Australia Day 2025: Queensland OAM and award winners

A husband and wife who lost their daughter and grandchildren in a horrific domestic violence attack are among the Australia Day Queensland award winners.

Sue and Lloyd Clarke have been honoured with the OAM for their relentless service to domestic violence support and welfare, after the murder of their daughter and grandchildren.

Hannah Clarke and her children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, were killed on their way to school by her controlling and manipulative ex-partner on February 19 in 2020.

Sue and Lloyd set up Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation in their honour to stop the cycle of domestic violence, which provides education programs and other intiatives.

They have since contributed to the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce and continue to advocate for reform to domestic violence laws and policies.

“It’s very bittersweet,” Sue said to The Courier-Mail about being awarded the medal.

“It’s humbling as well and we’re very honored. But it is bittersweet, I’d much rather have no awards and have family.”

Lloyd and Sue Clarke will be receiving an Order of Australia award as a part of the Australia Day Honours for there service to domestic violence support and welfare. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Lloyd said their ultimate goal with their advocacy work through the foundation was to see no further deaths from domestic violence.

Sue said it was triggering for them to hear of Destiny Otton-Rakuraku being set on fire, allegedly by her ex-partner Renata Edward Manning, at her home in Kingston last week.

Hannah and the children were doused in petrol and set on fire before their tragic deaths.

“It breaks our hearts,” Sue said of the recent incident.

“I cry every time I hear it.

“We’d hope by now we’d be past this sort of behaviour, but we don’t seem to be getting ahead of it at the moment.”

The Clarkes have advocated for coercive control laws, which come into effect in May, while they continue to advocate for other jurisdictions to introduce the laws.

“I really do think the Queensland Government should be stepping up and doing a bit more advertising about this law coming into effect,” Lloyd said.

“It can affect a lot of people and if they are true in what they are saying - if you are sentenced - you can get 14 years for coercive behaviour.”

Sue said coercive control was a pattern of behaviour.

“One incident you can fob off but when you put a few different behaviours together, it’s quite obviously coercive control,” she said.

“If you get the whole story from talking to friends and family who have seen different incidents and are aware of different incidents, I think it will come together and be easier to police.”

Lloyd said police were doing their best with difficult workloads, much of which is taken up with policing domestic violence.

Hannah Clarke pictured right with her children

Small Steps 4 Hannah provides a program for adults called Hannah’s Story to teach people about red flags.

Their program for high school children is called HALT - named after Hannah, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey - and teaches about good relationships, social media and consent.

The Clarkes were previously honoured as the 2022 Queensland Australians of the Year.

Full list of Australia Day Honours recipients for 2025

LIONEL MORGAN - ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

A trail blazing Queensland rugby league player who was the first Indigenous player to represent Australia has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia less than two years after his passing.

Lionel Morgan, who played 12 interstate matches for Queensland and represented Australia in three test matches, has been honoured for his significant service to rugby league and to the Indigenous community.

The winger, who sadly passed away in September 2023 after battling dementia, was also a player and coach with Wynnum-Manly Rugby League Club (Seagulls).

His son Earl Morgan revealed the nomination came as a surprise to the family and said his father would be “extremely honoured”.

“It’s next level, because someone else has gone out of their way to recognise and nominate him,” Mr Morgan said.

“He [Morgan] would be very, very humble and slightly taken aback because he just had a love of the game, not for anything else other than he loved playing rugby league, he didn’t do it for the accolades.”

Earl Morgan photographed with his father Lionel Morgan who will receive a posthumous Order of Australia Medal as part of Australia Awards. Picture David Clark

Earl Morgan photographed with his father Lionel Morgan who will receive a posthumous Order of Australia Medal as part of Australia Awards. Picture David Clark

Mr Morgan said it was his drive and determination that led his father to not only achieve his dreams of representing his country, but also breaking down barriers in an otherwise hostile time for Indigenous Australians.

While Morgan wore the green and gold for five years, it was before the 1967 referendum where Indigenous were still referred to as flora and fauna.

“One of the best things was he was a rugby league player, but he also contributed to the community by other means as well,” he said.

“As much as it is a major milestone for our family, it will be a major milestone for people from all walks of life.”

Mr Morgan reminisced on getting to rub shoulders with some of rugby leagues greatest players, including the likes of John Raper, Clive Churchill and Reg Gasnier.

“One thing he always said to myself and my three brothers about playing sport ... especially in rugby league, he said it’s a great leveller,” he said.

“They didn’t see him any more or any less, other than an equal.”

Along with his achievements in the game, Morgan helped establish an Indigenous housing corporation in Wynnum as well as Brisbane Aboriginal Legal Aid Services.

Melbourne AFL legend Neale Daniher named Australian of the Year for 2025

PROF. JOHN FRASER - ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

A Queensland scientist who is known around the world for his extraordinary critical care research has been named as an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Professor John Fraser, the founder and director of the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) at The Prince Charles Hospital, has been honoured for his distinguished service to medicine as an intensive care physician and surgeon, as well as his life changing research.

Professor Fraser, director of the Intensive Care Unit at St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane and Chief Medical Officer De Motu Cordis, established CCRG in 2004.

