions as a founding member of the Anglesea Lions Club and Anglesea Lioness Club where she also served as president, secretary and treasurer.

Ms Butterworth is also honoured for her contribution to the Surf Coast Country Women’s Association where she went on to become the Treasurer, a Life Member, Secretary and President.

Ms Butterworth has also contributed greatly to the Red Cross as the former treasurer, secretary and vice president.

She was also awarded the Gilt Rosette by the Red Cross in 2008 and a decade later in 2018, received the Surf Coast Shire Senior Citizens Week Award

— HANNAH COHEN

Graham Gibson OAM

Australia Day honours recipient Graham Gibson. Picture: Alan Barber

Geelong’s Graham Stewart Gibson has been awarded an Order of Australia Award for service to cycling and to the community.

Mr Gibson founded Port Pedallers Bike Club in 2004 and also was the Founder and Former Secretary and President of Colac Veterans Cycling Club.

A competitive cyclist himself, Mr Gibson has competed for the Geelong Veteran Cycling Club as well as the Geelong Super Vets.

In addition to his service to cycling, Mr Gibson is also recognised for his charitable work having been involved with repairing and rebuilding donated and abandoned bikes for local charities including St Lawrence and Diversitat since 2004.

Mr Gibson has also been a member of the Colac Fire Brigade for 50 years and was a Former Volunteer for Do Care for two decades.

— OLIVIA SHYING

David Renton OAM

The late David Renton has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his long term service to surf lifesaving.

Renton was a life member of the Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club since 1989 and the David Renton Patrol Tower was named in his honour in 2022.

Mr Renton’s daughter, Melanie Renton said she was so proud of her late father’s honour and that it’s been an emotional time reflecting on his achievements.

“It’s a big honour and obviously we wish he was around to get this award,” Ms Renton said.

“He was a very humble man who devoted his life to, not only his community, but also his family and friends.”

Ocean Grove surf club stalwart Dave Renton has earned a posthumous honour. Picture: Alan Barber

Formerly of Ocean Grove, Renton is recognised also for his status as a founding member of the Ocean Grove branch for the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia of which he was Vice President up until he passed in August 2020.

He worked with Disabled Surfers Association of Australia on their goal to provide inclusive beach experiences for Australians with disabilities through access to wheelchair ramps, specialised beach wheelchairs. Special needs amenities and more.

Ms Renton said her father had a particularly special connection to the Disabled Surfers Association’s mission because he had been the carer of his wife, who lives with a disability after suffering a stroke, for over two decades.

Renton was also a founding member, vice president and coach of the Bellarine Paddlers.

— HANNAH COHEN

Robert James Riordan OAM

For his service to the community through a range of organisations, Newtown’s Robert James Riordan has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal.

Since 2009 Mr Riordan has served as deputy chairman of Marcus Oldham College Council having been a member of the College since 2003.

Mr Riordan has also sat as a member on a number of water authority boards throughout his community service career including Barwon Region Water Authority, Otway Region Water Authority as well as completing a tenure as chairman of the Victorian Groundwater Council from 1997-2000.

Mr Riordan is also recognised for his work in the fuel industry, working as the Owner and Managing Director of Express Diesel Victoria, Adelaide and Southern NSW since 1999.

Currently, he is also the Owner and Managing Director of United Retail Group Pty Ltd which operates in multiple locations.

He also receives recognition for his consistent donations to Advanced Sea Lake Incorporated since 2010 and his support of OOFERS Australia.

— HANNAH COHEN

Francis Herd OAM

Newtown resident Francis Herd has received an Order of Australia Medal for his service to the meat processing industry and the wider community.

Mr Herd has served as the Managing Director of Geelong’s M.C Herd Family Abattoir, a multi-species meat processing facility that processes over 1 million animals annually.

As an important part of his contribution to the meat processing industry, Mr Herd is also a founding member, former Chairman and former director of the Australian Meat Industry Council.

For his contribution to the local community, Mr Herd has been recognised for his role as life member of the Old Geelong Football Club as well as the Royal Geelong Agricultural Society.

He is also an honorary member of the Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club and was the Campaign Fundraiser of St John of God Hospital Geelong in 2016.

— HANNAH COHEN

Helen Joy Trigg OAM

Australia Day honours. Helen Joy Trigg. Picture: Alan Barber

Helen Trigg’s service to the community through a range of roles has been recognised with an OAM.

The Drysdale 69-year-old has held volunteer roles with the Australian Navy Cadets for many years, and is the former deputy director of culture and wellbeing.

Mrs Trigg became involved with the cadets after her sons joined the program in the 1990s.

She said she had “really enjoyed” her time with the cadets, which helped youths and taught them leadership skills.

The former Rotary Club of Ocean Grove president, who has also held the role of rotary district 9780 governor, has experienced a range of volunteer roles and said Australia runs on volunteers.

“I’ve been very fortunate in being able to take up these opportunities,” Mrs Trigg said.

