WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story includes the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died.
Aboriginal leaders, domestic violence prevention advocates and a Scrabble champion are among the 732 Australians who have been recognised in the Australia Day honours list.
Marking its 50th year in 2025, Australia’s honours system celebrates exceptional achievements and outstanding service to the community.
In the General Division of the Order of Australia, which is based on nominations from the public, 457 people have been acknowledged in 2025.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn said those recognised had made a huge contribution to the country.
“To read recipient stories is to be reminded that contribution to communities across the country, underpinned by care, kindness, respect and love, is what matters most to all Australians, in every sphere of life,” she said.
Sam Mostyn has thanked the people recognised for their service to Australia. (Facebook: Governor-General of Australia)
Galarrwuy Yunupiŋu AC
A giant of Australia’s land rights movement, the late Galarrwuy Yunupiŋu has been posthumously awarded the country’s highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia.
Born near Yirrkala along the NT’s north-east coast, Dr Yunupiŋu helped establish and then led the powerful Northern Land Council, becoming a powerful advocate for the interests of Indigenous people across the country.
Dr Yunupiŋu held considerable political sway. (Supplied: Melanie Faith Dove / Yothu Yindi Foundation)
The Yolŋu elder led calls for treaty and delivered the Barunga Statement — an important painted document representing the unified will of traditional owners across the NT — to the Australian government.
Daughter Binmila Yunupiŋu remembered her father as a “born leader”.
“A ceremonial leader of the highest degree, my father was our Dalkarra (the ceremonial leader of the Gumatj clan), and a Djungaya (a leader for his mother clans),” Ms Yunupiŋu said.
“He was gong dhulang (the holder of our religious designs and icons), and gong bilma (the holder of our song-cycles).”
Dr Yunupiŋu was the ceremonial leader of the Gumatj clan. (ABC News)
Dr Yunupiŋu is named in this article with the permission of his family, who have welcomed this national recognition of his life’s work.
“He was a Yolngu man, an Australian — being born from the very bones of the country,” Dr Yunupiŋu’s brother, Djawa Yunupiŋu, said.
“He has now returned to our land, to be with our ancestors.”
Dr Yunupiŋu died in 2023 surrounded by family on his land at Gunyangara in north-east Arnhem Land.
Sue and Lloyd Clarke OAM
The parents of slain Queensland woman Hannah Clarke have been recognised with an Order of Australia medal for their tireless efforts raising awareness and helping victims of domestic violence.
Sue and Lloyd Clarke set up the Small Steps 4 Hannah foundation to honour their daughter and three grandchildren — Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey — after they were killed by Hannah’s estranged husband in February 2020.
Sue and Lloyd Clarke, parents of Hannah Clarke, played a pivotal role in advocating for coercive control laws in Queensland. (ABC News: Michael Lloyd)
Mr Clarke said he had not heard of coercive control before the horrific murders.
“We thought we need to educate and start talking about it and it just snowballed from there,” he said.
“We didn’t want another family to have to suffer what we’ve gone through.”
Ms Clarke said they were “very honoured” to be recognised in the awards.
“We feel education is the key to maybe one day stopping this scourge.”
While the Queensland government has now introduced legislation targeting coercive control, the Clarke family is still advocating for national change.
Laurie Lawrence AO
Laurie Lawrence is the legendary swimming coach behind some of Australia’s greatest sporting moments.
In a time before smart phones, the charismatic Queenslander went viral with pool-side antics almost as spectacular as the races themselves.
He inspired dozens of Olympic medals, including a golden moment for swimmer Duncan Armstrong at the Seoul games in 1988, where Mr Lawrence famously threw himself into a pool to celebrate.
Laurie Lawrence, 83, is still heavily involved in his pool safety campaign. (ABC News: Steve Keen)
The 83-year-old Gold Coast resident has since spent decades in water safety, working to reduce drownings across the nation.
It’s for that work that he has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
“I never thought that I’d get on a national stage for something like this, and I think it’s amazing,” Mr Lawrence said.
He described the Kids Alive, Do The Five water safety campaign as his greatest legacy.
“It’s saved countless lives by pushing that simple water safety message, ‘Kids alive, do the five, fence the pool, shut the gate,'” Mr Lawrence said.
He is still heavily involved in Kids Alive and continues to teach children to swim at his Burleigh Heads swim school.
Laurie Lawrence’s campaign emphasised the importance of shutting the pool gate. (Supplied: Laurie Lawrence)
Margaret Soo Koo AM
Margaret Soo Koo is the holder of ancient embroidery traditions.
At just nine years old, she began learning the craft from her mother.
Now, 60 years later, her work in preserving, practising and sharing that knowledge is being recognised with an Order of Australia Medal.
“I was flabbergasted at first to have received it and I hope that this will be an inspiration to other embroiderers, especially to the young people — we need to have more young people,” Ms Koo said.
