Having ignored the Canberra Honour Walk for years because it was a Liberal invention, and then moving it to finally remove the last Liberal taint, the Chief Minister has become quite keen on it as it lets him have ceremonies he likes that he can be invited to.
Today he’s announced that four five more worthies will be honoured: Mr George Barlin AM (brought commercial TV to Canberra), Bishop Pat Power (auxillary Catholic bishop for Canberra since 1986), Mr Charles Bean (seminal Australian war historian, died in 1968), Ms Sylvia Curley OAM (nurse and later businesswoman) and Dr Nancy Burbidge AM DSc (a botanist).
The Chief Minister would also like more nominations to fill out his walk:
“Any person or group who has been a leading player in shaping the city of Canberra, or who has made a significant contribution to the Canberra community over a sustained period of time, is eligible for recognition in the ACT Honour Walk. Nominees do not have to be residents of the ACT and the honour may be recognised posthumously.”
If you’d like to nominate someone you need to call the Chief Minister’s grandly titled “Support and Protocol unit” on 6205 3031 or 6205 0192.