Four exemplary women win place on Queen’s Birthday List
Congratulating the 1,214 recipients, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said they had each made “an enormous contribution to their local communities”.
“Some names on today’s list are well known,” he said.
“Many more are known only to those they help and serve day-in-day-out.
“They are all wonderful people and are all worthy of recognition and celebration.”
HUMBLED to be recognised with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM), Anne Farah-Hill (pictured standing) from Earlwood, urged people in the community sector to “keep up the fight and the passion”.
Mrs Farah-Hill received the OAM for her service to the community through a variety of social welfare organisations including the Kingsgrove Community Aid Centre, Canterbury Earlwood Caring Association and May Murray Community Centre in Marrickville.
While grateful and honoured to receive the OAM, she said there were a great many other people in the community sector who also volunteered their time to serve on community and government boards.
“There is a lot of work being done by those in the lay community to effect change to people’s lives,” she said.
“Sometimes we feel that governments are immune to us, but by applying consistent strategies to whatever cause and passion you want to change, you will affect change.
“That’s what we do best.”
Also “absolutely thrilled” and honoured to be recognised for distinguished service to medical education in the field of nursing practice and research as an academic and author, Professor Debra Jackson from Dulwich Hill was made an Officer (AO) In The General Division Of The Order Of Australia.
She said she felt “truly blessed” to have been nominated, adding she was also glad it gave her a chance to promote the benefits of nursing as a career.
“I’ve been a nurse my whole career, and it offers so much more than people think,” she said.
“I know sometimes people think that nursing is just about bedpans and blood but you are also in a place where you can make things better for people.
“You are at the frontline of moments of both joy and tragedy, and it gives you an insight into the human experience which other careers can’t offer.
“You learn so much from that about life and what really matters.”
Prof Jackson said as well as the wide variety of fields within nursing itself such as emergency, maternity, intensive care and so on, there were also opportunities to work in research, policy, teaching, governance and administration.
“Nursing is a pathway into such an exciting set of career options,” she said.