
Grit and determination characterises women honoured
Grit, determination and a lot of teamwork are credited by several women as the secrets to their success.
Notable women in business, banking, the law and tertiary education, have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List for their leadership contributions and gender-equality advocacy.
Jennifer Westacott served as chief executive of the Business Council of Australia for 12 years before becoming chancellor of Western Sydney University in 2023.
Having grown up in public housing and as the first person in her family to attend university, Sunday's appointment came as a full-circle moment.
"Getting the opportunity to study at university changed my life," she told AAP.
"(Universities) have that responsibility to produce the most skilled people in the world … so people have fulfilling and thriving lives."
Ms Westacott's career has included time as a public servant, a variety of director roles and as patron of Mental Health Australia and Pride in Diversity.
But a career highlight has been changing the stigma around public housing.
During her time at the housing department she met with public-housing residents who told her they could not let their kids play in the gardens because there were no fences to keep them safe from traffic.
"After we put the fences up I would often drive past and seeing the kids all playing there was a highlight for me," she said.
"What I've tried to do is turn my difficult childhood into a life-long mission to see better lives for people and fight for equality, and to turn around the stigma of people living in public housing and in poverty."
Ms Westacott is appointed a Companion (AC) of the Order of Australia, along with Kathryn Fagg, former CSIRO chair, Reserve Bank board member and non-executive director of NAB.
Early in her career, Ms Fagg was often questioned on whether she got her role because of her gender.
"We have come such a long way but that doesn't mean there aren't still challenges for women in the workplace," she said.
Gender-equality advocate Helen Fisher said her time as a discrimination and human rights lawyer opened new ways of thinking.
But it's her work undertaking gender impact analysis for federal government policy that she is most proud of.
It means every government policy and expenditure is looked at in terms of how it will affect Australian women and girls.
"It was really important to get the government to think actively about women," she said.
"We've gone from developing an idea of gender impact analysis to formalising it in the budget process and now using the budget to improve gender equality."
While Australia had made real progress, Ms Fisher - who has been appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia - said there were still challenges for women.
"We need more men to be working on gender equality," she said.
"The next frontier of feminism is to move beyond the idea of a binary opposition between 'us' and 'them' towards investigating how we overcome patriarchy to the benefit of all."
Former Bendigo and Adelaide Bank chief executive Marnie Baker has always been a keen advocate for regional Australia and the opportunities it provides.
She is being recognised as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to the financial and banking sectors.
"I grew up on a dairy farm in northern Victoria and because kids in regional and rural areas didn't really have the same infrastructure and opportunity as kids in the city, you had to have a bit of grit and determination," she said.
"I've grown up thinking if you needed something done, you do it yourself."
Her work at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is her proudest achievement as she stayed true to her purpose and saw firsthand how finance could be a force for good.
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West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Eucla community servant receives award in King's Birthday Honours
Eucla's long-serving volunteer fire brigade captain is among those recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours. Simone Conklin has been awarded an Australian Fire Service Medal for distinguished service as a member of an Australian fire service. The award citation said Mrs Conklin had been involved in emergency services since 1994 and been the captain of Eucla Volunteer Fire and Emergency Service since 2010. Located in one of the most remote areas of WA, on the border with South Australia, Eucla VFES covers 550km of the Eyre Highway, responding to a range of emergencies that include aircraft and road crashes, bushfires, hazardous material spills, and structural fires. Mrs Conklin has attended more than 98 per cent of incidents since 2014, with the isolation of the area meaning she often handled critical incidents with minimal support, frequently being the sole responder for hours until help arrives from distant brigades. 