Engineers from across the country were among those recognised yesterday for both professional and personal achievements.
The Australian Honours and Awards system recognises the outstanding service and contributions of Australians.
Mining and resources engineer Dr Stuart McGill and Warrant Officer Brett Hooper of the Royal Australian Air Force were among the Engineers Australia members awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
McGill has contributed more than 50 years of experience to the Australian mining and resources sector, having begun his career in 1969 as an engineer in the production department at Esso Australia. In the years that followed, he lived and worked in Australia, Europe, South-East Asia and America.
Hooper was honoured for exceptional service throughout the introduction of the Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft and the EA-18G Growler Airborne Electronic Attack capability for the Australian Defence Force.
Engineers Australia National President Dr Nick Fleming commended the engineers receiving honours.
“On behalf of Engineers Australia, I congratulate the engineers who have been honoured today and thank them for the impactful contributions they have made to both the engineering profession and the community,” he said.
“These honours help define, encourage and reinforce national aspirations, ideals and standards by identifying and celebrating role models, and it is a source of great pride to see the Engineers Australia membership so strongly represented by these recipients.”
Medal of the Order of Australia
Engineers Australia members were also among the recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), which is awarded for service worthy of particular recognition.
Dr Ernest Evans, who was celebrated this past October as an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia, was given the medal for service to engineering.
Graeme Haussmann, a civil engineer who has made extensive contributions to the Cairns community during his time working with the city’s council, was also recognised with an Order of Australia medal.
The medal was also given to John Woodside, founder of Adelaide business J Woodside Consulting, for his services to the construction industry. Among Woodside’s accomplishments are a win in the Small Business Ventures and Projects category at the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards South Australia 2016.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s Wing Commander Rachael Quirk was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal for her meritorious performance of duty in engineering, airworthiness and culture to enhance air power for the Australian Defence Force.
Other engineers recognised with honours include RMIT University Professor Sylvester Abanteriba, Rob Gehling of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, University of Technology Sydney Distinguished Professor Dr Jie Lu, University of Sydney Professor David Hensher, Princeton University Professor Alexander Smits and DoricGroup Chair Hariolaos Xydas.
A chance to celebrate
In acknowledging the honours, Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO extended her thanks to those who encourage and nurture their work.
“As a long time NSW Surf Life Saving volunteer and 2019 AO recipient, these awards are especially meaningful for me,” Madew said.
“They present an opportunity to celebrate not only the recipients but the family, friends, and colleagues who support them in their endeavours to make the world a more vibrant, caring, and prosperous place.”
Have we missed someone? Comment below or send us an email to let us know who should be added to the list.
It’s great that EA always lists its members who receive Australian Honours twice a year, but other non-member engineers also receive these awards. I think EA would be doing our profession a valuable service by listing all engineers who are recognised by the Australian government in this way. Engineers don’t typically seek publicity or recognition for their valuable work, so this is the least we can do for our often-underappreciated profession.
I think you may have done the CEO a disservice here, I can’t imagine her first thought was to draw attention to her own achievements. Or maybe it was?
I congratulate the above engineers on their receiving an Australian Honour. As a past recipient (Queen’s Birthday Honours, 2021), it is very meaningful to me. My OAM was for services to engineering and the community.
John Leddy OAM
MEngSc, FIEAust, CPEng (Ret.)
Past District Governor, Rotary International
I also received an OAM, though for services outside my electrical engineering contributions, and was shown on both Channel 9 and Channel 10 TV news.
I’ve just lodged Jack McLean’s name (now an AO) him being a past Fellow of EA as he deserves to be recognised by EA.
I want to congratulate all the Engineers who received honours in the Australia Day awards for 2023. It is great to see a good representation across the Engineering fraternity. Special mention goes out to Warrant officer Brett Hooper. Both him and I have worked together over a long period within the Air Force and we both received OAM’s in the 2015 Queens Birthday honours for our service and achievements in relation to Aeronautical engineering and maintenance within the Air Force. To see his further achievements and hard work now be recognised with an AM is a great reflection of the ongoing dedication and commitment that he has within Defence Aviation.