THE Hunter's community, sporting, medical, cultural and academic heroes have been saluted in this year's Australia Day honours.
University of Newcastle Professor, Julie Byles, was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her "distinguished service" to medical research, gerontology, and professional scientific organisations.
Among a plethora of other leadership and research roles - looking at the health of women and older people - The Hill resident has directed the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health since 1996.
Professor Byles said around 30,000 women have been involved in the study since its inception and some of the original participants, turning 100 this year, are still capturing her imagination.
"All the comments I read from these women are just inspiring. How they live their lives and the roles they play in the family," Professor Byles said.
"This is what got me interested in gerontology and how I could make the experience of ageing in Australia more positive."
Upon receiving the news about her honour, Professor Byles said she was shocked, extremely grateful and, selflessly, saw it as an opportunity to "do more good" in her field.
"The best thing about this honour is that it gives me a new platform to stand on with more influence to make positive change," she said.
In her role with the Australian Association of Gerontology and as co president of the International Longevity Centres Global Alliance, Professor Byles is now working with the United Nations and World Health Organisation across 16 countries advocating for the role of older people in civil society.
"Chronological age is not an indicator of anything except the number of candles on your cake," Professor Byles said.
"The biggest enemy of ageing well, is our own expectation that when we get old we won't be up for anything."
Conservationist, researcher and University of Newcastle stalwart, Emeritus Professor Timothy Roberts, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to environmental and life sciences and to tertiary education.
"It's not something you ever expect but I'm absolutely thrilled," Professor Roberts said.
Professor Roberts founded Newcastle's only hands-on science experience, Supernova, in the late 1970s.
Supernova is still running today as part of the Newcastle Museum, and Professor Roberts believes it has helped to inspire a generation of scientific thinkers.
Professor Roberts spent three years abroad from 2006 setting up the University of Newcastle's Singapore campus as both Dean and CEO.
Along with establishing Supernova and the Singapore campus, Professor Roberts said his current conservation work in Indonesian Borneo made up his top-three career highlights.
"I've taken three groups of students over and we do quite a lot in the rehabilitation of habitat for the proboscis monkey," he said.
"We use drones with infrared cameras to see where the monkeys sleep in the mangroves in an effort to learn more and preserve their habitat."
Professor Roberts was instrumental in establishing the electric vehicle building competition in Cameron Park - an initiative he hopes to expand through work in Kenya.
Today, he spends a lot time marketing his new business - InnovAAte and its rehydration product which was developed off the back of research into the loss of amino acids through sweat.
Having written a column on environmental living for the Newcastle Herald from 2014 until 2019, Professor Roberts says this award validates his belief in conservation and innovation.
"I think mum and dad taught me that you need to be part of the community and you need to give something back," he said.
"We've seen a remarkable change toward sustainability at the university and if this helps to continue it - that's fantastic."
Also receiving AM honours alongside Professor Roberts was Kurri Kurri's Graham Smith for significant service to the community in the region.
A former Cessnock councillor, retired teacher and long-time volunteer with several community groups, Mr Smith said he was "astounded" by the honour.
"I was notified by email in September, and I still find it hard to comprehend," he said.
The 70-year-old, who grew up in Sydney, said he had been volunteering since he was 12.
"Mum and Dad were community service-minded people, so that's where it comes from," he said.
Mr Smith arrived in Kurri Kurri in 1976 to teach at the primary school, and quickly became involved in with many local clubs and committees, including the Apex Club, Australian Labor Party and the Civic Week committee.
He was a founding member of the Newcastle Area Teacher-Librarians Association and is a life member of the NSW Public Libraries Association.
A range of Medals of the Order of Australia (OAM) were handed out across the region including to Mayfield's Michael Blaxland for service to the performing arts, particularly to theatre, and Charlestown's Pamela Comeford for service to community health.
Newcastle Art Gallery director Lauretta Morton received an OAM for services to museums and galleries.
Graham Dark, of Telarah, received his medal for service to the community through a range of organisations around the Maitland area.
Kotara South's Elizabeth and Dr John Dickeson both received an OAM for service to the Hunter through participation and leadership in a range of community and theatre organisations.
Long-serving Lake Macquarie doctor Denis Gordon was honoured for his service to the Belmont community, while Lambton's Dr Pamela Harrison received a gong for service to palliative care and to community history.
Wendy Purkiss, of Anna Bay, and Islington's John Mayo received on OAM honour for service to the community through charitable organisations and service to surf lifesaving respectively.
OAM recipients for sport-related achievements included Brian Rudder, of Belmont North, for service to rugby union and Edmund Sullivan, of West Wallsend, for service to Australian rules football.
Olympians Will Ryan, of Coal Point, and Spencer Turrin, of Dungog, received OAM honours for service to sport as gold medallists at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
Also among the OAM recipients, for his service to rugby league, was Newcastle Knights club legend, John Thomas.
"Everything I've done has been because of my passion for rugby league and for the community. To be rewarded like this is pretty amazing," Mr Thomas said.
A life member of the club since 2010, Mr Thomas has managed the under-16s and under-18s Newcastle Knights teams, and since 2004 has been team manager of their first-grade side.
"I remember I had taken one of the junior sides down to Melbourne when Michael Hagan rang me and asked if I wanted to be the first-grade manager. I've never looked back," Mr Thomas said.
Since attending Northern Suburbs training with his father, Jack, when he was around six years old, John Thomas has had a love for the game - but never as a player.
After taking a break from rugby league around 50 years ago, Mr Thomas said he came back to the sport when his son started playing for Valentine.
"I got involved and all I was thinking was how can I improve training and the sport."
Instrumental in introducing training camps to places like Myuna Bay for representative sides, Mr Thomas has also managed Junior Kangaroos, NSW Country and Hunter Sports Academy sides.
Mr Thomas spent many of these years still employed as a mine worker and was treasurer for the Newcastle Schoolboys club from 1987 until 2012.
Now in his late 70s, Mr Thomas' passion for rugby league keeps him as committed as ever to the Newcastle Knights. He also had a message of hope for the fans.
"It's looking promising this year. We'll be good. I'm all confidence."
Fennell Bay's Douglas Treloar and Antony White, of Scone, received medals for service to music through community bands and service to the community of the Hunter Valley region respectively.
Two OAMs were awarded posthumously to the late Albert Le-Merton, formerly of Lake Macquarie - for service to veterans, and to the community - along with the late Laurence March, formerly of Merewether, for service to surf lifesaving.
Meritorious service awards were given to Donald Farleigh, of Morisset, for his role in the Bonnells Bay Brigade from 1966, Brett Standaloft, of Oyster Bay, for over 25 years of service to NSW Ambulance and Wallsend's Wayne Rizzi for his service to the City of Newcastle and NSW SES.
