See the full list: South Australia’s 2025 Australia Day awards honour roll unveiled
They come from sport, medicine and beyond, but everyone on this list has made a true mark. See all of this year’s Australia Day honours recipients here.
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They come from across the state, from the world’s of sport, business and beyond. But one thing everyone on this list has in common is making a huge contribution to South Australia.
Here we celebrate just some of the amazing Australia’s named on the 2025 Australia Day Honour Rolls.
Scroll down to read their stories and see the full list of every local South Aussie hero who we’re celebrating today.
Pamela Maunsell Wall - AO
Pamela Maunsell Wall OAM has lived a life dedicated to giving – and she says it’s all been inspired by the joy she gets from being with people.
Together with her late husband Dr Ian Wall AM, Dr Wall has spent decades supporting a range of causes across the South Australian community.
This Australia Day, she has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the community through charitable support and philanthropic contributions.
Dr Wall, 90, said it was very special to be receiving the award.
“I feel very honoured that, at this stage of my life, I’m doing everything I feel I can do to help charities,” she said.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FULL HONOURS LIST
“I love people. I learn from them and they’ve been a very important part of my life.”
Over the years, Dr Wall has made major contributions to the St Mark’s College Foundation, University of Adelaide, Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation and Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation.
She was a founding ambassador of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and has donated to the Carrick Hill Trust, Novita Children’s Services, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and The Florey and Robinson Research Foundations.
Recently, Dr Wall purchased a Dale Chihuly sculpture so that it can remain permanently on display in the botanic gardens.
Robert Ian Chapman - AM
Former Adelaide Football Club chair Robert Chapman has never planned any of his career moves. In fact, he says it’s something career planners hate to hear.
Instead, he continued to do whatever job he had at the time “as best as I could”, and was “lucky enough” to get opportunities offered to him as a reward for his hard work.
“My advice to people these days, if they want to get ahead in their career, is do the job you’re currently doing really, really well and the jobs will seek you out,” Mr Chapman said. “That’s how my career has played out over time.”
Mr Chapman, who was Crows chairman from 2009 to 2020, has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to the financial sector and Australian rules football.
While watching the Crows make their way to the 2017 AFL Grand Final was “magnificent”, the “highlight” of Mr Chapman’s career is his time as Bank SA’s Managing Director from 2002 to 2010.
“To be head of the biggest bank in the state was a huge honour, and I took it very seriously and worked really hard,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Stephen Peter McDonald - AM
As a medical student, Professor Stephen McDonald chose to dedicate his career to making kidneys function better after working in remote Aboriginal communities.
In the regional Northern Territory, he saw kidney disease was the culmination of poverty and chronic health problems.
“The thing that struck me was that it’s far more than just kidney disease, it goes back to people not knowing where their next meal is coming from,” he said.
With SA Health, Professor McDonald has been responsible for delivering 13 dialysis centres across South Australia, as medical lead for dialysis services for country regions.
Since 2006, he has also been executive officer of the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, while holding a slew of clinical roles.
That includes director of dialysis at the Central and Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service for nine years.
Associate Professor Robert Parkyn - OAM
“Doing major head and neck surgery in a (refugee camp) tent under the stress of knowing a riot may erupt really focuses your attention — it improves your performance.”
Associate Professor Robert Parkyn has had a fascinating career since a last minute decision to switch from civil engineering and instead study medicine.
The endocrine and breast specialist has performed more than 30,000 surgeries, changing lives, as well as working in Third World nations and humbly says: “I have got back as much as I have given.”
Dr Parkyn has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to medicine in the field of breast and endocrine surgery.
He spent almost 50 years working in the SA public system, was an Australian Defence Force Reservist for 15 years, and at 73 still consults.
A series of fortunate events, good mentors and “being in the right place at the right time” led him to endocrine and breast surgery.
A turning point was working with a trainee from Malaysia, Hisham Abdullah, who went on to become that nation’s Director-General of Health.
“He nominated me to become president of the Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons,” Dr Parkyn recalls.
He then was appointed to the executive of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons where he founded the INTEREST outreach program to train and mentor young surgeons in Asia and Africa.
