Two of the best honoured with country’s top gong

One is a leading cancer epidemiologist and the other ran the NHMRC through some big, important changes. See the full list of medical Australia Day honorees.

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The cream has once again risen to the top with two of Australia’s most storied medical figures awarded the country’s top civilian gongs in the Australia Day honours list.

Leading cancer epidemiologist, Emeritus Professor Bruce Armstrong, from the University of Sydney was honoured for “eminent service to medical research, to environmental and genetic cancer epidemiology, to screening service development, to academia, and to public health administration”.

Professor Anne Kelso, former boss of the National Health and Medical Research Council and a renowned immunologist, was honoured for her “eminent service to health and medical research sciences and administration, to Australian influenza preparedness, and to gender equity.

For Professor Kelso, who was CEO of the NHMRC from 2015 until her retirement in 2023, the news was “thrilling”.

“I don’t know how many other people on the list feel this way, but I don’t feel like I deserve it,” she told HSD.

“I’d already been very well rewarded throughout my career.

“You work with a lot of really good people to achieve anything, then to be the one rewarded with something like this, it feels a little bit unfair to all those others.

“I hope that everybody who’s been involved in that work will enjoy the fact that it’s being recognised.”

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Professor Kelso hoped the award would highlight the work she and her colleagues have done around gender equity.

“It’s interesting the citation mentions gender equity, because that was a significant focus of our work at NHMRC towards the end of my time there,” she said.

“We’ve been working to improve gender equity in access to health and medical research funding through NHMRC for quite some time.

“But towards the end we tackled a very particular problem which was the fact that at the most senior levels of our fellowship scheme there were very few women applying.

“That’s partly because they’re not even there. Women just disappear from the more senior levels of the research sector, just as they do from many other areas of professional life.

“So, we introduced some fairly dramatic changes to try to ensure that there will be equal numbers of grants at the more senior levels awarded to men and women.

“It involved a lot of data analysis and modelling and widespread consultation around the country with the health and medical research sector.

“It’s lovely to see that work recognised through the citation for this honour,” she said.

Professor Kelso cited her proudest achievement as the work the NHMRC did to help enable the use of mitochondrial donation in the world of IVF technology.

“Ethically complex, technically complex, and the government was keen to introduce legislation to enable this technology to be introduced in Australia,” she told HSD.

“The minister for health at the time, Greg Hunt, asked the NHMRC to do an analysis of the social, ethical and regulatory issues that would be brought up by such legislation.

“I was just really proud of the job that NHMRC did on that, to do it in a scientifically balanced, even-handed way, to try to deal with the complex ethical issues and scientific issues.

“That was a piece of work that was another example of the sort of things that the agency could do that I think were done really well.

“Not my personal achievement, but something that was achieved while I was there.”

Although officially retired, Professor Kelso still sits on a number of committees and boards where she “tries to be useful”.

“That’s enjoyable, but it’s also really enjoyable not working fulltime.”

Read more about Professor Armstrong here.

Full list of medical honourees

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the General Division

• Emeritus Professor Bruce Konrad Armstrong AM: For eminent service to medical research, to environmental and genetic cancer epidemiology, to screening service development, to academia, and to public health administration.
• Professor Anne Kelso AO: For eminent service to health and medical research sciences and administration, to Australian influenza preparedness, and to gender equity.

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division

• Dr Michael Francis Buckley: For distinguished service to human genomic medicine, to genetic pathology, and to research, education and training.
• Professor Anne Elizabeth Buist: For distinguished service to psychiatry, to advancing best practice in perinatal mental health research and treatment, and to mental health education.
• Dr Michael Robert Carr-Gregg:For distinguished service to child and adolescent psychology, to policy reform as an advocate and advisor, to youth cyber safety, and to the community.
• Associate Professor David Romney Dossetor:For distinguished service to psychiatry, particularly neurodevelopmental mental health in children and adolescents, and to paediatric clinician education.
• Dr Kenneth Arthur Elliott:For distinguished service to international relations through humanitarian medical care in remote regions of Burkina Faso.
• Dr David Forbes:For distinguished service to mental health research and practice, to the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, and to academia.
• Professor Robyn Daneale Gallagher:For distinguished service to nursing academia, to cardiovascular health and disease prevention research, to rehabilitation, and to tertiary education.
• Professor Stephen Marsden Jane:For distinguished service to medical research, to haematology and translational medicine, to advancing access to clinical trials in regional and rural communities, and to tertiary education.
• Associate Professor Anthony Joseph Lynham:For distinguished service to trauma medicine as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, to the Parliament of Queensland, and to the community.
• Emeritus Professor Jeffery Thomas Spickett:For distinguished service to tertiary education, to public and occupational health, and to environmental toxicology research.
• Dr Brian Maxwell Tress: For distinguished service to neuroradiology medicine, to interventional and diagnostic radiography, and to the introduction of new imaging technologies in Australia.

Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division

• Dr John Arthur Allan: For significant service to medicine as an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and to women and maternal health.
• Associate Professor Robert Joseph Bauze: For significant service to orthopaedics and trauma care as a clinician and administrator.
• Dr Colin Glenn Begley: For significant service to haematology and oncology medicine, and to research.
• Dr Anita Geraldine Bourke: For significant service to the community, and to radiology.
• Emeritus Professor Colin Burton Chapman: For significant service to pharmacy and pharmaceutical science research, education and practice.
• Mrs Kathleen Margaret Collett: For significant service to medicine in the field of radiology as clinician and administrator.
• Mr Leslie Charles Collins: For significant service to Indigenous health in Queensland.
• Ms Caitlin Anne Delaney: For significant service to cancer advocacy, care, research and awareness, and to embryology.
• Mr Robert Imrie Fitzpatrick: For significant service to plastic and reconstructive surgery, and to the community of Western Australia.
• Dr Debra Ann Gook: For significant service to women’s health, and to reproductive biology and fertility as a clinician and researcher.
• Emeritus Professor Debra Lee Griffiths: For significant service to nursing, and to medico-legal education.
• Ms Kim Maree Hobbs: For significant service to community health, and to gynaecological oncology.
• Ms Jennifer Holmes: For significant service to community health through alcohol and drug use prevention and treatment initiatives.
• The late Professor Peter William Holmes: For significant service to medicine as a respiratory physician, clinician and teacher.
• Dr Sophie Bilicki Holmes: For significant service to mental health, to family therapy, and to people with disability.
• Dr Michael Jeffrey Hooper: For significant service to endocrinology, and to biomedical musculoskeletal research.
• Dr Susan Jacobs: For significant service to women’s health in the fields of obstetrics and gynaecology.
• Professor Shirley Jane Jansen: For significant service to vascular surgery as a clinician and researcher.
• Professor Ian Kerridge: For significant service to ethics research and training, and as a clinician and author.
• Mr Floyd Cecil Leedie: For significant service to Indigenous health in Queensland.
• Dr Barry Denison Lewis: For significant service to biochemical paediatrics and genetics.
• Professor Stephen Chiu Ho Li: For significant service to multicultural community health, to public pathology, and to the community.
• Conjoint Professor Nicholas Lintzeris: For significant service as a clinical researcher in addiction medicine.
• Professor Nicholas Manolios: For significant service to medicine in the field of immunology and rheumatic diseases.
• The late Dr Nicholas Andrew Medland: For significant service to sexual health medicine as a physician, clinical epidemiologist and general practitioner.
• Mr Nicholas George Mersiades: For significant service to aged welfare.
• Commissioner Dr Dominic Paul Morgan ASM: For significant service to the community through emergency response governance and leadership.
• Professor Robert Usher Newton: For significant service to exercise medicine, to cancer research, and to the community.
• Professor John Marshall O’Donnell: For significant service to orthopaedics as a clinician and mentor.
• Professor Neil Brenton Piller: For significant service to lymphology as a clinician and academic.
• Dr Leon Pitchon: For significant service to medicine as a plastic surgeon, and to the arts through philanthropy.
• Mr Dipak Sanghvi: For significant service to community health through governance and board roles.
• Dr Kunwarjit Singh Sangla: For significant service to endocrinology, and to the rural and Indigenous communities of Queensland.
• Professor Andrew Paul Sindone: For significant service to cardiology, and to cardiovascular disease research.
• Professor Loane Lovat Skene: For significant service to the law, and to bioethics and medical research regulation.
• Dr Fiona Elder Stewart: For significant service to anatomy as a surgical clinician, researcher and educator, as an academic, and to the community.
• Dr Robert George Stirling: For significant service to respiratory oncology as a clinician and educator, and to research.
• Dr Joseph Chun Ming Tam: For significant service to paediatric medicine, and to rural health.
• Professor Wei Wang: For significant service to predictive and personalised medicine as a researcher and academic.
• Dr Andrew Pilcher Wines: For significant service to orthopaedic surgery, and to the community.
• Emeritus Professor Dianne Gaye Wynaden: For significant service to academic and clinical mental health in nursing.
• Professor Minghao Zheng: For significant service to orthopaedic research and regenerative medicine.

