Medal of the Order of Australia recipients

25 January 2012 | 02:08:31 PM| Source: SBS

The Medal of the Order of Australia is awarded to individuals nominated by the community whose achievements are deemed 'worthy of recognition' by the Order of Australia Council.

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This year's recipients include Men's Shed founder Warren Humphries, R U Ok? Day founder, the late Gavin Larkin as well as teen solo sailor Jessica Watson and snowboarding medallist Torah Bright.

Former screen star and boxer, the late Gus Mercurio, has also been honoured.

The following is a list of other notable recipients. The It's An Honour website will have a full list of recipients at a later stage.

Dr Kenneth Vernon Bailey
For service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

The Reverend Dr Warren Keith Bartlett
For service to the Uniting Church in Australia, and to the community.

Dr Colin Gabriel Benjamin
For service to the community through roles with social welfare organisations, and to business.

Ms Torah Bright
For service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Mr Peter John Brooke
For service to the community as a pilot with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Queensland.

Mr Ronald Alan Brownlees
For service to local government, and to a range of health and community organisations.

Mr Paul William Brunton
For service to Australian history through curatorial roles with the Mitchell Library.

Mr Joseph Anthony Caputo
For service to the Italian community in Australia, to the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and to local government.

Sister Maria Casey
For service to the community as Postulator for the Canonisation of Mary Mackillop, and to the Catholic Church in Australia.

Squadron Leader Robert Barson Cowper DFC* (Ret'd)   
For service to veterans and their families through a range of ex-service organisations.

Sister Margaret Anne Culhane
For service to the international community, particularly refugees from Asia and Africa, to women, and as an educator.

Mr Robert Phillip Dobson AFSM   
For service to the community through voluntary roles with a range of service organisations.

Mr Grant Stephen Dorrington BEM   
For service to the community through contributions to road safety, and to the management and development of the Australian Football League in Western Australia.

Mr Peter Nicolaus Ellis
For service to the arts through the collection and preservation of Australian folk history and heritage.

Mr Peter John Fenton
For service to the Australian film industry as a sound engineer.

Mr William Michael Flynn
For service to the community of Ballarat, and to the Catholic Church in Australia through administrative roles.

Father Paul Bernard Gardiner
For service to the community in the fields of education and religion, as Postulator for the Canonisation of Mary Mackillop, and to the Catholic Church in Australia.

Dr Dorothy Mary Gibson-Wilde
For service to heritage preservation in Queensland.

Mrs Jennifer Ann Gorrel
For service to the community of the Riverina through a range of health and social welfare organisations.

Mr Peter Hansen
For service to the building and construction industry, and to the community.

Mrs Ina Patricia Harbison
For service to marine conservation in South Australia.

Mr Arnold Rex Harcourt
For service to the community as an author, researcher and historian, particularly of the founding and early days of Melbourne and Victoria.

Mr Geoffrey Raynor Hook
For service to the print media as a political and social commentator, and as a cartoonist.

Mr Owen Ray Hughan
For service to the sport of basketball as a player, coach and administrator.

Mr Warren Desmond Humphries
For service to the community of Labrador, particularly through roles with the Men's Shed.

Mr Jack George Kyros (deceased)  
For service to the Greek community of Western Australia.

Mr Gavin James Larkin (deceased)   
For service to the community through the advancement and promotion of suicide prevention awareness, and as Founder of R U OK? Day.

Mrs Lydia Lassila
For service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Mrs Madeleine Mary Le Surf
For service to the community of Manly.

Mr Gus Mercurio (deceased)  
For service to boxing as an administrator and sports commentator, as a film, television and stage actor, and to the community.

Dr Kerry Leonard Moroney
For service to rural medicine, and to the community of Narrabri.

The Honourable Peter Frederick Morris
For service to the Parliament of Australia through a range of ministerial portfolios, and to the maritime industry and ship safety.

Mr Edward Maurice Murrell (deceased)
For service to the community of the Dungog Shire, to local government, and to emergency service organisations.

Commander Robert Emulis Nelson RAN (Ret'd)   
For service to education through the development and national delivery of the Science and Engineering Challenge.

Mr Xuan Tiep Nguyen
For service to the Vietnamese community in Australia.

Ms Deborah Ruth Nicholls
For service to the community, particularly as a refugee advocate.

Mr Denis Richard Page
For service to business, and to the community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Mr Emanuel Andrew Petrelis
For service to the Greek community of Western Australia, to business, and to education.

Mrs Helen Poulos
For service to children in hospital and to their families.

Mr Peter James Prineas
For service to conservation and the environment in New South Wales through executive and advocacy roles.

Mrs Beverley Frances Snell
For service to international health.

Ms Julie Anne Tongs
For service to the Indigenous community of the Australian Capital Territory.

Mrs Sabina van der Linden-Wolanski (deceased)   
For service to the community through a range of Jewish organisations.

Mrs Claire Russell Vickery
For service to the community through the Butterfly Foundation.

Ms Barbara Gay von Ess
For service to people with autism spectrum disorders and their families, as an advocate and educator.

Mrs Phyllis Ware
For service to Friends of the Royal Perth Hospital.

Ms Jessica Rose Watson
For service to sailing and to youth through the achievement of sailing solo and unassisted around the world, and as a role model for young Australians.

Mrs Anna Wellings
For service to women's health through a range of breast cancer support organisations, particularly Dragons Abreast ACT and Region and Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Mrs Ildikó Wetherell
For service to the Hungarian community in South Australia.

Mr Oscar Ralph Whitbread
For service to the Australian film and television industry.

Dr Pamela Kaye Williams
For service to women's health through executive roles with breast cancer awareness organisations.

Mr Robert Willis
For service to the preservation of Australian folklore and traditional music.

Mr Hayden Paul Zammit
For service to the community of Broken Hill through a range of fundraising and volunteer programs, and to youth leadership.

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