This saw him working in nations including Kenya, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Sudan, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka.
Sound glamorous? Dr Parkyn recalls the danger of being kidnapped for ransom, and of almost being arrested on trumped up corruption charges.
“A lot of places were just not safe,” he said.
Through Dr Abdullah he volunteered to work at the Rohingyan refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh where the pressure of having some one million desperate people crammed into half a square mile gave him focus when performing surgery.
“It’s been a fortunate career,” he said. “I’ve had wonderful patients, and you get from these people just as much as your give. I had a lot of patients with cancer and am always impressed by their strength and resilience.”
His advice for young surgeons is to not pass up an opportunity because “life is an adventure.”
“Treat all your patients as you would want your family and friends treated. Good communication is the key. And consider volunteer work, the experience is so rewarding.”
Peter Squires - OAM
A local hero who has worked tirelessly to preserve the state’s history and has won admiration for his wellbeing initiatives in his small home town will be honoured this Australia Day.
Tailem Bend’s Peter Squires has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to community history.
Mr Squires is the founder and proprietor of Old Tailem Town, a pioneer village the likes of SA icon Peter Goers described as “one of SA’s greatest tourist attractions”
Since 1982, Mr Squires has created an important time capsule into the state’s past through the development of his pioneer park.
The passion project saw Mr Squires turn 101 hectares of an old family farm on the banks of the River Murray into a town of 115 buildings on 15 streets with authentic, real historical buildings he has collected from all over the country.
He has created an olden-day Australian town, praised for its representation of how people once lived.
Despite being in his late 80s and after some health battles, Mr Squires said his motivation to continue was his passion for history and a belief it should be preserved for the public to enjoy, especially children.
Outside of his history endeavours, Mr Squires has also actively worked to encourage friendliness and put a spotlight on mental health issues through his ‘Wave for Wellbeing’ initiative in 2016.
After his own heartache of losing his grandson to mental health issues, he initiated a simple yet effective idea; smile and wave to prove Tailem Bend was Australia’s friendliest town.
The campaign drew national attention, while creating town-pride in engaging in a friendly-vibe while drawing attention to mental health issues.
A humble Mr Squires was graceful in explaining his honour to be recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia.
“It doesn’t make me feel like king of the castle but at least I haven’t wasted my time,” he said.
He said his focus was on making sure Old Tailem Town was around into the future for new generations of children to see.
“I just want Tailem Town to continue, the ship’s been built now it just needs a crew,” he said.
“I really want it to carry on (once I’m gone) the kids get so much benefit from it.”
Mr Squires said he was on the case of getting the site heritage listed to preserve it for years to come.
Sarah Tinney - OAM
When Sarah Tinney learnt her mother was diagnosed with stage four cancer she wanted to “change it”.
But living in Australia, with her mum fighting the disease in the US, Mrs Tinney said she felt an overwhelming sense of “helplessness”.
“I started looking at fundraising,” the 46-year-old Brighton mum said.
Her mum, Esther Bryja’s diagnosis, and later death, inspired a range of fundraisers including Mrs Tinney’s annual The Marilyn Jetty Swim — which asks participants to dress up as Marilyn Monroe and swim around the Brighton Jetty.
Since it began in 2013, Mrs Tinney has raised nearly $1.5m for cancer research.
“At the end of the day, it’s not just me doing this stuff,” the Cancer Council Ambassador said.
“It’s my neighbours and all the people in the community that come and help me do all this.
“You don’t run events the size of what we’ve been running on your own.”
The inspiration behind dressing up as Marilyn Monroe came from Brighton Surf Club volunteer Robyn, who suggested Mrs Tinney swim the Brighton Jetty Classic dressed as someone “American and iconic”.
“My husband used to call my mum Marilyn Monroe and my dad John Wayne and I thought, that’s a sign.”
Heartbreakingly, after the suggestion, Robyn stopped returning Mrs Tinney’s phone calls.
When the organiser finally heard from her, Robyn had news — she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had been receiving treatment.
The call cemented for Mrs Tinney how important it was to raise money for cancer research.
“I feel like it’s important to pay attention when you’re told what path you should go down and I just paid attention and did as I was told,” Mrs Tinney said.