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division

• Dr James Peter Berryman: For service to medicine as a general practitioner.
• Dr Victor Paul Buccheri: For service to the Italian community of Melbourne.
• Professor Shane Peter Bullock: For service to community health.
• Dr Gordon Robert Campbell: For service to obstetrics and gynaecology.
• Dr Robert Celada: For service to medicine as a general practitioner.
• Dr Peter Roy Clements: For service to conservation and the environment, and to medical science.
• Ms Megan Donnelly: For service to nursing, and to women.
• Professor Matthew Desmond Dun: For service to haematology and oncology research.
• Dr William Douglas Gransbury: For service to the community of Angaston.
• Mrs Catherine Anne Hindson: For service to community health.
• Dr Felix Ho Lam Ho, ASM: For service to community health.
• Dr Rondhir Jithoo: For service to neurosurgery.
• The late Mrs Penelope Jones: For service to medicine, particularly to spleen research.
• Mrs Katherine King: For service to nursing and midwifery.
• Dr Geoff Knight: For service to paediatric medicine.
• Dr Andrew Yiu-Man Kwong: For service to general practice medicine.
• Dr Edmund Stuart Marel: For service to orthopaedic medicine.
• Mr Maurice Alan Renshaw: For service to pharmaceutical industry.
• Dr Ravin Sadhai: For service to medicine, and to the community of Bacchus Marsh.
• Dr Judy Tang: For service to mental health, to cultural diversity, to equality, and to ageing.
• Dr John Geoffrey Taylor: For service to conservation and the environment.
• Mr Ferruccio Tonini: For service to nursing.
• Mr Peter Charles Walsh: For service to community health.
• Dr Mark Francis Waters: For service to medical administration.
• Mr Paul David Woodhouse: For service to the community of north-western Queensland.

Public Service Medal

• Ms Maureen Veronica McCarty: For outstanding public service in critical health workforce data and planning across Australian governments.
• Ms Jody Salmon: For outstanding public service in the delivery of reform agendas to benefit Australians with disability.
• Ms Shirley Brown: For outstanding public service to NSW health in nursing and chronic care services.
• Dr Mary Elinor McCaskill: For outstanding public service to NSW Health through leadership in patient care and safety.
• Ms Jody Geissler: For outstanding public service in the health and mental health sectors of Victoria.
• Dr Jason Brown: For outstanding public service to support clinical outcomes for burns patients and digital health transformation in Queensland.
• Mrs Wendy Casey: For outstanding public service in Aboriginal health policy, cultural understanding and supporting improved health outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
• Ms Catherine Anne Schofield: For outstanding public service to mental health care in Tasmania.
• Clinical Associate Professor Phillip John Crispin: For outstanding public service in patient blood management and transfusion medicine.

Ambulance Service Medal

• Mr Bernard John Coren: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Ms Kirsty England: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Martin Jonathan Pearce: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Terence John Savage: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Ms Jessica Joy Drummond: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Danny Elbaum: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Steven John Grove: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Ms Heather Mary Hodgkin: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mrs Rebecca Lee Veitch: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Stephen John Johns: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Ms Susan Rebecca Neale: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Miss Dahleen Joyce Nugent: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mrs Lauren Marie D’Arcy: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr David Alexander Emerson: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mrs Sandra Joy Gutsche: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Kieran Dominic Johnson: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
• Mr Aaron Shaun Brooks: For distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Military Division

• Warrant Officer Class One Kimberly Yvonne Kiely: For meritorious service as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 2^nd Health Brigade, Sydney University Regiment, and 3^rd Combat Service Support Battalion.

Commendation for Distinguished Service

• Sergeant Ashlee Louise Liversedge: For distinguished performance of duties in warlike operations as a Medic with Task Group Taji, whilst deployed in Iraq on Operation OKRA on 11 March 2020.
• Ms Sarah Jane Nixon: For distinguished performance of duties in warlike operations as a Medic with Task Group Taji whilst deployed in Iraq on Operation OKRA on 11 March 2020.

Conspicuous Service Cross

• Brigadier Caitlin Emma Langford: For outstanding achievement in the development of preventative measures that strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of the Australian Defence Force.

Conspicuous Service Medal

• Colonel Andrew Stephen Moss: For meritorious devotion to duty as a lead Policy Officer in Joint Health Command and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Branch.
• Flight Sergeant Anthony John Ahchow: For meritorious achievement in aviation fuels management and mental health coaching.

We try our best to identify every current or former GP and rural generalist receiving an Australia Day honour. Sometimes we miss someone; please email cate@healthservicesdaily.com.au to notify us of any omissions.

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