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2024 Australia Day Honours
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
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A number of Old Geelong Grammarians, as well as past staff members, were recognised in this year's Australia Day honours list. Ms Georgina Sarah Gubbins (Cl'82) was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 'for service to primary industry, and to the community.' Georgina, owner and principal of Maneroo Farms at Heywood and former chair of Food and Fibre Great South Coast, has been recognised for her outstanding service to primary industry and the community with an OAM. “It’s humbling and unexpected. I’m usually someone who tries to go under the radar a bit, but (the award) is about the agriculture industry as a whole,” Ms Gubbins told the Weekly Times. Having been a member of several livestock and industry and community groups throughout her career, Ms Gubbins said she was most proud of helping to build recognition and respect for the agricultural industry and its people. “Farmers are very humble people, and I don’t think we’ve had the recognition of how important we are to the local GDP from the big end of town,” she said. “So it’s been about building up that positive, professional look and getting recognition and respect for how valuable agricultural industries are to the local community.”  The late Emeritus Professor Adrian Lee (Ge'59) became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 'for significant service to tertiary education, to microbiology, and to professional organisations.' Adrian was a significant and important medical academic. He was in academe professionally for 54 years, became Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of New South Wales, was a Pro-Vice-Chancellor at UNSW, was an Emeritus Professor of UNSW, had received an honorary doctorate from Deakin University for his important work, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society. Adrian passed away in July 2023.  Mr Peter Derek Levi (Glamorgan '65) was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 'for service to business, and to the community.' “I feel extremely fortunate to be honoured in this way. It has been an enormous privilege for me to help children. This might be through our family toy business or in my broader community work, particularly through The King David School Council and by helping kids in trauma in the Casey area,” Peter told J-Wire. Peter is the founder and long-time executive director of Colorific and was inducted into the Australian Family Business Hall of Fame in 2019.  Mr Ian Douglas Thomson (Ge'53) was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in Australia Day 2024 Honours List 'for service to the community through a range of organisations.' “I was stunned,” Mr Thomson told the Geelong Advertiser. “I burst out crying, my wife came in and looked at me and said ‘who’s died?’.” Ian has spent many years volunteering for Rotary and the CFA. The Grovedale resident has given more than 60 years to Rotary Club of Corio (and Corio Bay), providing assistance at fundraisers, the Rotary Art Show, manning the gates at the Geelong races, selling raffle tickets, and providing support wherever and whenever he is asked to. He said being able to serve his community was a “privilege.”  Mr Bruce James Wilson (Cu'66) was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 'for service to the community, and to agricultural education.' “Obviously it’s a privilege, but none of this was all me of course, there’s a lot of people involved,” Bruce told the Weekly Times. “The big thing is the people you meet along the way, the ideas you get, and what you can turn around and put into practice.” In 1995, Bruce co-founded research company Southern Farming Systems as part of a group of farmers who came together looking to diversify their income. He served as the inaugural chairman of the company – which now boasts 600 members. In 1998, Bruce took home a Graduate of Excellence Award from Geelong agriculture school Marcus Oldham College and became a member of the institution’s council the next year. He was a council member for over 20 years until 2021, during which time he spent five years as deputy chairman and served as chairman from 2008 until 2021. Outside of farming, Bruce has been a firefighter at Winchelsea, and remains a member of Barwon Park promoters.  Mr Colin Robert Dunn (Staff 1975-76) was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 'for service to the community of Pambula, and to education.' Colin said he felt “very honoured” to receive the OAM. “I began volunteering in our Bega Valley community in 2007 after I retired and moved here from Melbourne,” he said. “Most of my volunteering has been with Rotary and probably my most satisfying achievement has been working with Rotary and the community bank to assist people recover from the 2020 fires. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering as, through helping others, I get a great sense of personal satisfaction.” The Pambula Rotary Club president, Colin is a former chair of the Sapphire Aquatic Centre and a founding member and executive officer of the Bureau of Accessible Tourism. He has been the chair of the Pambula and District Community Development Bank (Bendigo Bank) since 2017 and is a member of the Bega Valley Shire’s Access and Inclusion Committee. Awarded Bega’s Community Service Medallion and named the shire’s Senior Citizen of the Year in 2019, Colin is a community radio presenter, member of the Pambula Hospital Community Engagement Committee and a member of the Southern Area Health Community Consultation Committee.  Mr Julian Bickersteth (Timbertop Assistant 1980) became an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) 'for distinguished service to the museum and arts sector, and to conservation and the environment.' |