She said being recognised with an OAM was a great honour.

— TAMARA MCDONALD

David Kelly OAM

David Kelly has spent his life giving back to his community as a teacher, principal and through his beloved cricket club.

For this he has received numerous accolades, but being awarded Medal of the Order of Australia is one of his proudest achievements.

Australia Day honours recipient David Kelly at the Geelong Cricket Club. Picture: Alison Wynd

“I’m somewhat overwhelmed about it,” Mr Kelly said.

“However, it’s great recognition for the people that I’ve worked with and relied on all the way through.

“You don’t do it on your own.”

Mr Kelly said he could not have achieved any of his success without the support of wife Mary for the past five decades.

He started teaching in the 1960s and worked across numerous schools – including the Geelong Special School and North Shore Public School – before becoming principal of Oberon South Primary in the late 1980s.

He moved to Nelson Park Special School where he worked until his retirement in the early 2000s and said he was always surrounded by good people.

“You rely on mentors and you rely on people who share your vision – whatever you’re doing,” he said.

“Education, sport – there is no difference. You are trying to achieve and make it the best it can possibly be.

“I’ve been fortunate in both areas – in my working career and volunteering career – to have had people who certainly complement my vision and achieved great results for the betterment of sport and children at schools.”

As well as teaching, cricket is Mr Kelly’s great passion and he said his years at the Grovedale Cricket Club in the 1980s cemented his love for the sport.

“My cricket started at Grovedale Cricket Club and one of the highlights was going from a hard wicket to achieving a turf wicket on Burdoo Reserve,” he said.

“And for Grovedale to grow into being one of the leading districts in the Geelong Cricket Association.”

Other found memories include fundraiser dinners that attracted international cricketing stars including former Pakistani cricketer turned Prime Minister Imran Khan and former West Indies cricketer Viv Richards.

Mr Kelly moved to the Geelong Cricket Club in the 90s where says he worked with others to achieve “extraordinary things”.

“There are a bevy of people still giving their time voluntarily – it’s amazing what volunteers can achieve,” he said.

He said was particularly proud of efforts that results in $1m of improvements to the park and raising $550,000 to develop a turf practice wicket.

Mr Kelly, who is a member of the Kardinia Park Steering Committee, said he remained involved until the fifth stage of the redevelopment was complete.

He said he was also proud to have been involved in clubs that helped produce Australian cricketers like Aaron Finch.

“If you didn’t have volunteers, you couldn’t get a baggy green,” he said.

Lynne Folster OAM

When Lynne Folster moved from the Northern Territory to Lara she didn’t realise how important her new
community would become to her.

Ms Folster also did not know that she would become an invaluable contributor who has today been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community.

“I feel very, very humbled. You do things, not to get a thank you for them, I do things for people that needed help,” she said.

Ms Folster joined the Lara Lions Club in 2009 and has been the founding co-ordinator of the Lara in Drop Centre since 2016 and was a founding member of the Homeward Bound Project.

Lynne Folster. Picture: Peter Ristevski

“I was sitting having coffee and I thought it would be great to have a soup kitchen. That didn’t work,” she said. “So we got hold of a drop-in centre and made mats for the homeless.”

The group collected plastic bags from supermarkets and made more than 100 mats.

Ms Folster said through this the group was able to assist people who were in need but didn’t necessarily feel comfortable asking for help.

She said she was also very proud of her work for the Australia Cambodia Foundation to assist orphaned children.

— OLIVIA SHYING

William Pratt OAM

It’s a family affair for veteran Rotarian William Pratt.

The Leopold man has been in rotary clubs for 56 years and has been a member of the Rotary Club of East Geelong since 1987.

Today he has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to the Geelong community.

Mr Pratt said he was pleased to have been able to contribute to his community, but said he was most proud of instilling the same values into his daughter Janine Coch and grandson Alex who are members of the same club.

“I think if you’re an average Australian bloke, you’re interested in helping somebody who isn’t as a comfortable as you are – you finish up in an organisation that helps people who are battling. Rotary is a very good organisation to be a part of.”

Mr Pratt said he was surprised to be honoured for his work, but remained committed to helping others in need.

— OLIVIA SHYING

Jennifer Wills OAM

Portarlington woman Jenny Wills has dedicated her life to gender equality.

Ms Wills has had a particular focus on gender equality in local government and was a founding member of Women in Local Democracy (WILD). Ms Wills will receive an Order of Australia Medal for service to local government, to gender equality and to the community.

“I think it’s wonderful. I feel very appreciative and I think it recognises the long struggles that many inspiring women have been involved in our challenges of achieving gender equality,” she said.

Ms Wills said among her greatest achievements was grounding the issue of gender equality in local democracy.

She said the state government’s commitment to gender parity at the 2024 elections proved her advocacy, and that of others, had made a difference.

— OLIVIA SHYING

Originally published as Geelong’s finest community servants recognised in 2022 Australia Day honours