Canberra's Queen's Birthday honour roll

The Indigenous head of the National Arboretum, a long-time Catholic social justice campaigner and a female trade unionist are among ACT community members recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Also honoured are a controversial Commonwealth department head and the architect of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) that transformed university financing.

Among a plethora of former politicians across the country to be honoured, former prime minister Tony Abbott is the most prominent, being made a Companion of the Order of Australia.

National Arboretum Senior Director Scott Saddler was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to public administration, and as a supporter and mentor of Indigenous youth.

A Wiradjuri man, Mr Saddler has been a senior leader at the National Arboretum Canberra since 2014 and received an ACT reconciliation award in 2018.

Catholic figure Francis Sullivan was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the community, particularly through social justice and law reform, as well as in health and aged care.

He headed the Catholic Church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council which coordinated the Church’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and has been a stern critic of the Church’s approach, calling out a “glaring lack of moral leadership” and urging it to change if it is to remain relevant and engaged in Australia.

Catherine Wood was made a Member for significant service to the superannuation sector, to women, and to trade unions.

She has been chair of Women in Super since 2011, re-established the Women in Super Canberra network and was the inaugural Chair of the Canberra Mother’s Day Classic Committee, in support of breast cancer research.

Eric Chalmers, who championed child safety in the ACT for two decades, was also made a Member for significant service to the community through child accident prevention and road safety organisations.

He was Chief Executive Officer of Kidsafe ACT from 1999 to 2019, is a member of the Australasian College of Road Safety National Executive Committee, Deputy Chair of the ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee, and was President of ACT Playgroups from 2007 to 2019.

Outspoken Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo was made an Officer for distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of national security, border control and immigration.

Mr Pezzullo has gained a reputation as a tough and uncompromising administrator in one of the nation’s most powerful positions.

The ANU’s Professor Bruce Chapman was made an Officer for distinguished service to higher education, particularly in the field of economics and public policy, and to professional societies.

He designed the HECS system and often calls for the model to be applied to various social and economic issues.

Brigadier Alison Margaret Creagh CSC (Ret’d) was made a Member for significant service to veterans and their families, and to rowing.

She is a member of the Veterans Review Board, and chairs the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council for Veterans and their Families.

The Governor-General General David Hurley announced 710 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia (3 AC, 50 AO, 200 AM and 457 OAM), 28 recipients of awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (3 AO, 12 AM and 13 OAM) and 128 meritorious awards.

“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.

“This list recognises a group of outstanding Australians who have made a contribution to their community, to Australia globally or domestically. Their efforts have been noted by their peers, they’ve been nominated and assessed independently as worthy of recognition.”

He said the positive trend towards gender parity continued, with 41 per cent of recipients in the General Division women.

ACT recipients in the Order of Australia:

MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AM)

Eric James CHALMERS

For significant service to the community through child accident prevention and road safety organisations.

Brigadier Alison Margaret CREAGH CSC (Ret’d)

For significant service to veterans and their families, and to rowing.

Peter James EVEILLE

For significant service to the care and welfare of veterans and their families.

Professor Christine PHILLIPS

For significant service to medical education, to migrant and refugee health, and to medicine.

Mr Scott Anthony SADDLER

For significant service to public administration, and as a supporter and mentor of Indigenous youth.

Dr Paul Nathaniel SMITH

For significant service to orthopaedic medicine as a surgeon, and to medical administration.

OFFICER IN THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AO)

William McFadyen CAMPBELL QC PSM

For distinguished service to public administration, and to international legal practice, through senior counsel and advisory roles.

Professor Bruce James CHAPMAN

For distinguished service to higher education, particularly in the field of economics and public policy, and to professional societies.

Michael PEZZULLO

For distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of national security, border control and immigration.

Francis John SULLIVAN

For distinguished service to the community, particularly through social justice and legislative reform initiatives, and to health and aged care.

MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (OAM)

Dr Walter Patrick Leopold ABHAYARATNA

For service to medicine in the Australian Capital Territory.

Mrs Alison Irene AITKEN

For service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Dr Michael Ralph BANYARD

For service to veterinary science.

Margaret McRae CORNWELL

For service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Jennifer Louise CROSS

For service to children and families impacted by dyslexia.

Claudia HYLES

For service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Rosanna KOBIELA-HORN

For service to table tennis.

Georgina May PINKAS

For service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Lakshman PRASAD-ALLURI

For service to the Indian community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Ms Anna Kristina PROSSER

For service to women, and to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Anne Francis WALSH

For service to people with an intellectual disability.

David Peter WATSON

For service to public administration, particularly to courts of law.