A NEWCASTLE nurse practitioner, Lake Macquarie environmental scientist and Hunter New England paediatric surgeon are among those being recognised as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours this year.
Of the close to 1000 honours announced by the Governel-General, nearly 700 were for the General Division of the Order of Australia. These included 200 Member of the Order of Australia (AM) appointments and 428 Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) awards, many from the Hunter.
Lesley Salem AM
For significant service to nursing, and to Indigenous health. Wonnarua woman and former John Hunter Hospital nurse, Ms Salem, was awarded Australian Nurse Practitioner of the Year in 2015 after becoming the country's first Indigenous nurse practitioner in 2003.
She now works with remote Indigenous communities in far north Queensland. Speaking with the Newcastle Herald between appointments on Mornington Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Ms Salem said the award was first and foremost an opportunity to shine a light on the health needs of First Nations communities.
"My dad always said to me that every time you get an award it's a platform to put forward things that needs to change," Ms Salem said.
"It's great that people see the work we are doing but the only thing that counts is that it gives me a soapbox call for nurse practitioners being given more freedom to provide healthcare in these communities."
"There are 17 of us in regional areas and we can diagnose pathology and imaging tests, do medications and refer to specialist but still can't give some vaccines. We want to help these communities who are already hurting."
While she spends half the year in remote communities, Ms Salem still calls Newcastle home and works through telehealth when in the Hunter.
An avid hiker, 62-year-old Ms Salem is spending the week from Monday hiking in New Zealand with a group of friends she call the "Magnificent 7".
"You need to take time for yourself because if you don't find that balance you can't give back through your work."
Prof Michael Mahony AM
For significant service to the life sciences and to tertiary education. Professor Mahony has taught environmental science and management at the University of Newcastle for nearly 30 years.
"It wasn't a profession back then like lawyers, doctors and engineers," Professor Mahony said.
"As we have seen in the last couple of years terms like sustainability and intergeneration equity have become common phrases. Environmental science is a profession we now rely on."
In his time at the university, he has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and 160 journal articles. More importantly, Professor Mahony said, he has had the opportunity to inspire the next generation of environmental scientists.
"It has been a privilege to teach the sons and daughters of the people of Newcastle."
Since 1991, Professor Mahony has been a principal investigator in the Earthwatch Institute's Australia's Vanishing Frogs.
"Sadly in my life I have discovered and described a species which is now extinct. It brings home the fragility of our natural system," he said.
"My main focus is frogs but they are just a tool to emphasise the importance of natural values. One can't deal with everything, it's about having a specialty to say this is what happens with the impact of climate change and fires.
"At the mouth of largest coal exporting port and with some of the best coastline as well as the Barrington Tops nearby, there is no better place to talk about these issues than in the Hunter."
Professor Mahony said he couldn't have made it to where he is without the support of his wife Leanne and "incredible" university staff.
Dr Patricia Davidson AM
For significant service to medical administration, and to professional associations. Dr Davidson is an Honorary Conjoint Professor of Paediatric Surgery at UON and has been Executive Director of Medical Services, Clinical Networks and Streams with Hunter New England Area Health District since 2019.
Having held a range of executive roles in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and surgical director positions at John Hunter and John Hunter Children's Hospital, Dr Davidson received a Medal of Distinction from Children's Healthcare Australasia in 2019.
"My goal has always been to provide great care for children and their families," Dr Davidson said.
"The children are the next generation and the young ones will be looking after us one day so to invest time in making the systems work well and safely has been a privilege."
Looking back at the last 30 years and the "comprehensive" range of services the children's hospital now offers, Dr Davidson said it has been "a great journey and an unimaginable honour".
"Having had all these opportunities I am really focused now on the wellbeing of our junior medical officers and educational support for the next generation," she said. "It's been a big time over COVID so it's now a chance to regroup, use what we have learned and work with the new government to move forward."
AM - Ms Joanne McCarthy
For significant service to the print media as a journalist.