Over the past two decades, CCRG has grown to become one of the largest multidisciplinary research groups in Australia, with a global network spanning more than 60 countries —encompassing clinical, pre-clinical and engineering research — all with the singular aim of improving outcomes in critically ill patients.

CCRG has hit the headlines for innovations like The Living Heart Project which

has improved heart transplant outcomes globally.

CCRG 20-Year Anniversary Dinner - Professor John Fraser pictured with his children Picture Wavell Bush Photography

The team has developed The ICU of the Future: — a world-first project that puts the patient first through co-design of an intensive care unit environment with the aim of ensuring that “patients thrive, not just survive”.

The group has been heavily involved in working with engineers and industry to improve the outcomes of those with end stage heart and lung failure.

CCRG has also collated the world’s largest known database of Covid ICU patient information.

“I am equal parts humbled and honoured to receive this huge accolade from my

adoptive homeland of Australia. It represents not just my efforts, but the efforts of my many mentors, collaborators and team members I have had the good fortune to work with and learn from.” Prof Fraser said.

“ None of it would have been possible without the guidance of my parents nor the love and support of my five wonderful kids,” he said.

CHRIS STREAM - AUSTRALIAN POLICE MEDAL

A police veteran of more than 30 years who has worked in roles from a mechanic to a leadership position in the Special Emergency Response Team is one of seven Queensland officers to receive an Australian Police Medal.

Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream was sworn into the service in 1990 and in one of his first positions worked as a mechanic.

He later went on to serve in the Public Safety Response Team and was also an Inspector in the Special Emergency Response Team.

“When you have a siege type event, in particular if there are hostages involved, you are really focussed and the team is really focussed,” Assistant Commissioner Stream said.

“The operators there make you look really good, it’s all of the work they do.

Acting Commissioner Chris Stream. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

“Despite all of the weapons and all of the specialist skills that are deployed, I can tell you that every operator involved wants to see a negotiated peaceful outcome.

“They train really hard but nobody wants to see an outcome where force has to be used.”

Assistant Commissioner Stream said the job in SERT was on-call and demanding because people in the regions regularly called asking for advice.

He was recently at the helm of the Road Policing Command and has just been appointed to the Emergency Management Command.

Assistant Commissioner Stream said there were a few jobs that remained with him, including a fatal crash involving teens in Ipswich.

“I do recall attending a job where some young people had been intercepted earlier on in the night by the police and warned about their driving behaviour and the driver later on speeding was involved in a traffic crash a number of those people were killed.

“I remember attending the scene there and that is something that sticks in my mind, all of those young lives, all the lives of those families destroyed.

‘They were all 17 to 18 years old … I recall there were two deceased in the vehicle and a number of others died later in hospital.”

Assistant commissioner stream said joining the service was rewarding.

“It’s tough and at times it is dangerous,” he said.

“But if someone wants something that is going to challenge them - and at the end of the day they can see they’ve made a really positive difference - I’d absolutely encourage people to give it a crack.”

“I can tell you the absolute focus now is supporting the front line, the Commissioner and deputies are really clear on that.”

Chief Inspector Gai Bolderrow, Detective Sergeant Stuart Butler, Detective Senior Sergeant Brett Devine, Senior Sergeant Jacinta Pannowitz, Senior Sergeant Constance Steel and Superintendent Glen Pointing also receive the Australian Police Medal.

ARISA TREW — ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

Arisa Trew’s big year just got bigger.

Alreadythe nation’s youngest-ever Olympic gold medallist when she took out the skate park skateboarding event in Paris, the 14-year-old Gold Coaster has a new title – as our youngest-ever Order of Australia recipient.

Olympic Gold Medallist Arisa Trew is now our youngest-ever Order of Australia recipient. Picture: Richard Walker

Olympic Gold Medallist Arisa Trew at her local skate park on the Gold Coast. Picture: Richard Walker

It’s been a whirlwind 12-months for the skateboarding prodigy, who has also just been crowned Action Sportsperson of the Year at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards and is now the famous owner of a soon-to-be-famous pet duck named Goldy.

Promised the duck by her parents after her Paris triumph, Trew is still getting to know young Goldy, who was blissfully oblivious to all the attention during a series of interviews and photo shoots surrounding the duck’s owner’s Australia Day honour.

Arisa Trew becomes youngest Australian to win gold medal at Olympics with skateboard final

Trew, who has returned home from a competition in the US just in time for the Australia Day weekend, said the award was still sinking in.

“It was definitely a surprise and an honour to get this award and it’s super cool that I get it,” she said.

“It’s a different type of award to what I’m used to getting, but I’m still really happy about it and excited to get it.

Olympic Gold Medallist Arisa Trew at Elanora Skatepark on the Gold Coast, Saturday, January 25, 2025 - Picture: Richard Walker

“It’s pretty cool (to be the youngest-ever recipient) because I didn’t even know that.”

And while many of our current Olympians will be long retired by the Brisbane 2032 Games, Trew will be almost in her prime.

“I’ll still only be 22 then and hoping it would be my third Olympics,” she said.

“It would be awesome to get to three Olympics’ but for it to be in my home country, and my home state, that would be pretty cool.”

Read about the other Queensland legends to be recognised

Originally published as Australia Day 2025: Queensland OAM and award winners