Locals receive Queen’s Birthday honours

Bellarine Group Manager and Wallington Fire Brigade member Alistair Drayton was awarded an Australian Fire Service Medal. (supplied)

More than a dozen Greater Geelong community members have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List released today.

Anglesea’s Peter Matthews received the highest honour with an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to cave and karst surveying, documentation and

publication, and to speleological organisations.

Newtown’s Professor Timothy Reeves was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to sustainable agriculture research and production.

Mannerim resident Richard Underwood was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community of Geelong.

Wallington Fire Brigade’s Alistair Drayton was recognised with an Australian Fire Service medal. Alistair is an accredited Level 3 Incident Controller, one of only a handful of CFA volunteers with that accreditation. He has also participated in multi-agency Incident Management Teams both interstate and internationally, to provide relief during extended periods of crisis.

OAM recipients this year include:

Geoffrey Boehm, of Wandana Heights, for service to the community through a range of roles

Alan Crosbie, of Belmont, for service to the community of Geelong

Rosemary Nugent, of Geelong West, for service to the communities of Geelong and Timor Leste

Gael Perry, of Geelong, for service to multicultural aged care, and to the community

John Marriott, of Point Lonsdale, for service to the sheep breeding industry

Howard Spry, of Queensclff, for service to the community of Queenscliffe

Jon Mamonski, of Ocean Grove, for service to the community of Geelong

Jakara Anthony, of Barwon Heads, for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games

Ian Cover, of Barwon Heads, Coodabeen Champions founding member and for service to the community through a range of roles

Laurence Ryan, of Barwon Heads, for service to the community of Barwon Heads

Janice Watt, of Bambra, for service to women, and to public administration

Barbara Wilson, of Aireys Inlet, for service to the environmental sciences, and to tertiary education.