Western Australians come up trumps

FOR the second time in three years a female scientist from Western Australia named Fiona has been named Australian of the Year.

In 2003 it was child health researcher Professor Fiona Stanley and this time it was the turn of leading burns surgeon, founder of spray on skin developer Clinical Skin Culture and mother of six Fiona Wood.

This was actually Professor Wood’s second time in the running for the top award.

She was pipped last year by former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh.

This time around Professor Wood was up against actors David Gulpilil and Nicole Kidman and Angel Flight founder Bill Bristow.

In the Officer in the General Division category WA recipients included: Professor Michael Alpers for his leading international research into tropical medicine, particularly Kuru; Professor Harvey Coates for his work in the field of paediatric ear nose and throat medicine; and Malcolm McCusker QC for services to the legal profession.

In the Member in the General Division category recipients included: The Reverend Robert Clark for boosting theological education; Gwyneth Graham for services to indigenous people, refugees and asylum seekers; Kevin Keneally for service to the community through a range of organisations; John Meahan for his work as national president of St Vincent de Paul; Peggy Perkin for her service to people with disabilities and local government in Belmont; and Ronald Yuryevich for his local government work in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Several WA Olympic gold medal winners received Order of Australia Medals including Ryan Bailey, Peter Dawson, Nathan Eglington, Bevan George, Mark Knowles and Grant Schubert.

Other Order of Australia Medal winners included: Janet Annear, Kenneth Arkwright, Roy Chamberlain, Sister Elizabeth Collins, Dr Clive Cook, Brian Coulton, Donald Cross, Trevor Dunne (posthumous winner), Dr Steven Hodby, Keith Hames, John Kitchen, Dr Stephen Knott, Peter Lenny, Rachel Lenny, Donald Mazzuchelli, David Norrish, Graham Pittway, Helen Smith, Alexander Vellacott and Dr Shelley Yeo.

Australian Clearance Diving Team Four executive officer Lieutenant Russell Cronin won the Medal in the Military Division.

Kerry Graham received the WA Public Service award.

WA Police honours went to Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan, Detective Sergeant Jennifer O’Connell and Senior Sergeant Mark Regel.

WA Fire Service honours went to Lindsay Cuneo, Graham Farrow, Murray Korbury and Keith Pears.

Anthony Ahern, Geoffrey Davis and John Thomas won WA Ambulance Service honours.

The WA Emergency Services honour went to Wayne English.

Warrant Officer Robert Pontifex won a Conspicuous Service Medal.

Fremantle honours bestowed

WHILE the Australia Day Honours may have been seen as the main event, the City of Fremantle also put out its own Active Citizenship awards.

The awards aim to honour those individuals and groups that typify the Aussie spirit.

Antique collector Les Launder was won the Individual Over-25 category. He was inaugural president of the Fremantle society and runs Launder and Howards antique business.

Nicole Tolhurst won the Individual under 25 category. Ms Tolehurst has continuously promoted and participated in gym competitions, consistently highlighting the Fremantle Police & Citizen’s Youth Club, while also doing voluntary work there.

Fremantle’s Harbour Theatre won the community group or event category. It is Fremantle’s original and, indeed, only community theatre in the port city, having operated there for more than 40 years.

Snap up ten grand

TAKE the best photograph celebrating the mining industry and win $10,000, that is the challenge from mining consultants Snowden.

The company is holding an international photographic competition for the best mining-related picture, be it people at work, stark landscapes or machinery mountains.

Second place wins $3,000 and third place gets $1,000.

Australian award-winning photographer Richard Woldendorp will assist in judging.

The competition closes on June 30 and a selection of the top photographs will be exhibited at Snowden’s booth at the Diggers and Dealers forum in Kalgoorlie in August.

For more information visit www.snowdengroup.com.au

UWA physicist joins science greats

UNIVERSITY of Western Australia physicist David Blair has been awarded the Australian and New Zealand Assocation for the Advancement of Science Medal.

The medal recognises Professor Blair’s work, a spin-off of which has been the establishment of the Australian International Gravitational Observatory near Gingin.

Professor Blair said he hoped his winning of the award would "help to convince sceptical funding agencies to provide financial assistance to build the first large scale gravitational wave observatory in the Southern Hemisphere".