Margaret Lee has written four books on embroidery and has taught others the art of fine silk threading. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
The Adelaide-based artist, known professionally as Margaret Lee, is now a world-renowned teacher and author of four books.
Her delicate works involve thousands of individual stitches from fine silk thread, and are so intricate they are often mistaken for photographs.
Ms Koo began teaching 20 years ago after a successful career in banking, and said embroidery was more than just stitching.
“Our hands are the axis of our spirit, so if we feel the inner peace it will show through our work, and I can attest to that. It definitely happens,” she said.
Margaret Lee creates art through a traditional embroidery technique that uses fine silk thread. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Julia Clare Hales OAM
Perth actor and writer Julia Hales has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to people with disability, and to the arts.
“It’s just incredible,” Ms Hales said.
“It’s all kind of sinking in, I have no idea who nominated me.”
Julia Hales has won mutliple awards for her work. (ABC News: James Carmody)
Ms Hales’s 2018 play You Know We Belong Together has had a major impact, attracting multiple awards and even going overseas.
She wants to continue working in the arts, including acting, and plans to use her experiences to help others.
“I’ve been working with a lot of people with disabilities for a long time,” Ms Hales said.
“I want to help them bring their projects out to the world, to listen to them and what they want.”
Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO
Turning trash to treasure, Veena Sahajwalla is being celebrated for revolutionising recycling.
The celebrated engineer and inventor launched the world’s first e-waste micro factory in the remote town of Cootamundra in New South Wales, re-manufacturing valuable waste products from old laptops and mobile phones.
“We like to see waste as a resource,” Professor Sahajwalla said.
“If it’s meant to be a resource, then it should be all about putting it into re-manufacturing and making new products.
“It’s good for the environment and good for the economy.”
Veena Sahajwalla launched the first e-waste micro factory. (ABC News: Mridula Amin)
Professor Sahajwalla also invented a way to repurpose carbon in shredded tyres as an alternative to coking coal in steel production.
She has now been honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to science and contributions to the waste management industry.
“This is such a crucial piece of work for Australia, for the planet,” she said.
Research could “come to life” through industry partnerships, Professor Sahajwalla said.
“There are so many industries that are out there as our industry partners who want to be pioneering this work as practitioners, but also they are doing it because they care for the environment too,” she said.
Professor Sahajwalla has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. (Supplied: Anna Kucera)
Professor Emma Lee OAM
Trawlwulwuy woman Emma Lee OAM is a trailblazer for Aboriginal rights in Tasmania and an internationally recognised expert on Indigenous land and sea management.
The prolific researcher has authored books, papers and reports on everything from democracy to tourism, and has now been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia.
“If you know anything about Aboriginal communities you know we don’t work in isolation, this is all about community — it’s about our elders, brothers and sisters and for all of those mob who have put their effort into me,” Professor Lee said.
Professor Emma Lee is an Indigenous land and sea management expert.
The proud traditional owner is focused on building strong working opportunities for young Aboriginal Tasmanians.
“I’m a woman of sea country and just recently we have helped to establish commercial fisheries for a market of cultural wild catch and we’re focusing in on abalone,” Professor Lee said.
Bob Jackman OAM
For services to competitive Scrabble, Bob Jackman has been honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia.
The Sydneysider estimates he has played about 10,000 games across countless local and national tournaments.
“It was a learning tool for finding out about different animals, chemistry, geography, everything,” he said.
“There’s a hell of a lot of interesting vocabulary out there that comes to life when you play a game like Scrabble.”
Mr Jackman was first introduced to the game in the 1970s.
He turned professional after a life-changing car accident in the 1990s.
“By accident, I got into Scrabble big time, because when I was recovering … I decided I’d learn a lot of words and get good at the game,” he said.
Now president of the New South Wales Scrabble Club, he has organised 150 competitions over the years, navigating challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of word game apps and websites.
“I’m happy to receive [the Medal of the Order of Australia], and maybe hopefully shine a bit of a light on Scrabble and let people know there is an organised scene,” he said.
Journalists recognised
Excellence in Australian journalism has also been acknowledged.
Former long-time ABC reporter Peter Kennedy has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the print and broadcast media.
Mr Kennedy worked for the West Australian newspaper and the Sydney Morning Herald in the 1970s and 80s, before turning his skills to radio and television at the ABC.
Peter Kennedy worked for multiple media outlets, including the ABC. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
“It is a great honour to be recognised like this,” Mr Kennedy said.
“It’s an important honour I think for scores, hundreds of journalists around the country that work seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the cities and in the regions, often without much recognition, but do important work.”
ABC Offsiders host Kelli Underwood OAM has also been recognised for service to broadcast media after a celebrated career in sports journalism.