For Mrs Tinney, fundraising, including the Marilyn Jetty Swim, which won a Guinness World Record in 2020 for largest gathering of people dressed as Marilyn Monroe in one location, became “addictive”.
When Mrs Bryja was alive she would write letters to her daughter saying how proud she was of her.
“I would say that some of my fuel came from my mother’s letters,” she said.
“When she found out I was having that first event, she said ‘I’m so proud of not just you, but your new country, and the friend’s you’ve made and the connections you’ve gotten.
“She died about two months after my first fundraiser for her.
“The ground that is left from where these tragedies once were is extremely fertile and you can plant stuff in that and it grows and people can connect with that.”
Margaret Lee (nee Soo Koo) - OAM
Today is special in more than one way for Margaret Lee – as well as receiving an Australia Day Honour, it is her 70th birthday.
Mrs Lee has been recognised for her service to the creative arts, particularly as an embroiderer specialising in traditional Chinese and Japanese styles.
“My passion is to pass on a tradition that’s getting a little bit lost,” she said.
“With a lot of our practices, it’s not just a practical thing, there’s a spiritual element to it.”
Born in Malaysia to a Chinese family, Margaret was taught embroidery by her mother, continuing a family tradition.
“It’s actually a bonding – and teaching a discipline, a respect for labour, to make beautiful things.”
She studied in SA at Cabra Dominican College and the University of Adelaide before becoming a corporate banker at home in Malaysia, then working in Singapore.
After marrying and moving back to Adelaide in 1996, Mrs Lee devoted more time to her hobby, earning teacher accreditation in both Chinese and Japanese embroidery.
While the OAM is awarded under her maiden name Koo, all of her work and publications have been as Margaret Lee.
As well as writing four embroidery books published by Inspirations, Mrs Lee has contributed to encyclopedias and curated the Silk Legacy exhibition for the 2014 OzAsia Festival, for which she even designed a special embroidered portrait of former SA Governor Hieu Van Le.
Lan Le - OAM
After supporting her husband and former South Australian governor Hieu Van Le at official award ceremonies for seven years, it is now Lan Le’s time to receive her own well-deserved Medal of the Order of Australia.
This passionate community leader has been a patron or is a life member of more than 40 South Australian organisations, devoting her time to groups ranging from Cystic Fibrosis SA, to the children’s book council and the Rose Society of SA.
“This recognition really motivates me to continue to do more work with the community, it reminds me anything is possible when you work together for a better community, a better country,” Mrs Le, who is a former Vietnamese refugee, says.
She lists supporting women fleeing domestic violence among her most powerful experiences, saying clients and support staff were invited to Government House each week to drink tea, walk in the beautiful gardens and “know they are not alone”.
Mrs Le, 67, continues to support Vietnamese-born veterans, the multicultural community, she is a life member of Palliative Care South Australia, an ambassador for Grandparents for Grandchildren, supports the St Andrew Hospital Foundation and is a life member of several charities.
“What a privilege and what an honour to be able to continue to support our community,” she says, stressing the importance of our state’s volunteers.
“We will be a stronger and more supportive community through our volunteers.”
Judith Atala Whiting - OAM
Her family were stationed in a foreign military port when Judith Atala Whiting OAM first picked up a bowl.
It was in 1972 – in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, with her now late-husband Doug – that the now 92-year-old decided to tryher hand at a new hobby.
For more than 50 years, and after her return to South Australia in 1974, Mrs Whiting has dedicated herself to the sport of lawn bowls for players young, old and disabled.
That dedication to the sport and her beloved Modbury Bowling Club has earned her an Order of Australia Medal.
“I worked hard towards bowls all the time … I do like to play, I do like to be among people even if I’m not playing competitive, I can go down (to the club) and watch it,” Mrs Whiting said.
The Hope Valley woman has claimed multiple singles and doubles state championship titles, held national and state association presidencies and coached new players.
“Everything that I’ve done for people, has all been from the heart,” she said.
Elizabeth Habermann - OAM
Liz Habermann never stopped to think about voluntary euthanasia until her terminally ill son, Rhys, said he wanted to take control of his death.
