Recipient profiles
Australian from all walks of life, of all ages, and who have done just about everything you can think of have been recognised through the Order of Australia.
Profiles - The Australia Day 2025 Honours List
Saba Abraham OAM - For service to the Eritrean and African communities of Australia.
"I am not doing this work for recognition ... I have done these things because of what I have received from this country. That gives me a sense of responsibility to do more for others and to keep this country great."
Dr Wally Ahmar OAM - For service to medicine, particularly cardiology.
"I want to serve and be a servant for health improvement for the Australian Lebanese community and the whole Australian community."
Ross Brown AM - For significant service to wine making industry, and to tourism.
"For the 60s and 70s, my three brothers and I worked with our father to develop our family farming and wine business into a family global wine company."
Professor Joshua Byrne AM - For significant service to conservation and the environment, and as a media presenter and author.
"Born in Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia, I was fortunate to be exposed to some of the most spectacular coast and bushland in the country, and this undoubtedly made a big impression on me."
Professor Allen Cheng AC - For eminent service to medicine as an epidemiologist, to infectious and communicable disease research and education, and to national and international public health policy.
"Over the years, I have been involved in work on some of the big public health threats from infectious diseases - respiratory viruses, antibiotic resistance and pandemic preparedness; obviously this was directly relevant during the COVID pandemic."
Michael Dinn OAM - For service to engineering, particularly deep space tracking and exploration.
"The highlight of my career was the lunar landing project Apollo, particularly Apollo 11."
Clare Polkinghorne OAM - For service to football.
"I have been lucky enough to be involved in a team that has, especially in recent years, helped the landscape of Australian sport and increase the opportunities available to young footballers in particular, but also to anyone wanting to fulfil their dreams."
Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO - For distinguished service to science as an engineer and inventor, to sustainable materials research and technology and waste management.
“We as a nation are very passionate about things that matter, and recognition like the Australian honours and awards system helps people make their mark on the planet.”
Kelli Underwood OAM - For service to broadcast media.
"The greatest joy during my career has simply been the storytelling, to be the conductor of great sporting conversations and bring people joy."
Profiles - The King's Birthday 2024 Honours List
Gregory Aldridge OAM - For service to community health.
"A lot of the guys that we work with have quite serious health issues, but we often tell people we're not a men's health service ... it's a contribution to community health."
Anita Anderson OAM - For service to the Latvian community of Australia.
"The greatest impact of my work has been playing a part in the continuation of the Latvian diaspora community in Australia and strengthening of ties with Latvia."
Effie Bacalakis OAM - For service to the community of Cairns.
"The greatest impact of my work has been enriching the lives of multicultural people, helping people access support services to remain living at home and keeping them connected with the community with a sense of purpose."
Paul Beech ASM OAM - For service to the community of Harvey.
"I've had the privilege of positively impacting countless lives, offering assistance and support where it's needed most."
Barbara Bowen OAM - For service to the community of Canberra.
"As a registered nurse and midwife, it has been a great privilege to be there for people at the beginning of their life and at the end of their life. I hope I have helped make life, and death, a little easier for them."
Professor Karen Canfell AC - For eminent service to medicine as an epidemiologist, particularly through cancer research, to tertiary education, and as a mentor and leader.
"I am motivated by the devoted people I work with, the enormity of our collective challenges in cancer control and our sense of achievement when we succeed."
Alan Coulter OAM - For service to community sport.
"My motivation comes from seeing young athletes breaking their personal records, teams winning premierships, major post-operative knee and hip replacement clients improving and working with clients suffering serious illness to improve their quality of life."
Bachar El Haouli OAM - For service to the Islamic community, to multiculturalism, and to Australian rules football.
"As the first practicing Muslim to play AFL, I understand the challenges young people of minority groups face in their journey, and I thrive off seeing them grow as good young people who become leaders and better individuals."
Clifford Fleming AM - For significant service to business, and to the community of Bundaberg.
"Beyond employment in the region, our brews and our business help drive tourism to this wonderful part of the world."
Tania Frazer OAM - For service to music as a soloist and chamber musician.
"I've always aimed to forge my own unique path to bring Australian audiences a more relatable classical music experience - one they can truly connect with."
Farag Gobran OAM - For service to youth, and to aged welfare, and to the Egyptian community.
"To assist those in need and see the smiles of some of the most vulnerable has been my greatest joy."
