Dawn Fraser appointed to highest level of Order of Australia

“The reason I say that is that my mum and dad were alive and saw me swim for the first time in Melbourne (1956),” she said.

“And I would say they are now looking down on their little baby girl who has got one of the highest awards in Australia and I’ve got to say I’m extremely proud.”

Fraser was named the World's Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and Australia's Greatest Female Athlete in 2013, but also has an extensive corporate and sports career after swimming.

She remains one of Australia’s best-loved larrikins and confirmed a 2009 story where she sat on a burglar in Noosa and waited for police after the boy had broken into her daughter’s canal-front house.

“That is very true actually,” she laughed.

“There were about nine boys doing it and we caught three of them.”

Dawn Fraser at 81 remains patron of Queensland’s Save the Bilby Foundation, among almost 50 organisations she is a patron of.

She agrees it makes sense for governments to research a full-time bilby centre in Charleville.

There is only a temporary bilby centre at the Charleville rail station for one of Australia's most endangered species, despite a federal government promise in 2007 for a $5 million permanent centre.

“We have just built the electrified bilby fence out at Currawinya (south of Charleville), where we release the bilbies,” she said.

“I think a permanent centre is a good idea,” she said.

“That is the road we are now going to tackle.”

Queensland highest achievers are recognised today in the fields of science, education, sports, the arts and community work.

The 2018 awards recognise guitarist Phil Emmanuel (OAM), who died last month, long-time racing commentator Bart Sinclair (OAM), prominent jeweller Wallace Bishop (AM) and Queensland cycling advocate Ben Wilson (OAM).

University of Queensland husband and wife cystic fibrosis researchers Brandon and Claire Wainwright both become Members of the Order of Australia.

Outside Queensland, Paralympian Kurt Fearnley will be made an Officer of the Order of Australia, while rock singer-songwriter Brian Cadd becomes a Member of the Order of Australia.

Christine Milne, the woman who led the Greens after Bob Brown, becomes an Officer in the Order of Australia.

In Queensland, scientists, fashion figures and explorers become Officers in the Order of Australia.

They include Professor Suzanne Chambers (AO; community health, prostate cancer); Indigenous clothing designer Linda Jackson (AO), arts and architecture academic Dr Natalie Jeremijenko (AO) and polar explorer Sydney Lorrimar (AO).

Building executive Jane Montgomery-Hribar becomes an AO for her work in encouraging women in construction and engineering, while Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop (AO) receives her honour for her work in laser physics.

Other Officers in the Order of Australia include Australian-Indonesian public health academic Professor Don Stewart (AO), Dr Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt (AO) for his work in tertiary education and Major General Paul McLachlan (AO) for his strategic command of the Australian Army.

Eight senior Queensland police receive the Australian Police medal.

Five fire officers receive the Australian Fire Services medal and three medical staff receive the Australian Ambulance Medal.

Other recipients are:

AM – Members of the Order of Australia

Mr Geoffrey Batkin AM, for service to the Uniting Church

Mr Wallace Bishop AM, for service to retail industry

Professor Anthony Brown AM, for service to emergency medicine

Mr John Cotter AM, for service to the resources sector

Mrs Terry Cranwell AM, for service to Pparliament and regional Queensland

Ms Anne Therese Cross AM, for service to the not-for-profit sector

Professor Ram Chander Dalal AM, for service for sustainable farming

The Honourable Justice Alfred Daubney AM, for service to law and education

His Honour Judge Stuart Gordon Durward AM, for service to law and the Australian Defence Force.

Dr John Gilmour AM, for service to community health

Air Commodore Mark Gower AM, for service to public administration

Ms Janice Hadfield AM, for service to hockey

Professor Lawrence Hirst AM, for service to ophthalmology

Mrs Lesley Kealton AM, for service to community mental health

Mr Eric Law AM, for service to western Queensland

Dr Marie Porter AM, for service to women and children’s education

Dr Robert Riddel AM, for service to heritage architecture

His Honour Judge Michael Shanahan, for service to the judiciary and juvenile justice

