House debates

Friday, 12 June 2020

Adjournment

Queen's Birthday Honours

12:05 pm

Photo of Celia HammondCelia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the achievements of 10 people from my electorate of Curtin who were rightfully recognised in the Australian Queen's Birthday 2020 Honours List for the significant service they have given to our local, national and international communities. The fields of service include business, public health, education, law, medical administration, humanitarian aid and the Perth community.

The award of Officer of the Order of Australia was given to two people. Professor Bryant Stokes for distinguished service to public healthcare governance and standards in WA through leadership and advisory roles. There is not a medic in WA who does not know of Professor Stokes, and a sizable number of them have had the fortune to learn from him. Professor Stokes has been a pre-eminent leader in medicine and public health for a number of decades, both in WA and across the country, and has been formally recognised by his peers with numerous awards over the years. He has held roles with the department of WA Health. He has also undertaken groundbreaking reviews across mental health, the four-hour rule and hospitals and health services in WA, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.

The second Officer of the Order of Australia is Dr Colin Beckett. He was awarded for distinguished service to business in the energy, gas and oil production and infrastructure sectors, and to tertiary education. Dr Beckett has held senior executive roles in the mining and gas industry throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, during which time he also served in senior roles in the advocacy body. Since 2015, Dr Beckett has served in numerous non-executive sectors in energy but also as chairman of the Perth Airport between 2015 and 2018 and as chancellor of Curtin University from 2013 to 2018.

Seven people in my electorate of Curtin were given the award of Member of the Order of Australia. I won't have time to go in detail on all of them, so I will pick out a number. Mr David Airey was awarded the order for significant service to the real estate industry and to professional institutes. Mr Airey has been a fixture in WA real estate for five decade, running his own successful agency since 2018. He's also been involved in numerous leadership roles in the Real Estate Institute of WA and the Real Institute of Australia. In his spare time—not that he has had much—he was a local councillor and the director of the Claremont Football Club.

Mr Kevin John Edwards was awarded the order for significant service to the legal profession and to aged care and sporting organisations. Mr Edwards has practiced as a solicitor in WA for 56 years. For those in the law, that's almost three life sentences. Throughout these years he mentored and taught hundreds of young boys and was well known for his patience and his wisdom. He also served the profession on the Law Society of Western Australia and the Public Notary Society of WA, and had a number of non-executive roles, including in the WA Football Commission and Catholic Homes.

Professor Neil Drew, an old colleague of mine, was awarded the order for significant service to tertiary education, to behavioural science, and to Indigenous health. Professor Drew's professional calling of psychology has informed his passionate and tireless advocacy and work, both as an academic and practitioner, in Aboriginal youth and community wellbeing initiatives.

Dr Alastair Tulloch, a urological surgeon by profession, has practised in both the public and private health systems in WA and served as a medical director of St John of God Hospital for 10 years between 1995 and 2006. Like many of the other recipients, he gave service as a local councillor for over a decade, and was a very active member in the establishment and driving forward the initiative of Shine Aged Care Services.

Mr Ian Lindsay Kaye-Eddie was chief executive officer of St John's Ambulance for close to 30 years, between 1978 and 2016. When he retired in 2006, he didn't just step down; he passionately took record and ownership of the history and records of the St John's Ambulance to make sure that it was there forever.

Finally, the medal for the Order of Australia was awarded to one person, Mrs Phyllis Proud, who has been an active volunteer in WA across decades.

To all of you, congratulations on your well-deserved recognition and thank you for your service.