Vera Deacon - A driving force for nature and equality
At 93 there's not much that surprises Vera Deacon these days.
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But she admits last week's news that she was to receive an Order of Australia medal caught her off guard.
"I received a call yesterday; I was a bit overwhelmed to be honest," she said.
"Seriously, I can tell you 100 people who should have been ahead of me on the list."
Her award recognises a lifetime of work promoting and conserving the city's history, its culture, and environment.
Underpinning it all has been an unwavering commitment to social justice, something that has burned inside her since she was a girl growing up in Newcastle during the Great Depression.
Born in Mayfield in 1926, Mrs Deacon was raised on the picturesque islands in the Hunter River estuary before it gave way to heavy industry.
As much as the natural environment was a formative experience, so too was the hardship her family endured during those years.
"I am a child of the depression; we lived in the Mayfield West unemployment camp," she said.
"I remember walking around with my father when he was looking for work."
The principle of "If you have wealth you must share it", which she learnt during those years, has served as a compass to navigate life's ups and downs.
Since returning to Newcastle in 1997 following the death of her husband, Mrs Deacon has immersed herself in preserving the city's culture and environment.
Her book, Singing Back The River includes a collection of stories written over six decades.
"We loved the river as we loved our mothers, those laughing, hard-working strong island women," she wrote in the story, "River Song".
The book was edited and published by Marilla North, who tracked down her long-time friend's stories.
"Vera's stories need to be collected for posterity and brought into the 21st century so they can be widely disseminated," she said.
Mrs Deacon has also been a regular donor to the University of Newcastle's Cultural Collections for the best part of two decades.
Her generosity, which has helped fund the conservation and digitisation of materials led to the establishment of the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund.
In recent years, she has also done her bit to restore her childhood stomping ground, the Hunter estuary.
"I have been involved in planting on Ash Island for 20 years. They are such wonderful people to work with," Mrs Deacon said.
Jaelea Skehan - Helping to put mental health front of mind
In less than two decades Jaelea Skehan has established a national and international standing in mental health and suicide prevention.
Her achievements are many but it has been her ongoing connection with Newcastle that she counts among her proudest accomplishments.
"It's not something I take for granted," Dr Skehan said.
"When you thought about your career in the late 90s you thought that you would have to move to the big smoke to make a difference. I never thought I would be able to do nationally and internationally significant work from my hometown."
She admits the news she was to receive an OAM for service to community mental health and wellbeing came as a shock.
"It feels a little bit strange. I don't know whether to feel excited or humble " she said.
Dr Skehan began working at the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, Everymind, in 2001 and was appointed the institute's first female director in 2012.
She credits former Newcastle psychologist, the late professor Trevor Waring, as being her guiding light.
"[Trevor] had a significant influence on my career, not just because he gave me an opportunity but he was also a mentor," she said.
"Trevor is still a voice that sits on my shoulder - whether to go left or right or to find the courage to move forward."
While much has been achieved in mental health treatment in recent years , there is still plenty to do.
"I think we should acknowledge the gains we have made - mental health has been elevated to a core health issue," Dr Skehan said.
"What we need now is a seamless and connected system so that we can both prevent the onset of mental illness and treat complex mental health challenges at the same time."
Aaron Kearney and Jill Emberson - Kindred spirits recognised
Newcastle broadcasters Aaron Kearney and the late Jill Emberson have been inducted to the Order of Australia.
In addition to her contribution to broadcasting, Ms Emberson was also recognised for her fierce advocacy for ovarian cancer research and treatment.
Ms Emberson was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in February 2016. She passed away from the disease in December 2019.
"Hearing that Jill and I were honoured on the same list really moved me and makes this even more special if that's possible," Mr Kearney said.
"We worked side by side as broadcasters, shared so many journalistic values and a passion for our community and that became the foundation of our friendship away from work.
"Her husband Ken (Lambert) regularly comes around for a red wine and conversation, and we know what we will be toasting next time."
Dr Lambert said the award was 'bitter-sweet'.
"I actually shed a tear when I found out," he said.