Professor Bernard Smithers, for service to medicine and education

Professor Brandon Wainwright AM, for service to molecular bioscience

Professor Claire Wainwright AM, for service to cystic fibrosis

Ms Agnes Whiten AM, for service to multicultural diversity

Ms Carmel Williams AM, for service to people suffering a disability

Her Honour Judge Josephine Willis AM, for service to the judiciary

Colonel Jeffrey Brock AM, for service to Australian Army medicine

OAM – Medal of the Order of Australia

Kenneth Adison, for service to the Anglican Church

Esther Austin, for service to the visual arts

Geoff Barton, for service to rugby union

Valma Bazlay, for service to golf

John Bellerby, for service to the Woodgate community

Lynette Bishop, for service to education

James Blakeney, for service to horse sport

John Brady, for service to the Warwick community

Kenneth Bridges, for service to the Tewantin community

John Brookes, for service to Tewantin veterans

Michael Buck, for service to charitable organisations

The Reverend Lynette Burden, for service to the Uniting Church

Constantine Castrisos, for service to the catering industry

Noeline Clamp, for service to multicultural communities in Logan

Helene Cronin, for community service

James Cuskelly, for service music education

Lyla Therese Davies, for service to education

Catherine Day, for service to education

Jaimie de Salis, for service to community health

Janeth Deen, for service to multicultural Queensland

Patricia Desmarchelier, for service to microbiology

William Dobbin, for service to hospital chaplaincy

Patrick Durnford, for service to military history

John Ebert, for service to community health

Dianne Eden, for service to performing arts education

Margaret Edwards, for service to the Roma community

Phil Emmanuel, for service to the performing arts

Victor Feros, for service to town planning

Denise Fridolf, for service to veterans’ families

Raymond Fry, for service to the Cairns community

Elaine Gamer, for service to community health

Deanne Gibbon, for service to women in the Australian Defence Force

Iris Gillingham, for service to the community of Sandgate

Michael Goodwin, for service to military history preservation

David Grenfell, for the building and construction industry

Major Geoffrey Haigh, for service to community and engineering

Robert Hernandez, for service to the Flipino community of Queensland

Robin Hood, for service to marine rescue organisations

Bruce Johnston, for service to dentistry and the community

Robert Kretchmann, for service to Toowoomba

Robyn McFarlane, for service to the Pioneer Valley

Ian McIvor, for service to military history

Shirley McIvor, for service to military history

Greg McLean, for service to building and construction

Bill Malandris, for service to the Greek community of north Queensland

Hazel Maltby, for service to the Bowen community

Stephen Margolis, for service to rural medicine

Desley Matthews, for service to the community of Caboolture

Jacqueline Mein, for service to community medicine

Leslie Micale, for service to the Sunnybank community

Michael Miros, for service to medicine

Christine Moran, for service to the Gold Coast community

John Neumann, for service to the Gold Coast community

Terence Newman, for service to law and to youth

Joyce Newton, for service to the Maleny community

John O’Brien, for service to social welfare organisations

Stephen Parle, for service to rugby league coaching and recruitment

Greg Peake, for service to veterans families

Allan Petersen, for service to the community of Southbrook

Noel Prior, for service to horticulture

Roy Radunz, for service to country horse racing

Dennis Richards, for service to the chiropractic profession

Roslyn Scotney, for service to Pittsworth and Toowoomba

Glenn Simpson, for service to the housing sector

Bart Sinclair, for service to horse racing

Michael Solomon, for service to community service

Phillip Thompson, for service to veterans welfare

Vivienne Tippett, for service to medical education

Derek Paul Tuffield, for service to the Darling Downs community

Denise Wadley, for service to arts administration

Alfred Wheeler, for service to landscape architecture

Ben Wilson, for service to recreational cycling planning and standards

Barry Wright, for service to the restaurant industry

Margaret Wroe, for service to the Maryborough community

Warrant Officer Class One Matthew Bold, for meritorious service as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 9th Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment and the 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment.

Group Captain David Houghton, for meritorious service in materiel acquisition and sustainment as the Joint Program Office Lead, Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft System Program Office, and as Commanding Officer of the Training Aircraft Systems Program Office in Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group

Public Service Medals to Queenslanders

Dr Graham Fraine, for service to social science research

Kirsten Herring, for service to arts policy development

Julianne Mitchell, for service to transport infrastructure

Australian Police Medal recipients

Detective Inspector Melissa Anderson

Superintendent Dale Frieberg

Senior Sergeant Renee Hanrahan

Inspector Lee Jeffries

Detective Senior Sergeant Richard Lacey

Detective Superintendent Brian Swan

Superintendent Ronald Van Saane

Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker

Australian Fire Service Medal

Donald Baldwin

Leslie Green

Kaye Healing

Alan Richards

David Wood

Ambulance Service Medal

Gavin Fuller

Leia Spencer

Rebecca Taylor