'She has shown outstanding leadership, decision-making and calmness under pressure in numerous emergency situations,' the citation said. 'One example (was) a truck fire at Border Village in 2021, which put the roadhouse at serious risk due to the proximity of the fire to the fuel bowsers, increasing the potential for explosion. 'Mrs Conklin's actions in isolating the area and ensuring that those present were kept at a safe distance, as well as leading her crew in extinguishing the blaze, saved the roadhouse and ensured everyone was unharmed.' The citation said she had also responded to serious road and aircraft crashes in both WA and South Australia which involved casualties with serious, life-threatening injuries who required airlifting. 'In addition to responding to incidents, Mrs Conklin was involved in securing funding for Eucla's airstrip upgrade, which plays a vital role for emergency services and the community,' the citation said. 'Mrs Conklin's dedication sees her constantly seeking ways to improve and increase public awareness. 'In 2023 she consulted with the Eucla community, Eucla police and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services on a suitable evacuation plan for the town. 'This has now led to discussions with the SA Country Fire Service for them to develop evacuation plans for Border Village as well.' Several people who served part of their careers or community service in the Goldfields-Esperance were also recognised in the King's Birthday Honours. Those who received a Medal of the Order of Australia included Esperance Museum co-founder and Esperance Bay Historical Society co-founder and life member Marjorie Barker, Kalgoorlie Golf Club life member and Inner Wheel Club member Lorraine Winchcomb, and Roy Dowsett, who served with the Kalgoorlie Scouts in 1962-64. Senior Aboriginal Police Liaison Officer Ian Tullock, who served at Kalgoorlie police station from 2018-22, received an Australian Police Medal for a career of nearly 50 years, as did Det-Sen. Sgt Gregory McDonald, who served in the Goldfields during a career that spanned more than 40 years. Anthony Dodd, who served as a volunteer firefighter in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Kambalda during his career of more than 40 years, received an Australian Fire Service Medal.


The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
A prime minister, a filmmaker and academics honoured
KING'S BIRTHDAY 2025 HONOURS LIST AT A GLANCE * 830 Australians recognised * 581 people received awards in the general division of the Order of Australia * 14 appointed as Companions (AC) of the Order of Australia * 31 Officers (AO) of the Order of Australia * 123 Members (AM) of the Order of Australia * 413 Medals (OAM) of the Order of Australia * 36 awarded in Military Division of the Order of Australia * 149 Meritorious Awards * 64 Distinguished and Conspicuous Awards * 30 per cent more people have received a recognition when compared to the 2025 Australia Day Honours List * Women make up about 35 per cent of those recognised HIGH-PROFILE HONOUREES * Scott Morrison (AC) - former Liberal prime minister * Baz Luhrmann (AC) - filmmaker * Catherine Martin (AC) - Academy Award-winning costume designer * Mark Howden (AC) - environmental science professor * Jennifer Westacott (AC) - business figure * John Coetzee (AC) - author * Geraldine Atkinson (AO) - First Nations leader * Nicole Livingstone (AO) - former Olympic swimmer * Gita Devi Mishra (AO) - epidemiologist and women's health leader * Christine Bigby (AO) - advocate for people with disability * Nick Kaldas (AO) - Royal Commissioner into Defence and Veteran Suicide * Deborah Hutton (OAM) - TV host and magazine editor KING'S BIRTHDAY 2025 HONOURS LIST AT A GLANCE * 830 Australians recognised * 581 people received awards in the general division of the Order of Australia * 14 appointed as Companions (AC) of the Order of Australia * 31 Officers (AO) of the Order of Australia * 123 Members (AM) of the Order of Australia * 413 Medals (OAM) of the Order of Australia * 36 awarded in Military Division of the Order of Australia * 149 Meritorious Awards * 64 Distinguished and Conspicuous Awards * 30 per cent more people have received a recognition when compared to the 2025 Australia Day Honours List * Women make up about 35 per cent of those recognised HIGH-PROFILE HONOUREES * Scott Morrison (AC) - former Liberal prime minister * Baz Luhrmann (AC) - filmmaker * Catherine Martin (AC) - Academy Award-winning costume designer * Mark Howden (AC) - environmental science professor * Jennifer Westacott (AC) - business figure * John Coetzee (AC) - author * Geraldine Atkinson (AO) - First Nations leader * Nicole Livingstone (AO) - former Olympic swimmer * Gita Devi Mishra (AO) - epidemiologist and women's health leader * Christine Bigby (AO) - advocate for people with disability * Nick Kaldas (AO) - Royal Commissioner into Defence and Veteran Suicide * Deborah Hutton (OAM) - TV host and magazine editor KING'S BIRTHDAY 2025 HONOURS LIST AT A GLANCE * 830 Australians recognised * 581 people received awards in the general division of the Order of Australia * 14 appointed as Companions (AC) of the Order of Australia * 31 Officers (AO) of the Order of Australia * 123 Members (AM) of the Order of Australia * 413 Medals (OAM) of the Order of Australia * 36 awarded in Military Division of the Order of Australia * 149 Meritorious Awards * 64 Distinguished and Conspicuous Awards * 30 per cent more people have received a recognition when compared to the 2025 Australia Day Honours List * Women make up about 35 per cent of those recognised HIGH-PROFILE HONOUREES * Scott Morrison (AC) - former Liberal prime minister * Baz Luhrmann (AC) - filmmaker * Catherine Martin (AC) - Academy Award-winning costume designer * Mark Howden (AC) - environmental science professor * Jennifer Westacott (AC) - business figure * John Coetzee (AC) - author * Geraldine Atkinson (AO) - First Nations leader * Nicole Livingstone (AO) - former Olympic swimmer * Gita Devi Mishra (AO) - epidemiologist and women's health leader * Christine Bigby (AO) - advocate for people with disability * Nick Kaldas (AO) - Royal Commissioner into Defence and Veteran Suicide * Deborah Hutton (OAM) - TV host and magazine editor KING'S BIRTHDAY 2025 HONOURS LIST AT A GLANCE * 830 Australians recognised * 581 people received awards in the general division of the Order of Australia * 14 appointed as Companions (AC) of the Order of Australia * 31 Officers (AO) of the Order of Australia * 123 Members (AM) of the Order of Australia * 413 Medals (OAM) of the Order of Australia * 36 awarded in Military Division of the Order of Australia * 149 Meritorious Awards * 64 Distinguished and Conspicuous Awards * 30 per cent more people have received a recognition when compared to the 2025 Australia Day Honours List * Women make up about 35 per cent of those recognised HIGH-PROFILE HONOUREES * Scott Morrison (AC) - former Liberal prime minister * Baz Luhrmann (AC) - filmmaker * Catherine Martin (AC) - Academy Award-winning costume designer * Mark Howden (AC) - environmental science professor * Jennifer Westacott (AC) - business figure * John Coetzee (AC) - author * Geraldine Atkinson (AO) - First Nations leader * Nicole Livingstone (AO) - former Olympic swimmer * Gita Devi Mishra (AO) - epidemiologist and women's health leader * Christine Bigby (AO) - advocate for people with disability * Nick Kaldas (AO) - Royal Commissioner into Defence and Veteran Suicide * Deborah Hutton (OAM) - TV host and magazine editor


The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
The horse listener: a life spent teaching kids to ride
Veteran horseman John Kinghorn learnt everything he knows by sitting on the tailgates of trucks listening to old blokes chat. From his grandfather, who once rode a horse 1000km from central-western NSW to Brisbane, he knew to never ride through a river in the afternoon. "If your gear gets wet, you don't get it dry (before) nightfall," Mr Kinghorn told AAP. "Wait until the morning, then you've got all day to dry it out." It was also old blokes who taught him to approach an unfamiliar horse with his hands in his pockets to avoid spooking it, and how to braid the perfect stock rope. His father, a drover from Cudal, a village west of Orange, taught him that a stubborn animal can be handled through observing and listening. "An animal can't talk to you, but it can tell you things," Mr Kinghorn said. "I often say to young riders: 'What's this horse telling you? Nothing? Then you're not listening'." After six decades volunteering in country NSW pony clubs, the 86-year-old reluctantly admits he might just be one of those old blokes passing on pearls of wisdom. Mr Kinghorn was on Sunday announced as the recipient of a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours List, for services to youth through equestrian sports. He competed in showjumping and polocrosse as a young man before working at pony clubs in Orange, Carcoar, Cudal and Sydney, teaching three generations of riders. Children learn responsibility and empathy from caring for horses, Mr Kinghorn said. "If you've got a pushbike and you've finished with it, you put it in the garage and forget about it. "If you've got a horse you can't do that, you've got to look after him. "Most of the young riders