Effie Crawley OAM
For service to the community of Gloucester. The late Ms Crawley was recognised for her contribution to the RSL sub-branch, Historical Society, Legacy Welfare Group and floral groups. Ms Crawley became a life member of the NSW Floral Arts Association in 2019 and in 2014 won the Ann Williams Clark Medallion from Gardens Club Australia.
Michelle Davis OAM
For service to road safety, and to the community. Having co-founded ROADwhyz and Helping Other Parents Exist (HOPE) in 2007. Ms Davis was awarded Maitland Woman of the Year, Body and Soul Extraordinary Woman of the Year and Newcastle Steel Magnolia in 2014.
Robert Jay OAM
For service to aged persons, and to education. Mr Jay has been secretary of the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of NSW since 2005 and is a founding member of the Manning Valley branch. He began his career as a full-time teacher in 1961 and was principal at Wingham High from 1990 to 1999.
Doris Dumbrill OAM
For service to the community through a range of roles. Ms Dumbrill was the first woman to be granted membership of the Lions Club of Jesmond in 1994 and has since served as treasurer and president. She has held numerous roles in the Waratahs Rugby Union Club and St John the Baptist Church since the 1960s. Ms Dumbrill has twice been Jesmond's Lion of the Year.
Ray Fairweather OAM
For service to the community of Maitland. Mr Fairweather served as a councillor in Maitland between 1977 and 2012, Mayor between 1990 and 1991. He has been a member of the Tenambit Progress Association since 1964 and had the Ray Fairweather Park named in his honour in 2011. Mr Fairweather received the National Medal in 1987 and Centenary Medal in 2003.
Anne Frost OAM
For service to the performing arts. Ms Frost has been involved in theatre for 40 years, founding both the Ann Frost School of Performing Arts and the ENDAC Youth Theatre Newcastle. In 2001 and 2007, Ms Frost received the Outstanding Achievement Award from City of Newcastle Drama Association and has acted in productions such as Hansel and Gretel at the Civic Theatre in 1993.
Frank Kitcher OAM
For service to tennis, and to rugby league. Mr Kitcher was president of the Newcastle and District Tennis Association from 1982 to 1994 and became a life member in 1999. He co ordinated the annual Newcastle Senior Easter Tennis Tournaments, fundraising for the Cancer Council, from 2008 to 2016. Mr Kitcher is also a volunteer with the Red Cross Blood Bank, life member of the Country Rugby League Referees Association and received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
Justine Lorenz OAM
For service to people who are deaf/blind. Ms Lorenz is a deafblind practitioner with the Community Disability Alliance Hunter and established the Deafblind Peer Support Group in 2014. She served as the St Vincent de Paul local area coordinator, Central Coast, from 2016 to 2020 and received the Community Hero Award in 2020.
Dr Peter McGeoch OAM
For service to sports medicine. Dr McGeoch was an Honorary Medical Officer with the Newcastle Knights between 1992 and 2016 and again between 2019 and 2020, he was made a life member in 2016. He held the same role with the NSW Rugby League under 16s, 18s, 20s and Fijian national sides. Dr McGeoch served as a GP in Woodrising between 1982 and 2018 and at the Glendale Medical Centre since 2019. He received Person of the Year Award with the Knights in 2019.
Janelle Shakespeare OAM
For service to medical research organisations. MS Shakespeare cofounded the Hunter Children's Research Foundation in 1996 and the JSA Group in 1976. She was named Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in 2003.
Kevin Short OAM
For service to the community of Maitland. Mr Short is a life member of the Maitland District Hockey Club and coordinator of the Maitland Hockey Centre. He has also been the president of Maitland District Historical Society since 2018 and secretary of the Maitland District Christian Education Association since 2012.
Phillip Winney OAM
For service to veterans and their families. MR Winney has been president of the Merewether Hamilton Adamstown RSL sub-branch since 2018, continuing as president of the Merewether sub-branch from 2010. He was presidnet of the Newcastle sub-brnach from 1990 to 1993 and made an RSL life member in 2016. Mr Winney has also held a role in numerous ANZAC Day groups and received a Newcastle Volunteer Service Award in 2019.
