Hollywood superstar Chris Hemsworth leads a list of more than 1000 Australians to be recognized in the Queen’s Birthday honours list. The Thor heart-throb was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to the performing arts and commitment to charitable organizations.
A total of 1190 Australians were recognized in the honours, including 63 acknowledged for their efforts related to the Covid-19 pandemic. These recipients will be added to a new Covid-19 honor roll, which will become a permanent and ongoing part of the awards. Women comprised 44 percent of this year’s honorees, the highest proportion ever.
Governor-General David Hurley said it was hoped this year’s instalminstallment annual honours list would be a more accurate reflection of Australia’s diversity. He urged those from a broader network to consider nominating leaders from their community in the future. From the long list of recipients, he said there were “examples of exceptional achievement in almost every field imaginable”.
“I am pleased that this list includes the highest ever percentage of women (44 percent) recognized through the General Division of the Order of Australia,” General Hurley said. “The Order of Australia must represent the diversity and strength of Australia — for this to happen, we need to ensure outstanding women, members of our multicultural community, and First Nations people are nominated by their peers in the community.”
CHRIS HEMSWORTH
Hemsworth has also contributed his time to several charitable organizations, including as patron for the Australian Childhood Foundation and donor to the bushfires recovery organization ands some international groups.
PETA CREDIT
Outspoken political commentator Peta Credlin was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her service to parliament and politics, policy development, and the executive function of government. The former staffer served as chief of staff under Tony Abbott as Opposition Leader, Prime Minister, and several other senior positions within parliament.
Credlin has gone on to host her program on Sky News Australia and is a regular contributor for News Corp as a columnist. She also had a distinguished legal career, having been admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2009 and recognized as an Honorary Professional Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
MARK BERETTA
Sunrise sports reporter and co-host Mark Beretta was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for serving the community through several charitable organizations. The journalist has been a board member and ambassador for the cancer donation group Tour de Cure and committed his time to other charities, including Raise, Fight Cancer Foundation, and ChildFund Australia.
Fun fact: Beretta is also a 10-times Australian water ski champion.
ANGELA BISHOP
Over on another breakfast television program, entertainment reporter Angela Bishop also received an OAM for her service to entertainment journalism. She has worked in the field since the late 1980s and is the current co-host on Channel 10’s Studio 10 while also serving as an ambassador for the GI Cancer Centre and Sydney Eisteddfod.
GLENN LAZARUS
Glenn Lazarus can now add OAM to his long list of achievements, with the Nation Rugby League Hall of Fame star winning premierships at the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos, and Melbourne Storm. The rugby legend also dipped his toe into politics, having served as senator for Queensland with Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party and then as an independent.
ROBBIE SLATER
Robbie Slater was recognized with an OAM for his decorated football career, having played for the Australian national league ands four English Premier League sides, including West Ham United and Blackburn Rovers.
He also played in the Belgium and French national leagues and represented Australia 44 times, earning his status as a Football Federation Hall of Fame recipient. Slater has also written a book, The Hard Way, and been featured as a Fox Sports commentator since 2000.
ERIN PHILLIPS
Dual sportswoman Erin Phillips also received an OAM for her achievements as an Australian rules football star and international basketball representative. Phillips played for four separate teams in the WNBA in the United States and won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. In the later years, the star athlete turned her focus to AFLW, in which she was twice awarded best player in the league in 2017 and 2019 and was twice judged best on the ground in grand finals.
FRANCES ADAMSON
South Australia Governor Frances Adamson was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for outstanding service to public administration by advancing Australia’s diplomatic, trade, and cultural interests. As secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms. Adamson was highly regarded for her work with China and the Indo-Pacific region. She has also served as ambassador to China, deputy high commissioner in London, and the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong.
