Twenty twenty-five was a big year for Barry McKenna OAM, as much as it was a big year for recognition for those in his life.  

Barry was recognised in The King’s Birthday 2025 Honours list for his service to the communities of Perth, which meant a great deal to him.  

“I was emotional when the award list was released to the public ... at the time, I was on a tourist bus in Spain with my wife and our travelling friends and [made] sure the whole tourist bus knew,” he explains.

“What made it even more exciting was that my best mate for over 50 years, Bernard Durkin, also received an OAM this year.  

“This was extra special for both of us, as our primary-to-high-school teacher Br Olly Pickett had been named Senior Australian of the year for 2025. With two of his students in his grade 7 class of 1973 receiving OAMs in Western Australia in the same year as his award, he must have done something right!”  

Barry has been a physical education and humanities teacher at Trinity College in Perth since 1995, where he was also Head of Year. He was formerly Catholic Education Representative/History Consultant at the Curriculum Council, Sports Master at St Patrick’s Geraldton and physical education and history teacher at Chisholm Catholic College.

More recently, he was Mayor of the City of Bayswater, Zone Delegate of the East Metropolitan Zone Committee within the Western Australian Local Government Association and a former representative at the Municipal Waste Advisory Council.  

Today, he continues to teach and remains a part of Community Banking in Bayswater, something he has done for 25 years.  

“Community Banking gives as much money as it can to our community. Our particular branch has now given over $3 million to very worthwhile community causes simply to try and make our community better,” he says.

“I will continue doing what I enjoy. I enjoy working with people, but I could not have done all the things without my dear wife Marie and our three children; Luke, Adam and Rachel. My family is my life, and helping the community just happens.”