More than 900 Australians have been recognised for their exceptional contribution to the country in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours List. Here, SBS spotlights some of the many community heroes celebrated with a Medal of the Order of Australia. Among them are a self-defence teacher, a powerful advocate for victims of crime, and an author celebrating historic achievements of Greek women.
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TRANSCRIPT
In a community gym in Glen Waverley in Melbourne's east, Dr Anne Pang is teaching a free self-defence class for women.
Dr Pang's service to the Chinese community and to women have been honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia.
Speaking with SBS Mandarin, she says being one of the 949 people recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List gives her motivation to do more for her community.
"I was totally, totally floored, surprised, and well, quite shocked and of course very, very humbled by the award. And I just want to say that really, I don't see it as a trophy, or an end point- I see it as a starting point. As a door opening, as a gateway to a lot more things that I can do."
The 68-year-old martial arts instructor migrated from Taiwan in the 1970s.
She has more than 30 years' experience teaching women self-defence at universities, schools, clubs and community centres.
She says through her work, she wants to help women become more empowered and independent.
"When I started learning martial arts, I realised it was something women really needed to learn because it gives them a lot more confidence, and that confidence then translates into freedom, liberty and autonomy."
Another recipient honoured for her service to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia is senior Noongar and Yamatji woman Mechelle Turvey.
In 2022, Ms Turvey's 15-year-old son Cassius was killed while walking home from school in Perth.
A trial, which ran for almost 13 weeks, found two men guilty for his murder
Speaking with SBS, Ms Turvey describes how her own experiences have impacted how she relates with others.
"Although others have different experiences, they know that I've been through a lot. They've been through a lot. So, there's that opportunity to open up and have open conversations with other people with passion. And I don't mind talking to people on awkward conversations. I don't mind having a cry with people. I like to keep it as real as it possibly can be."
Since 2023, Ms Turvey has worked to train police officers in how to deal with victims of crime with empathy, care and support, and how to recognise when people are experiencing trauma.
"I think one of the main things that I've been instrumental in doing in my team is actually getting out into the community, and actually engaging, one-on-one, person-to-person, instead of just sitting in the office and relaying things. So, it is about getting out there with Aboriginal people, getting police at the same table to clear up misunderstandings, and just to enhance that trust, and get over those barriers."
Another award recipient has spent years trying to shine a light on the historic contributions and achievements of Greek women over the past 200 years.
Panagiotis Andrinopoulos has written and published a bilingual book highlighting the work of 400 influential women of Greek background, including eighty Greek-Australian women.
Mr Andrinopoulos says he wanted to address imbalances in whose voices are heard and remembered in history.
"Oftentimes women are marginalised, they're left on the sideline, they might be just as active as men, but it seems that men seem to get more attention for similar exploits. I proposed we put this book together. We went through and did a rigorous search and found women from all over the world."
The gender imbalance Mr Andrinopoulos recognises in his own work is also present in the Kings Honours List itself.
Only 32 per cent of the 703 Order of Australia General Division award recipients are women.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn has said in a statement Australia still has a long way to go before the awards adequately represent the contributions of women.
“Every Australian regardless of their gender, social, cultural or economic background should be able to look at the honours list and see themselves”
Bijinder Dugal is being recognised for her service to aged welfare, through her work supporting the health and well-being of older members of the Indian community.
Ms Dugal says each year, the awards offer an important opportunity to reflect on the strength to be found in Australia's diverse cultural make-up.
Speaking with SBS Punjabi, she says behind each award is not only a rich story, but also a community.
"To me, especially being Punjabi form a Sikh family, and a woman with brown skin coming from a little town at the foot of the Himalayas, it's a great honour to be able to speak up and get this award. It's not mine, it's for our community. And to me, it really, really gives our community a respect which they truly deserve."
