The Governor-General today announced Honours to 992 Australians, including 669 in the General Division of the Order of Australia, and awards for meritorious, distinguished and conspicuous service.
“On behalf of all Australians, I congratulate the Australians recognised in today’s Honours List.
“Recipients share some common traits – including selflessness, excellence and a commitment to service. They’re from different backgrounds, their stories are each unique, and each has served in different ways. This diversity is a strength and each has impacted their community and made it better.
“For that, we thank them and, today, we celebrate them.
“Collectively the recipients, whose achievements span community service, science and research, industry, sport, the arts and more, represent the very best of Australia.”
Prof. Tarun Weeramanthri (OAM)
Australian public health doctor and adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia (UWA), Prof Weeramanthri has been conferred with the highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service (OAM) on the Queen’s birthday this year.
Professor Tarun Weeramanthri has served as Chief Health Officer in Western Australia since 2008, and is also the Assistant Director General, Public and Aboriginal Health, in WA Department of Health. He has a particular interest in innovative public policy, promoting the value of public health, and application of new and old technologies, including the use of spatial data in health. He is the joint specialty chief editor of Frontiers in Public Health Policy, an international open-access journal. In 2014, he was awarded the Sidney Sax Public Health Medal, the highest award given by the Public Health Association of Australia, for his contribution to public health in Australia.
In addition to the 669 recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia (8 AC, 33 AO, 200 AM and 428 OAM), today’s Honours list includes:
– 37 recipients of awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (1 AC, 2 AO, 16 AM and 18 OAM)
– 201 Meritorious awards
– 85 Distinguished and Conspicuous awards
Other features of the list include:
– 45.9 per cent of awards in the General Division to women
– 43.6 per cent of awards in the General Division for community service
– 92 Australians recognised for their contribution in support of Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (these recipients will be added to the COVID-19 Honour roll).
“The Order of Australia belongs to all Australians. In addition to the characteristics of selflessness, excellence and service, each recipient in the Order has something else in common: someone has taken the time to nominate them for recognition.”
“Please consider nominating someone outstanding from your community for recognition. The Order belongs to each of us and we all have a part to play. The only way a person can be recognised through the Order of Australia is for someone to nominate them.”
