Announcing the list, His Excellency General David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) congratulated the 845 recipients and paid tribute to their achievements.
‘The individuals we celebrate today come from all parts of our great nation and have served the community in almost every way conceivable. They’re diverse and unique but there are some common characteristics, including selflessness, commitment and dedication.
‘Recipients have not put their hand up to be recognised. Most would consider the achievements that they are being recognised for to be “ordinary” or just what they do. The sum of these contributions speaks to our nation’s greatest strength – its people.’
This year’s list of recipients includes teachers, business leaders, medical professionals, and more. Listed below are some of the Victorian recipients of awards, some of whom have served on the boards of Catholic Social Services Victoria & Australia, Jesuit Social Services, or volunteered for the St Vincent de Paul Society and other local charities. Congratulations to all recipients and may they continue to inspire us in our shared work towards a more just and compassionate Australia.
‘For distinguished service to medical health research, to the business and finance sectors, to corporate governance, and to philanthropy.’
Ms Brenda Shanahan has made significant contributions in the areas of health, medical research and tertiary education, as well as a long and distinguished career in finance and business. She is the Chair of the Board of Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery, which seeks to bring together expertise in medicine, science and engineering for Swinburne and four other universities, as well as medical research institutes and industry partners at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Ms Shanahan’s contributions in philanthropy and governance in the not-for-profit sector include her role as (former) Chair of St Vincent’s Health Melbourne and (current) Chair of St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research.
Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery
St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research
SVI Foundation
St Vincent’s Health Australia
St Vincent’s Health Melbourne
Representative, State Minister for Health’s Advisory Council of Board Chairs.
Representative, Health Innovation Council.
Swinburne University of Technology
Kimberley Foundation Australia
Brenda Shanahan Charitable Foundation
Sisters of Charity Health Service
‘For significant service to the visual arts, and to the property development sector.’
Philanthropy and the Arts
Building and Construction
Other
‘For significant service to tertiary education, to social work, and to the not-for-profit sector.’
Margarita Frederico is a highly experienced social work practitioner, teacher and researcher. Her particular field of interest is child and family wellbeing, which has sen her led her to work in the areas of child protection and trauma issues, the welfare of indigenous children and families, leadership and governance in Human Services provision, and the evaluation of social welfare programs. In 1994 Margarita became a Visiting Professor at the University of Maine’s School of Social Work located in Maine, USA. Upon her return to Australia, she took the position of Inaugural Head of the School of Social Work at the Australian Catholic University. Over the years, Margarita has been actively involved in a number of community-based organisations in Melbourne including Melbourne City Mission, ARACY, United Nations Australia Association, Jesuit Social Services, Mackillop Family Services, Berry Street, and Odyssey House Victoria.
La Trobe University
Australian Catholic University, Canberra
Australian Association of Social Workers
Odyssey House Victoria
Jesuit Social Services
‘For significant service to community health, and to people with disabilities.’
Barbara Jane Hingston has held a number of senior executive and corporate management roles in commonwealth government and in the NGO sector including as Executive Director for Mercy Health Care Australia Ltd, a national collaboration in health and aged care. From 2009-2016 she was a board member of Headspace and has served in governance roles, worked in mental health and other primary care services, health professional regulation, and child and family services in Victoria, Queensland and the ACT. She has also served on the board of Catholic Social Services Australia, Eastern Melbourne Medicare Local and Dental Health Services Victoria and Lady Gowrie Tasmania. Barbara is also an experienced social worker and has consults in individual and group counselling in sexual assault, family violence and other trauma.
Scope (Australia) Ltd (supporting people with disabilities)
National Health Organisations
Austin Health
Health and Community Organisations in Tasmania
Health and Community Organisations in Victoria
Catholic Social Services Australia
Governance
‘For significant service to medical research and charitable organisations.’
Mrs Christine Tarascio has been an active fundraiser for various causes, including the Lady Mayoress’ Charitable Fund, the Queen Elizabeth Centre, PMB (raising funds for prostate cancer research), and Pampering Patients. Mrs Tarascio is currently assisting her family company with the redevelopment of the former Mercy Hospital.
SVI Foundation, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research
Other Charitable
‘For service to emergency medicine, and to medical education.’
Dr Carmel Crock is the Director of the Emergency Department at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne. She is a fellow of the Melbourne Medical School Academy of Clinical Teachers, with a special interest in patient safety and medical error and lectures on physician and medical student wellness and its relationship to patient safety. Dr Crock is part of a long family tradition of helping people — one of her sisters is a doctor at the Royal Children’s Hospital; their late father was a distinguished spinal surgeon at St Vincent’s and his twin brother was appointed Australia’s first Professor of Ophthalmology when the University of Melbourne established the Department of Ophthalmology at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in 1963.
Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH)
Cabrini Health
Epworth Hospital
St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne Medical School
Australasian College of Emergency Medicine
Committees and Memberships
‘For service to the youth of Timor-Leste, to women, and to medicine.’
Children First Foundation
The International Women’s Forum Australia
Community
General Practice
Sandringham and District Community Hospital
‘For service to the community through social welfare organisations.’
Community - social welfare
Career
‘For service to the community through charitable organisations.’
Mrs O’Callaghan is the founder and chair of the St Vincent’s Institute Support Group. A St Vincent’s Hospital trainee, Mrs O’Callaghan returned to part-time nursing once her five children were in full-time education. She has chaired a number of fundraising and educational organisations including the original Noah’s Ark Toy Library for Handicapped Children and is an active supporter of her local school communities.
St Vincent’s Institute (SVI) of Medical Research, Melbourne
SVI Foundation
SVI Support Group
Genazzano FCJ College
Other
‘For service to the horse racing industry.’
Jockey - Group One Races
Dual-Licence Trainer/Jockey
Other
Awards and recognition include:
‘For service to the law, and to the legal profession.’
Victorian Bar
Judicial College of Victoria
Community
Awards and recognition
‘For service to the Italian community of Victoria.’
Italian Community
Community - Other