Medal of the Order of Australia
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OAM honour for Ray
Guildford Grumpies ‘legend’ Ray Pattle has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the community of Guildford. The 82-year-old said he was humbled to receive the award and thanked the Grumpies and fellow community members who had put his name forward for the honour. “I was in two…
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OAM honour for Linn
Elphinstone resident Linn Maskell has received a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2025 Australia Day honours for service to the community of the Brighton region. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia’s honours system, which aims to recognise Australians making a difference in their communities. Linn has been living in the…
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Groundbreaking explorer earns OAM
Being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to adventure and exploration literature was “gobsmackingly unexpected” for Mount Alexander Shire resident Robyn Davidson. Best known for her solo trek across the Australian desert in 1977 with only four camels and a dog for company, Robyn told the Express that the 2700km journey…
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OAM for healthcare champion
It takes courage, education and passion to transform a country’s approach to maternal child health services. They’re key ingredients to Samantha Turner’s success in changing lives of women and children in countries across the world through her volunteer and advocacy work. The Macedon resident was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the…
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Breaking barriers
When Luz Restrepo received an email telling her she had been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the multicultural community of Victoria, the Maldon resident thought it was spam! “It’s incredible. I feel so proud. I am the only Latina this year and I think in the history of…
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The Love of community
When Sue Love says she’ll do something, she always turns up. It is this tenacity and commitment to serving her community of Malmsbury that has led her to receive a Medal of the Order of Australia in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours. “If I say I’m going to do something, I stick with it and…
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OAM for winemaking pioneer
John Ellis is a true pioneer of winemaking in the Macedon Ranges. Arguably the first person in Australia to make a merlot, cabernet merlot, cool climate chardonnay and fumé blanc, he has also worked tirelessly to build up the food and wine tourism industry in the region, and indeed across the country. This, together with…
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Art director honoured
From Anzacs to The Man from Snowy River, Leslie Binns has been a creative mind behind some of Australia’s most iconic filmmaking. The talented art director and production designer from Kyneton has more than 40 credits to his name. On Monday he also added Medal of the Order of Australia to his achievements for service…
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Literacy trailblazer recognised with OAM
Castlemaine teacher, educational consultant and author Rosemary McKenry has received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to education in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours. Rosie said she was shocked to receive the award honour. “There are so many amazing teachers working in our Indigenous communities and in the English as a Second…
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A love of adventuring
The joy of seeing young people learning and adventuring is the reason Alex Forrest has dedicated decades to the scouting movement. The Mount Macedon resident’s passion began as a child spending several years as a scout himself, but it wasn’t until the early 1980s, when Alex’s sons joined cubs and his daughters joined guides, that…
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Honour ‘quite a shock’
Eve Lamb Truth is we all get old, if we’re lucky, so it’s nice to know that someone like Marilyn Bennet is out there doing what she does. The prodigious amount of work that the longtime Castlemaine local pours into improving her community, and particularly the lot of seniors, has played a major role in…
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Royal honour for fest favourite
There’s hardly a person in Kyneton who doesn’t know Marg Dearricott. In perhaps her best known role as the long-running secretary of the Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival, Ms Dearricott has been front and centre in celebrating her close-knit community for the past 18 years. It’s that commitment to community that has seen her awarded…