Posted on 01/25/2006 3:27:02 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
ACTOR Nicole Kidman, TV legend Graham Kennedy and anti-malaria pioneer Charles Blackburn join more than 650 people on the Australia Day honour roll.
Lieutenant-Governor Lady Southey AM is the only Victorian to receive the top accolade, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). The widow of former federal Liberal president Sir Robert Southey is honoured for her support of charitable organisations, including 30 years of ferrying polio patients to and from hospital.
Kidman is among eight awarded the top honour.
The gong also went to Emeritus Prof Charles Blackburn, ED, who pioneered the treatment of malaria, helping Australian troops survive in New Guinea in World War II.
Sr Mary Bernice Elphick AM OBE and Prof Villis Marshall receive the AC for service to medicine, medical education and research.
Emeritus Prof Harry Messel CBE receives it for science and education, and Dr Kenneth Michael AM for community service.
Rome-based Rev Fr Gerald O'Collins also gets the highest honour. The theologian and academic has written more than 40 books.
Community workers, scientists, doctors, Diggers, artists, sports champs and benefactors are among 662 honoured with an Order of Australia.
Kennedy, who died last May, was one of 39 appointed an officer of the Order of Australia. Other AO recipients include Barbara Walker, wife of Melbourne 2006 chairman Ron Walker, Woolworths chairman James Strong, Melbourne businessman Jack Smorgon and winemaker Karl Seppelt.
NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney, politics specialist Malcolm Mackerras, soprano Lisa Gasteen and former federal Labor minister Con Sciacca are also recipients.
Herald and Weekly Times chairman Janet Calvert-Jones AM receives an AO for her philanthropy and support for medical research, access to education in rural areas, development of cultural and botanical collections, and service to the print media.
Victorians including neurologist Prof Edward Byrne, artist Robert Jacks, historian Dr Inga Clendinnen, community worker John O'Connell and architecture academic Prof Leon van Schaik are also officers of the Order of Australia, along with Prof Joy Wandin Murphy for her work with indigenous communities.
Sydney Swans chairman Richard Colless becomes a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). So do former Olympians water polo player Peter Montgomery and swimmer Lynne Bates.
Other AM recipients include Racing Victoria chairman Graham Duff, tennis great Mervyn Rose, AIS gymnastics coach Ju Ping Tian and Olympic gold-medal swimmer Michael Wenden.
Retired Supreme Court judge George Hampel, QC, former Victorian minister Peter Spyker, and Breast Cancer Network Australia chief executive Lyn Swinburne join them.
Melbourne businessman and former Footscray Football Club director Graham Sherry is one of 464 awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, as are boxing identity John Lewis, who trained Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu, and Victoria Cross winner Keith Payne.
Of 662 people receiving awards in the general division, 441 are men and 221 women. Just under 60 per cent of nominations were successful.
Happy Australia Day to you all!!!
Happy A Day to you.......thank you for being on the good side.........LOL Mar
Happy Australia Day back at you!
Well, thank you, and a happy one to you as well!
About time to got to Australia's premium city. I'd be happy to show you around!
For you to be excited about something and spread cheer to others based on your own culture is just offensive.
Please respect the holidays of others by not mentioning your own. ; )
Happy Australia Day to you, too!
LOL! I'll have a cold one for you!
You'll be VERY welcome!
Happy Australia Day, and crack a tube for BtD...
While civilians who earn Honours haver certainly earned them, their numbers tend to overshadow the military personnel who win them. Nicole Kidman is much more interesting than Trooper Linton Harris, who doesn't act - he just puts his life on the line for his country.
Consider it done!
Happy Aussie day to all you folks down under. :-)
Well said!
Happy Australia Day, mate!
Bruce or otherwise, we remain firmly committed to Rule 1!
I subscribe to rule four.
I'd wish you a Happy Australia Day, but it's still yesterday here. I wouldn't want my greeting to be premature.
YEAH BABY Good day mate
Happy Aussie Day to All Aussie Freepers I know there are only few LOL!
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