Business leaders in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Ron Manners, Colin Beckett and Denise Goldsworthy were among the 68 Western Australians recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list along with Seven West's Ryan Stokes, who was awarded for his services to the media industry.

Governor-General David Hurley announced the 933 Australian recipients, which also included former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Nedlands-based neurosurgeon and Curtin Professor Bryant Stokes has been awarded General Division Honours, recognised for his services to public health care governance and standards in WA through leadership and advisory roles, including as former Acting Director of General Health for two years.

Professor Stokes is the present chair of South Regional TAFE, having served in the role since 2016.

Other Western Australians recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours include Salvation Army chair and former REIWA president David Airey, restaurateur and winemaker Kate Lamont, and accountant Ross Ledger.

South Perth-based Ron Manners was also awarded General Division Honours for his service to the minerals and mining sectors as well as to youth-focussed philanthropic support and educational initiatives.

Born and raised in Kalgoorlie, Mr Manners is the owner of mining and engineering company Mannwest Group, which he has chaired since 1955, and the founder and present chairman of Perth-based think tank Mannkal Economic Education Foundation.

Mannkal publishes original research and sponsors more than 2,000 students to internships and conferences domestically and internationally.

Mr Manners has chaired the foundation since its establishment 23 years ago.

He has also authored several books and articles on mining and economics, and is the recipient of several awards including being inducted into the Australian Prospectors & Miners’ Hall of Fame as a ‘Living Legend’.

Mr Manners said receiving the Order of Australia was one of his finest honours.

“I have been very fortunate in my life to have enjoyed a long and successful career in the mining industry and to have this opportunity to use my experience to help our next generation,” he said.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of Mannkal and to have equipped so many students with the knowledge and confidence to help make the world a better place.”

Nedlands-based Colin Beckett, who was the Chancellor at Curtin University from 2013 to 2018, was also awarded General Division Honours, recognised for his services to tertiary education as well as to the energy, oil and gas and infrastructure sectors.

Mr Beckett is presently non-executive chair at Western Power and deputy chair of Adelaide-based Beach Energy.

He also served as a general manager at Chevron for 12 years.

Also on the Western Power board, director Denise Goldsworthy has been recognised for her contribution to technological innovation as well as research in the mining and manufacturing services industries with General Division Honours.

Based in Kalamunda, Ms Goldsworthy has served as non-executive chair at ChemCentre since 2013, which reports to the Minister for Science, and has been a Councillor at Edith Cowan University since 2013.

She is also the founder and present managing principal at Belmont consulting firm Alternate Futures.

Meanwhile, Ryan Stokes - son of Seven West chair Kerry Stokes - was recognised in this year’s Honours list for his to the media, mining and construction sectors as well as to cultural institutions, mental health and sporting groups.

Based in NSW, Ryan Stokes is the managing director of Seven Group Holdings and a non-executive director of Seven West Media and Beach Energy, as well as chair of Welshpool-based Coates Hire.

There were 710 Australian recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, 28 in the Military Division and 128 recipients of meritorious awards.