Almost 900 Australians across a wide range of professions and industries have been recognised in this year's Queen's Birthday honours list.
The list recognises a diverse range of contributions and service across all fields, including scientists, designers, actors and community workers.
Australians have been chosen to receive awards on the Queen's Birthday Honours list since 1975.
Organisers say the list aims to define, encourage and reinforce Australian goals and values.
Honorees are nominated by members of the community for their work in supporting others and their acts of selflessness.
Among those on the list for 2017 are a Muslim Lebanese professor who has helped strengthen rural and remote medical education, an Australian Italian who assists Italian refugees, and an Indian scientist developing drugs for cancer treatment. Professor Mohamed Khadra has been awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia Medal.
Professor Khardra's medical background is in the field of urology as a surgeon, clinician and mentor, in rural and remote medical education.
Born in Ghana, in West Africa, he grew up in Sydney and says from a very young age he knew he wanted to be a surgeon but his entry into the industry wasn't in his chosen field.
He had to start off in the dental industry before he was able to move into medicine.
Professor Khadra worked with former federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge in Australia's first rural clinical school, an initiative to improve the number of doctors in rural areas.
"And what we found was that 70 per cent of doctors who trained in the bush actually ended up staying in the bush."
He says he's humbled to make the Queen's Birthday Honours List and hopes it will inspire other Muslim Australians.
"To be honoured and recognised by one's country is a great thing indeed. I hope that this award will inspire migrants, especially those of Muslim origin, to realise that this is a country of opportunity; it's a country that rewards hard work and rewards loyalty."
Professor Rajiv Khanna is receiving the Officer of the Order of Australia Medal for his work in medicine - specifically, his contribution to the development of cellular immunotherapies.
He says to be recognised by people outside the scientific community is an honour for himself and for his team.
His interest in science stems from his childhood and watching his father, who was also a scientist.
Professor Khanna has been working on a new cancer treatment alternative, a treatment he says is safer.
He says his hard work is a reflection of how the Indian community values education.
"We tend to value education very highly in India. You go to any Indian parent, they want they all want their kids to become a doctor or an engineer or something. But in a tense of what it brings to the Australian community is that highly educated Indian community which comes here and then establishes, whether they're in a medical area or an engineering area, they contribute hugely. And I'm part of that and im very proud of that heritage to be from the Indian community."
Italian migrant Giuseppe Pino Migliorino is becoming a Member of the Order of Australia.
Mr Migliorino is being recognised for his work in the Italian community.
He has helped build a bilingual school and a culturally-targeted aged-care program.
He moved to Australia with his family when he was 5.
Growing up Mr Migliorino says he was ashamed of his Italian heritage and found it hard to balance the two cultures he was a part of.
"I find that a really interesting aspect in terms of my own upbringing, that my family sees me as someone who didn't really necessarily comply with being Italian, yet I've become a great defender of Italian rights to cultural maintenance."
The bilingual school is something he is proud to leave behind as his legacy and he's delighted that a majority of the students who attend the school don't come from an Italian background.
He says the aged-care program is framed around ageing with dignity for his community, who struggle with growing old in a country that is not their homeland.
Mr Migliorino says the award isn't just about his hard work but the hard work of those around him.
The Governor-General and Chancellor of the Order of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove approved the awards and has expressed his congratulations to the winners.
He also says the community is very fortunate to have such outstanding people who dedicate themselves to improving the country.
Other notable mentions include Aboriginal actor Deborah Mailman, Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, Muslim advocate Dr Jamal Rifi and SBS CEO and Managing Director Michael Ebeid.