Cecilia Gore-Birch OAM - For service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia.
"The greatest impact of the work that I do has been the profound influence on strengthening the community and bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians."
Valerie and Malcolm Hansen OAM - For service to the community through voluntary roles.
"Volunteering is something that we have always done, starting from when we were first married and worked in Aboriginal communities."
Dr Sonja Hood AM - For significant service to community through social welfare organisations, and to sports administration.
"People often think my two worlds - community and football - must be completely different, but in many ways they are not. Both of them rely, at their core, on connection - creating it, nurturing it, and building from it."
Sister Jane Keogh AM - For significant service to the community through social welfare advocacy, and to primary education.
"I think I have managed to bring to some people, who have little reason to hope, the courage to keep going, knowing that I and thousands of other Australians are with them."
Dr Chi Wing Lai OAM - For service to medicine as a general practitioner, and to the community.
"Over a career spanning 55-plus years, I have aimed to contribute to medicine in the ACT."
Dr Buuloc Lam OAM - For service to dentistry, and to humanitarian dental care.
"Coming to Government House, I feel like I'm home. It reinforces that this is my home, being recognised in this way by my people."
Stephen Large AM - For significant service to historical site preservation, and to the community of the Tasman Peninsula.
"It is a wonderful honour to be nominated and that the contribution of so many people associated with the Port Arthur Historic Sites are also appropriately recognised."
Dr Carl Le OAM - For service to medicine in the motor sports industry.
"Being able to contribute to an increased level of safety for both drivers and racetrack workers over the decades that I've been involved has been the greatest impact of my work."
Tim Low AM - For significant service to conservation, and to environmental education and awareness.
"My books, articles and talks have increased understanding of Australian nature and the problems it faces."
Karen Noonan OAM - For service to community music, and through emergency response organisations.
"There are definitely people in the community that I'm aware of that would warrant a nomination, so I'll be looking forward to doing that sort of thing."
Kai Noonan OAM - For service to the LGBTIQ+ community, and to the domestic and family wellbeing sector.
"My values mean I've chosen not to turn away from violence, but to really face it and to contribute to seeing a reduction or an end in it."
Concetta Perna AM - For significant service to the Australian Italian community.
"I feel accomplished when expanding perspectives on migration, society, and people in public debates."
Associate Professor Sabaratnam Prathapan OAM - For service to tertiary education, and to the community.
"I want to put something back into the community and help the underprivileged among us. The enjoyment comes from the feeling of having a purpose in life and being a good human being."
Leonard Randell OAM - For service to sailing, and to naval architecture.
"I didn't set out to become an OAM, I just set out to do a good job of everything, everyday of my life. It's a reward I never looked for, but one I am very, very happy to receive."
Distinguished Professor Andre Renzaho OAM
"In Australia, I have mainly focused on generating evidence to influence migrant health policies and practice. My work has indeed repositioned and advanced migration and health equity in Australia and globally."
Donna Rousham OAM - For service to people with a disability.
"My motivation is our parents' regular feedback, who are often emotional when they watch the steps of progress their child makes in the pool."
Nanette Sharp OAM - For service to the community of southern Adelaide.
"With all of the various volunteering activities over the decades, I now consider myself a chauffeur taking the real comforters - the wonderful (Pet Therapy) dogs - to Aged Care, Hospitals and Rehabilitation Facilities, and often in coffee shops."
Christine Sinclair AM - For significant service to squash as an administrator and referee.
"I think the greatest impact resulting from my work is the recognition of squash referees, respect for their time and expertise, and acceptance of Australia's world-standard training programs."
Laureate Professor Kate Smith-Miles AO - For distinguished service to tertiary education, to applied mathematical research, and as a role model and advocate for women in STEM.
"This honour tells me that my passion - to present evidence and communicate the power of mathematics to advance our society - is shared by others, and I feel encouraged to continue my advocacy."
Lesley Woolf OAM - For service to Indigenous health, and to rural and remote nursing.
"My motivation is to make the world a better place. I believe that everyone deserves good health and access to health services, and I want to see good health outcomes in future generations, particularly in the more remote communities and, more importantly, for my grandchildren and their children."
Talal Yassine AM - For significant service to business, and to the community.
"When we focus on connections - building new ones, strengthening those already there, and forging bonds across cultural and social divides - we cast ripples out into the world that can have unimaginable impact."