Tony Abbott, Michael Clarke awarded in Queen’s Birthday Honours list
Tony Abbott, Michael Clarke and Bronwyn Bishop are among the 933 Australians recognised today in the annual Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Tony Abbott, Michael Clarke and Bronwyn Bishop are among the 933 Australians honoured today by Governor-General David Hurley in the annual Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
“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,” the Governor-General said.
“The list recognises a group of outstanding Australians who have made a contribution to their community, to Australia globally and domestically. Their efforts have been noted by their peers, they’ve been nominated and assessed independently as worthy of recognition.”
Along with Mr Abbott, Mr Clarke and Ms Bishop, here are just some of the Australians honoured today:
Tony Abbott (AC)
Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for “eminent service to the people and parliament of Australia, particularly as Prime Minister, and through significant contributions to trade, border control and to the Indigenous community”.
Mr Abbott served as PM for two years from September 2013, during which time he spent a week (in 2014 and 2015) running the government from a remote Indigenous community. He’s also an active volunteer for the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Philip Ruddock (AO)
Politician Philip Ruddock was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the people and parliament of Australia, and to local government”.
Since retiring from federal politics in 2016, Mr Ruddock has served as the Special Envoy for Human Rights and was elected Mayor of Hornsby Shire in September 2017, and state president of the Liberal Party NSW Division in February 2018.
Gretel Packer (AM)
Philanthropist Gretel Packer was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the community, to the visual and performing arts, and to conservation”.
The daughter of media mogul Kerry Packer, Ms Packer was the driving force behind the establishment of the $160 million National Philanthropic Fund in 2014, and as an arts patron, she sits on the boards of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Sydney Theatre Company.
Graham Richardson (AO)
Former Australian politician and NSW Senator Graham Richardson was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the people and parliament of Australia, to the media as a political commentator, and through philanthropic support for a range of community organisations”.
Since retiring from politics, Mr Richardson has been a political commentator for both Channel 7 andSky News, and guest commentator for The Australian.
John Della Bosca (AM)
Former NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to public health, particularly in the disability and drug support sectors, and to the parliament of New South Wales”.
In 2010, Mr Della Bosca announced his resignation from the NSW Legislative Council to become a campaign director for the National Disability and Carers Alliance (now National Disability Services), and assist in the establishment of a national disability insurance scheme.
Ron Boswell (AO)
Former Australian politician Ron Boswell was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the parliament of Australia, to the people of Queensland, and to fisheries research and development”.
Mr Boswell represented the Nationals in the Australian Senate for Queensland from 1983 until 2014, and led the party in the Senate from 1990 until 2007.
Marcia Langton AM (AO)
Anthropologist and geographer, Professor Marcia Langton AM, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to tertiary education, and as an advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people”.
Prof Langton has held the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne since 2000, and has produced a large body of work in the areas of political and legal anthropology, Indigenous agreements and engagement with the minerals industry, and Indigenous culture and art.
She was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1993, in recognition of her work in anthropology and the advocacy of Aboriginal rights.
Mike Baird (AO)
Former premier of NSW, Mike Baird, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the people and parliament of New South Wales, particularly as premier, and to the community”.
Mr Baird was premier between 2014 and 2017, after which he was appointed chief customer officer at the National Australia Bank (NAB). He left the role in April this year, and has since been appointed chief executive officer of not-for-profit aged care provider HammondCare.
Tottie Goldsmith (OAM)
Australian actor and singer Tottie Goldsmith was appointed a Medal of the Order of Australia for “service to the community and the performing arts”.
Goldsmith started her career in the early 1980s, in Australian soaps like The Young Doctors, before founding and becoming one of four female lead vocalists of Australian band The Chantoozies and then embarking on a solo career. Since then, she’s acted as a host on both TV and radio.
Ryan Stokes (AO)
Seven Group managing director and chief executive officer Ryan Stokes was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the people and parliament of Australia, to the media as a political commentator, and through philanthropic support for a range of community organisations”.
Mr Stokes was appointed chairman of the National Gallery of Australia in July 2018, and is also chairman for Coates Hire, director of Beach Energy and director of Seven West Media.
Bronwyn Bishop (AO)
Former Australian politician Bronwyn Bishop was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the parliament of Australia, to the people of New South Wales, and to women in politics”.
Ms Bishop was a member of federal parliament for almost 30 years, the longest period of service by a woman, and was speaker of the House between 2013 and 2015.
Michael Pezzullo (AO)
Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Michael Pezzullo, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of national security, border control and immigration”.
Prior to that, Mr Pezzullo was chief executive officer of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
Michael Clarke (AO)
Former Australian cricketer and now cricket commentator Michael Clarke was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to cricket as a player at the national and international level, through leadership roles, and to the community”.
Mr Clarke is often regarded as one of the best batsmen of his generation, and as captain led Australia to their fifth Cricket World Cup triumph in 2015. He was awarded the Allan Border Medal four times over the course of his career – in 2005, 2009, 2012 and 2013.
Denis Napthine (AO)
Former Victorian premier Denis Napthine was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the people and parliament of Victoria, particularly as premier, to veterinary science, and to the community”.
Mr Napthine served as premier between 2013 and 2014, and prior to becoming involved with the Liberal Party of Victoria in the 1980s, he worked as a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in regional areas of the state.
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