The late Yolŋu Indigenous rights activist Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu has posthumously been appointed a companion of the Order of Australia in this year’s Australia Day honours list, where he is joined by emeritus professor Gillian Triggs, the former head of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and Cobble Cobble constitutional lawyer and Indigenous advocate scientia professor Megan Davis.
Yunupingu, a supporter of the Indigenous voice to parliament, died six months before the referendum on constitutional recognition that was the driving force of the final decades of his life.
“A ceremonial leader of the highest degree, my father was our Dalkarra (the ceremonial leader of the Gumatj clan), and a Djungaya (a leader for his mother clans),” his daughter, Binmila Yunupingu, said in a statement welcoming the honour.
“Dad was a born leader, and through his life he gained very high ceremonial knowledge, such that his life was spent honoring and guarding our laws and ceremonies, passing them on in perfection to the next generations.”
She said her father’s legacy empowered Yolŋu to “keep moving forward”.
Companion is the highest level of the Order of Australia, all nominations for which must be made when an individual is alive. It is not clear whether Yunupingu – whose family has allowed his full name and image to be reported on this occasion – was aware he had been nominated two months before he died.
He is one of 732 Australians recognised for their outstanding service or exceptional achievement in this year’s 26 January honours, with contributors to Australia’s Covid-19 response and gold medallists at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics dominating the roll alongside eminent scientists and members of the judiciary and military.
Triggs told Guardian Australia she “wasn’t expecting” the honour and singled out the efforts made by the commission to end the immigration detention of children – work undertaken in an unforgiving political climate – as a career highlight.
“There have been whole teams of people behind whatever I’ve done,” she said. “When I look back, the thing that was the most difficult and most politically challenging for both sides of politics was that I used my powers as president of the Australian Human Rights Commission to call a public inquiry into the detention of children.
“It was a very, very difficult time, and very, very demanding for everybody – but extraordinary that, in the end, we had a level of evidence that had never really been gathered before.
“It became unacceptable within the body politic to hold children indefinitely without any kind of appeal to the courts.”
Most of the children were subsequently released and the achievement praised by the United Nations high commissioner for human rights.
Speaking from Harvard University where she is a visiting professor, Davis, who has worked with the United Nations for 25 years and is a co-chair of the Uluru statement, said she was honoured to become a companion of the order.
Fifteen months after the failed voice referendum, she said its urgency had not diminished.
“I have dedicated more than 12 years to advocating for constitutional recognition in Australia … The past few years do not diminish the urgency of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, constitutional recognition, or the voice, nor does it define the decades of work done before it – it strengthens the case.”
The late professor Lyndall Ryan, whose colonial frontier massacre map at the University of Newcastle drew international attention to Australia’s bloody history, was posthumously appointed officer of the order.
The late Liberal cabinet minister Kevin Andrews was appointed a member of the order. Blind athlete Matthew Formston, known for surfing 15m waves, and Joanna Murray-Smith, playwright of the award-winning play Julia, have also both been appointed members.
Skateboarder Arisa Trew stormed into the history books when she landed a 540 spin in Paris to become Australia’s youngest Olympic gold medallist. Five months on, the 14-year-old has become the year’s youngest recipient of an Order of Australia honour after being awarded a medal of the order (OAM).
“It’s super exciting to see my hard work paying off … and it’s cool that you can be honoured when you’re young as well,” Trew said from her home in the Gold Coast.
“My year was definitely the best year I’ve ever had: super fun, challenging, and just cool to see how the level of skateboarding has [developed] – everybody who is skating is pushing each other and having a lot of fun.”
The athlete is one of at least 27 Olympian and Paralympian gold medallists, including kayaker Noemie Fox, swimmer Alexa Leary and pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, to have been awarded an OAM honour. Matildas player Clare Polkinghorne has also been awarded a medal for her service to football.
Australian diplomacy in the Middle East was recognised via public service medals for Dr Ralph King, the ambassador to Israel, and Edward Russell, for his representation in Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territories post in the aftermath of 7 October.
Fields of service as varied as the pork industry, basketball statistics, beekeeping, Scouts, deep space tracking, competitive scrabble and pigeon racing were also acknowledged.
Members of the military were recognised, while 24 recipients who made outstanding contributions to Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic joined a dedicated honour roll. There were at least four pairs of related awardees and the oldest recipient was 98.
2025 marks the 50th year of Australia’s honours system. The governor general, Sam Mostyn, who will formally present some of the honours in coming months, thanked the recipients for their “work of care and service to our nation”.
“To read recipients’ stories is to be reminded that contribution to communities across the country, underpinned by care, kindness, respect and love, is what matter most to all Australians, in every sphere of life,” she said. “Recipients embody the best of us, and we are grateful to all of them.”
Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. Nominations can be made now at www.gg.gov.au.