In 2015, Ms Habermann’s 17-year-old son was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer – Ewing’s sarcoma – a sickness where tumours grow in and around the bones all over the body. Rhys was given a prognosis of 18 months, during which he had to endure unimaginable pain, but he was most concerned about his four siblings watching him “fade away” in a hospital bed.
During this period, Ms Habermann and her son often discussed voluntary assisted dying. Even though it wasn’t legal at the time, this eventually spurred her passion on the issue.
Ms Habermann has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of South Australia, her VAD advocacy and volunteer work in the ambulance service. She is also recognised for her council work in Wudinna District and managing the local bakery from 2007-24.
But a decade ago, her attention was spent on learning about VAD through her son.
“I wanted him to teach me what he knew about it and how he felt,” Ms Habermann said.
“Through him I learnt that it’s about the people who are actually dying and while we want them to fight and obviously just not die, ultimately our job is to support them.
“They shouldn’t live just to please us.”
Ms Habermann’s son was pushed into sourcing illicit substances from overseas.
“How he got it into the country is just beyond me,” she said.
“In hindsight, I can now see that after he received it he was just a different kid, he was lighter and happier and it’s just like he got a second lease on life.”
But one day, Rhys woke up and he could not get himself out of bed, prompting a visit to the local hospital and eventually he was flown from Wudinna to Adelaide.
The family was told Rhys had another tumour wrapping around his spine.
Ms Habermann said her son decided it was time to end things, and they ran away from the hospital.
“I was the only one in the family that knew full well what he was going to do when he got home – so the drive home was horrendous,” Ms Habermann said.
When they got home, Ms Habermann, her husband Brett, and their third child stayed with Rhys during his final moments.
“Rhys had initially insisted that we shouldn’t be with him at the end, and I said that we would be there because I couldn’tlet him die alone and I just didn’t care if I went to jail for it,” she said.
“So he actually made me video what he did … he wanted there to be evidence that he wasn’t coerced into doing anything … so I held his phone to video the whole thing.”
After Rhys died on January 11, 2017, police closed off the room as a crime scene and confiscated his belongings. It took police18 months to make a ruling, which, because of the video, did not result in any charges.
Kelli Underwood - OAM
Similar levels of enthusiasm came from Fox Sports commentator Kelli Underwood, awarded the OAM for services to broadcast media.
The first woman to ever call an AFL match, Ms Underwood said she had been privileged to be at the forefront of changes to Australian sport over the past 20 years, especially the explosion in interest in women’s competitions. The AFLW, she said, “was an absolute game-changer”.
She nominated a round 17, 2009 game between the Geelong Cats and the Hawthorn Hawks as an all-time favourite to call. A rematch of the 2008 Grand Final which the Hawks won, the Cats had the opportunity to square the ledger – but with scores pegged at 98, it all came down to Jimmy Bartel and one final kick at goal after the siren.
“[Veteran commentator] Tim Lane said to me ‘This is your time, this is your opportunity,’” Ms Underwood said. “My voice was all over the shop, because I was so raw, but the ability to call that game in that moment, it was the greatest thrill. Electricity was pulsing through my body. I walked away that night, going: ‘Whatever happens, I want to do this forever.’”
[For the record, Bartel kicked the point.]
Joanna Hedges - AM
Decades of working towards equal opportunity for Indigenous people in oral health in Australia has been Joanne Hedges’ passionsince she was an 18-year-old newly qualified dental assistant.
“It’s quite a surprise to receive the award … I’m quite honoured that they recognise the work that I do,” she said.
This Australia Day, Ms Hedges – after 40 years of work – will become a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division, for her significant service to the Indigenous community, particularly through oral health research and improved outcomes.
The Yamtaji woman worked across the Aboriginal community-controlled sector for three decades, in metro and rural areas.
Now, Ms Hedges is the director of Indigenous Health at the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, at The University of Adelaide. Her research at the ARCPOH now advises policy makers on how oral health practices can work better for Indigenous communities.
Full list of SA Australia Day honours for 2024
AO (Officer of the Order of Australia)
Claire Edwina Smith
For distinguished service to tertiary education, particularly social and anthropological archaeology, and as a national and international academic.