I've taught have gone on to be pretty decent people." It is warmth that helps young people learn rather than strict instruction, though some have been initially intimidated by his dry humour. "I always say to them: 'I do have a heart - I know a bloke who has seen it'," Mr Kinghorn said, a joke he came up with after a life-saving surgery about a decade ago. Many regional Australians were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List for their contributions across science, emergency services, culture, sport, education and the arts. Victorian broadcaster Jim Remedio, a Torres Strait Islander man from Bendigo, was posthumously appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to First Nations media and to the Indigenous community. Former headmaster Christopher Tudor, from Alice Springs, was appointed an AO for distinguished service to education and to people with a disability and their carers. Angela Fredericks, from Biloela in Queensland, was awarded an OAM for her work in refugee advocacy, having co-founded the #HometoBilo campaign to stop the deportation of the local Nadesalingam family. Veteran horseman John Kinghorn learnt everything he knows by sitting on the tailgates of trucks listening to old blokes chat. From his grandfather, who once rode a horse 1000km from central-western NSW to Brisbane, he knew to never ride through a river in the afternoon. "If your gear gets wet, you don't get it dry (before) nightfall," Mr Kinghorn told AAP. "Wait until the morning, then you've got all day to dry it out." It was also old blokes who taught him to approach an unfamiliar horse with his hands in his pockets to avoid spooking it, and how to braid the perfect stock rope. His father, a drover from Cudal, a village west of Orange, taught him that a stubborn animal can be handled through observing and listening. "An animal can't talk to you, but it can tell you things," Mr Kinghorn said. "I often say to young riders: 'What's this horse telling you? Nothing? Then you're not listening'." After six decades volunteering in country NSW pony clubs, the 86-year-old reluctantly admits he might just be one of those old blokes passing on pearls of wisdom. Mr Kinghorn was on Sunday announced as the recipient of a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours List, for services to youth through equestrian sports. He competed in showjumping and polocrosse as a young man before working at pony clubs in Orange, Carcoar, Cudal and Sydney, teaching three generations of riders. Children learn responsibility and empathy from caring for horses, Mr Kinghorn said. "If you've got a pushbike and you've finished with it, you put it in the garage and forget about it. "If you've got a horse you can't do that, you've got to look after him. "Most of the young riders I've taught have gone on to be pretty decent people." It is warmth that helps young people learn rather than strict instruction, though some have been initially intimidated by his dry humour. "I always say to them: 'I do have a heart - I know a bloke who has seen it'," Mr Kinghorn said, a joke he came up with after a life-saving surgery about a decade ago. Many regional Australians were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List for their contributions across science, emergency services, culture, sport, education and the arts. Victorian broadcaster Jim Remedio, a Torres Strait Islander man from Bendigo, was posthumously appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to First Nations media and to the Indigenous community. Former headmaster Christopher Tudor, from Alice Springs, was appointed an AO for distinguished service to education and to people with a disability and their carers. Angela Fredericks, from Biloela in Queensland, was awarded an OAM for her work in refugee advocacy, having co-founded the #HometoBilo campaign to stop the deportation of the local Nadesalingam family. Veteran horseman John Kinghorn learnt everything he knows by sitting on the tailgates of trucks listening to old blokes chat. From his grandfather, who once rode a horse 1000km from central-western NSW to Brisbane, he knew to never ride through a river in the afternoon. "If your gear gets wet, you don't get it dry (before) nightfall," Mr Kinghorn told AAP. "Wait until the morning, then you've got all day to dry it out." It was also old blokes who taught him to approach an unfamiliar horse with his hands in his pockets to avoid spooking it, and how to braid the perfect stock rope. His father, a drover from Cudal, a village west of Orange, taught him that a stubborn animal can be handled through observing and listening. "An animal can't talk to you, but it can tell you things," Mr Kinghorn said. "I often say to young riders: 'What's this