Would you consider nominating someone for an Order of Australia?

SBS Australia

6 days ago

The Order of Australia recognises anyone who has made an extraordinary impact in the community.
To receive an Order of Australia you must be nominated by someone.
Every nomination goes through an in-depth, rigorous assessment.
All aspects of the process remain highly confidential. The Order of Australia is part of our national honours system. It's the preeminent way to recognise and celebrate Australians who go above and beyond, and who make a fantastic contribution to the community. Nominations for the award are considered by the Council for the Order of Australia, an independent body that makes recommendations to the Governor-General. Rob Ayling, Director at the Governor-General's Office, says the Order of Australia is for all Australians, so the process really starts with a nomination from within the community.
'Some recipients are very well known, but the vast majority are unsung heroes—the sort of people that we all know in the community that give tirelessly of themselves, work selflessly and really make a difference. Some are volunteers, some achieve things in the community sector in industry, in sports, in the arts.'
There's really no limit to who can be recognised, but everyone that is recognised has one thing in common—and that's that somebody else has taken the time to nominate them for recognition. Rob Ayling, Director at the Governor-General's Office
The Council of the Order of Australia manages the process and determines who should be recognised, and at what level: AC, AO, AM and the most frequently received OAM, the Medal of the Order of Australia.
What could prompt you to nominate someone? Michael Smith took the time to nomination someone he knows. 'The particular individual who I was part of nominating, to me, had been doing an outstanding service to the community over a period of time,' he says. 'I just felt that it was something that ought to be recognised. The sector that this person had been working in, and working in voluntarily I should add, I had not seen recognised in previous awards.' These people are not necessarily 'high-flyers', Mr Smith adds. They're everyday people.
'They're your neighbours, they're the people you work with, and what they do does make a difference and it is recognised.'
Medal of the Order of Australia. Credit: Tim Thorpe What is the process? Once a nomination is submitted, a researcher from the Governor-General's Office validates the information that you've provided. On the form, nominators list referees who can comment on the nominee and their service. Researchers then contact additional referees who add their insights to create a complete picture of the nominee. It's a rigorous process that takes between 18 months and two years, Mr Ayling explains. 'The Council relies on having a very in-depth, thorough assessment of the nominee's service, what they've done, what that impact has been.' The Council then carefully considers the nomination and makes its recommendations to the Governor-General, who signs off on those recommendations.
Honours lists are announced in January and June each year.
Tim Thorpe receiving his OAM from former General Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau. Credit: Tim Thorpe OAM Confidentiality is key From beginning to end, every aspect of the process remains confidential, including the recipients themselves. Tim Thorpe received an OAM for his service to community radio. 'Around October I got an email telling me that I was being considered for this particular award and I was to either accept it or write a letter to not accept it, so I filled in the form—and I was sworn to secrecy,' he says. 'Then in December I received another email saying my award had been approved by the Governor-General, and once again to treat the matter with strict confidentiality.' If you nominate someone, you're also requested to keep the nomination secret from that person to avoid raising their expectations—nominations are not always successful. Referees too must maintain confidentiality. 'The Secretariat and the Council of the Order of Australia really rely on the candour and ability of referees to provide frank and honest feedback about the person that's been nominated,' Mr Ayling explains.
'Confidentiality is taken very, very seriously so that the person that is being nominated will never know what a referee has said about them.'
What is it like to receive an Order of Australia?
Tim Thorpe was not only surprised by the nomination, but also by how positively his award has been regarded by his peers.
The common thing with anybody who gets these awards is they think, 'am I really worthy of this?' But I think that's up to others to judge rather than me. And I appreciate the fact that they thought I was worthy of an award. Tim Thorpe, OAM recipient 'But obviously you're having an effect on certain people's lives and that's nice to know. That's something that all of us need from time to time. We need that sort of affirmation. We need that encouragement. We need to know what we've been doing… is worthwhile.' OAM recipients receive a gold-coloured lapel pin, a medal and an invitation to attend a formal ceremony at Government House in their state capital. 'Those investiture ceremonies are just really beautiful, joyous occasions where the recipients, surrounded by their families and friends but also other recipients, really get to bask in the admiration, the recognition of banks of their fellow Australians,' Mr Ayling says.
'They're just a beautiful moment in time where these people, who are almost humble by default, are celebrated.'
Hilkat Ozgun OAM Can an Order of Australia change your life? The award can motivate recipients to contribute even further to their communities, but it also prompts them to nominate other people who are worthy of a similar honour. Hilkat Ozgun received an OAM for her service to the Turkish community. 'I've nominated many people from the Turkish community and also from the other communities living in Australia for the different kind of awards,' Ms Ozgun says.
She continues to help recognise and celebrate outstanding members of the community by acting as a referee for other nominees.
Would you like to nominate someone? Head to the Governor General's website . Don't let any uncertainty around filling in the form prevent you from nominating someone, Mr Ayling says. The Office is happy to help you.
'We all want the Order of Australia to reflect the true diversity and strength of our country. And the only way for that to happen is for all Australians to take an active part in it, to look around their community, identify people that they think are extraordinary and have a great impact, whatever their work is, whatever their background is, and consider nominating them for the Order of Australia.'
Subscribe or follow the Australia Explained podcast for more valuable information and tips about settling into your new life in Australia. Do you have any questions or topic ideas? Send us an email to [e-mail]