Mrs Pamela Maunsell Wall
For distinguished service to the community through charitable support and philanthropic contributions, and to the community of South Australia.
AM (Member of Order of Australia)
Mr Gerard Bertelkamp
For significant service to performing arts as a singer, songwriter and musician.
Mr Robert Chapman
For significant services to the financial sector and to Australian rules football.
Mr Stephen Alexander Grieve
For significant service to architecture and to arts development through leadership roles.
Ms Joanne Margaret Hedges
For significant service to the Indigenous community, particularly through oral health research and improved outcomes.
Mr Stephen Peter McDonald
For significant service to kidney medicine as an administrator, researcher and clinician.
Dr David Geoffrey Mills
For significant service to medicine through international development and rural and remote health education.
Associate Professor Patrick James O’Connor
For significant service to community health and to conservation and the environment.
OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia)
Mr Jed Norman Altschwager
For service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024.
Mr Oliver Dylan Bleddyn
For service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
Mr Kingsley Charles Blenkiron
For service to the community of Onkaparinga.
Professor Claudine Sharon Bonder
For service to medical research
Mr David John Botting
For service to agriculture and to the community of Millicent.
Mrs Sarah Suzanne Bryja (Tinney)
For service to the community through charitable organisations.
Mr Vincent Ciccarello
For service to arts administration.
Mr Robert John Cooke
For service to the community of Port Lincoln.
Mrs Wendy Gambling
For service to netball as an administrator.
The late Mr Craig Glennon
For service to tennis as an official and administrator.
The late Mr Peter Edward Greed
For service to the community of the Mildura and Mallee regions and to the arts.
Mrs Elizabeth Habermann
For service to the community of South Australia
The late Mr David Hewitson
For service to football as an administrator.
Mr John Leonard Hough
For service to veterans.
Mr John Ingham
For service to broadcast media.
Mr Brian Malcolm Knill
For service to conservation and the environment.
Ms Margaret Soo Koo
For service to the creative arts, particularly as an embroiderer.
Mr Peter Lane
For service to youth and to the community.
Mrs Wendy Ellen Lane
For service to youth and to the community
Mrs Lan Le
For service to the Crown and to the community of South Australia.
Mr Conor Gerard Leahy
For service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
Mrs Patricia Anne Marsh
For service to the community, particularly women and youth.
Mrs Janine Margaret Molloy
For service to swimming as an official and administrator.
Clinical Associate Professor Robert Francis Parkyn
For service to medicine in the field of breast and endocrine surgery.
Mrs Cheryle Gaye Pedler
For service to the community through a range of roles and organisations.
Mr Brenton Harold Perks
For service to horse racing and to business.
Dr Samantha Pillay
For service to urology.
The late Mr Barry John Priori
For service to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Mr Graham Michael Rudd
For service to veterans.
Colonel Francis Peter Scott DSO (Retd)
For service to veterans and their families
Mr Peter George Squires
For service to community history.
Ms Kelli Louise Underwood
For service to broadcast media.
Mrs Judith Whiting
For service to lawn bowls.
Mr Alfred Neil Wilkinson
For service to the communities of the Fleurieu Peninsula and Barossa Valley.
PSM (Public Service Medal)
Ms Kerry Beck
For outstanding public service in social justice, child protection and family services.
Mr Adam James Reid
For outstanding public service in industry development and economic growth.
Mr Panagiotis (Peter) Tsokas
For outstanding public service in local government leading the City of Unley in strategic and environmental planning and reform.
APM (Australian Police Medal)
Senior Sergeant First Class Sandra Joy Daly
Senior Constable Lynette Anne Gibson
Superintendent Mark Christopher Syrus
AFSM (Australian Fire Service Medal)
Mr Charles Samuel Thomas
ASM (Ambulance Service Medal)
Mr Anthony William Clark
Mr John Stuart Simpson
ESM (Emergency Services Medal)
Mr Darryl Clifford Wright
Public Service Medal
Mr Panagiotis (Peter) Tsokas, SA
Australian Corrections Medals
Mr Matthew Staples
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