horse telling you? Nothing? Then you're not listening'." After six decades volunteering in country NSW pony clubs, the 86-year-old reluctantly admits he might just be one of those old blokes passing on pearls of wisdom. Mr Kinghorn was on Sunday announced as the recipient of a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours List, for services to youth through equestrian sports. He competed in showjumping and polocrosse as a young man before working at pony clubs in Orange, Carcoar, Cudal and Sydney, teaching three generations of riders. Children learn responsibility and empathy from caring for horses, Mr Kinghorn said. "If you've got a pushbike and you've finished with it, you put it in the garage and forget about it. "If you've got a horse you can't do that, you've got to look after him. "Most of the young riders I've taught have gone on to be pretty decent people." It is warmth that helps young people learn rather than strict instruction, though some have been initially intimidated by his dry humour. "I always say to them: 'I do have a heart - I know a bloke who has seen it'," Mr Kinghorn said, a joke he came up with after a life-saving surgery about a decade ago. Many regional Australians were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List for their contributions across science, emergency services, culture, sport, education and the arts. Victorian broadcaster Jim Remedio, a Torres Strait Islander man from Bendigo, was posthumously appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to First Nations media and to the Indigenous community. Former headmaster Christopher Tudor, from Alice Springs, was appointed an AO for distinguished service to education and to people with a disability and their carers. Angela Fredericks, from Biloela in Queensland, was awarded an OAM for her work in refugee advocacy, having co-founded the #HometoBilo campaign to stop the deportation of the local Nadesalingam family. Veteran horseman John Kinghorn learnt everything he knows by sitting on the tailgates of trucks listening to old blokes chat. From his grandfather, who once rode a horse 1000km from central-western NSW to Brisbane, he knew to never ride through a river in the afternoon. "If your gear gets wet, you don't get it dry (before) nightfall," Mr Kinghorn told AAP. "Wait until the morning, then you've got all day to dry it out." It was also old blokes who taught him to approach an unfamiliar horse with his hands in his pockets to avoid spooking it, and how to braid the perfect stock rope. His father, a drover from Cudal, a village west of Orange, taught him that a stubborn animal can be handled through observing and listening. "An animal can't talk to you, but it can tell you things," Mr Kinghorn said. "I often say to young riders: 'What's this horse telling you? Nothing? Then you're not listening'." After six decades volunteering in country NSW pony clubs, the 86-year-old reluctantly admits he might just be one of those old blokes passing on pearls of wisdom. Mr Kinghorn was on Sunday announced as the recipient of a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the King's Birthday Honours List, for services to youth through equestrian sports. He competed in showjumping and polocrosse as a young man before working at pony clubs in Orange, Carcoar, Cudal and Sydney, teaching three generations of riders. Children learn responsibility and empathy from caring for horses, Mr Kinghorn said. "If you've got a pushbike and you've finished with it, you put it in the garage and forget about it. "If you've got a horse you can't do that, you've got to look after him. "Most of the young riders I've taught have gone on to be pretty decent people." It is warmth that helps young people learn rather than strict instruction, though some have been initially intimidated by his dry humour. "I always say to them: 'I do have a heart - I know a bloke who has seen it'," Mr Kinghorn said, a joke he came up with after a life-saving surgery about a decade ago. Many regional Australians were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List for their contributions across science, emergency services, culture, sport, education and the arts. Victorian broadcaster Jim Remedio, a Torres Strait Islander man from Bendigo, was posthumously appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to First Nations media and to the Indigenous community. Former headmaster Christopher Tudor, from Alice Springs, was appointed an AO for distinguished service to education and to people with a disability and their carers. Angela Fredericks, from Biloela in Queensland, was awarded an OAM for her work in refugee advocacy, having co-founded the #HometoBilo campaign to stop the deportation of the local Nadesalingam family.