"Her award is primarily for her ovarian cancer advocacy but there are a whole range of things that she did in her life that she could have been nominated for."
Emberson's award-winning podcast Still Jill shared experiences of her cancer journey.
The director of Ovarian Cancer Australia Josy Shaw told the ABC Ms Emberson had been "quite possibly the greatest impact we've ever seen at Ovarian Cancer Australia".
"The effect she's had on the sector financially has never been seen before," she said.
Dr Lambert said the award not only recognised Jill's achievements but also her passion for life, particularly in her final years.
"Her spirit continued to shine brightly even though she was in pain and knowing that she had a terminal disease," Dr Lambert said.
"She had so much she still wanted to do."
Mr Kearney said he was "genuinely delighted" to be recognised for his work.
"I am humbled and it is lovely, but on a more meaningful level, there is no doubt that people who pursue a life in regional Australia forego a certain number of opportunities to do that," he said.
"To have an honour like this recognise local journalism and international journalism in developing environments - that's an enormous boost for me but hopefully, it also sends a signal to everybody who is doing it that their work is not going unnoticed.
"I find it quite moving that that has been recognised as having value."
He said it took just 36 hours for more than a year's worth of international engagements - one of the most notable of which involved producing an all-women indigenous language broadcasting of the World Cup to the Indo-Pacific region in 2019 - to almost entirely evaporate as COVID-19 took hold around the world. But within around the same amount of time, Kearney had begun work on his latest venture.
"2019 was the most remarkable year," Kearney said, "But it's fair to say 2020 has been quite an act to follow. The bar was high, but 2020 has got comfortably over it.
Before the borders closed and the world slowed to a pace not seen before in living memory, Kearney - the Newcastle radio broadcaster and journalist who described his career as having "either a 30-step commute or a 30-hour commute" - was ready to board the plane again.
He was booked for work in Uzbekistan, and for a return trip to Vanuatu where his 'Commentary for Good' indigenous language program was ostensibly based.
"Essentially my whole business model evaporated overnight," he said.
"Mercifully a couple of clients I was working for required more work domestically and I'm now predominantly a podcast host and producer."
The Shed Wireless, which has featured guests including the Governor-General David Hurley, was a direct response to the isolation imposed by the pandemic.
"The Men's Shed brief is to essentially fight social isolation, and then social isolation became compulsory," Kearney said. "So, we created the wireless you would listen to if you were in the shed."
Seamus Fagan - Bridging the language gap
CONJOINT Associate Professor Seamus Fagan said it was a "complete surprise" to receive the email saying he was being made a Member of the Order of Australia.
"I thought it was maybe a fake one and someone was pulling my leg, then when I saw the insignia of the Governor General's office I knew that it was serious," he said.
"I am quite elated and very pleased.
"I came here as a migrant in 1988 and when I arrived here I never thought I would get such a great honour."
Ireland-born Conjoint Associate Professor Fagan AM has worked in Egypt, Southern Sudan and Lesotho but now lives in Belmont.
He has been honoured for significant service to tertiary education, particularly to English language teaching.
When he arrived in Australia, there were only 11,000 international students studying English.
He had a national leadership role in lifting this to 175,000 last year.
He has been director of the University of Newcastle's English Language and Foundation Studies Centre, which includes the Language Centre and three enabling programs New Step, Open Foundation and Yapug.
He has also served on the board of English Australia, University English Centres Australia and the National ELT Accreditation Scheme.
Conjoint Associate Professor Fagan also has a passion for enabling education and played a key role in the establishment of a national enabling educator's conference, as well as the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia.
"I came from a family of eight so I was fortunate to be the only one to go to university," he said.
"It engendered in me a passion that education should be available for all and education can transform.
It helped to transform me and gave me a great career that I'm very fortunate to have.
"I've always had a passion to help people who've had challenging journeys in their lives to get an opportunity to go to university and I was very fortunate to come to Newcastle, which has one of the largest enabling programs in Australia."
Conjoint Professor Fagan said it was crucial the government continued funding enabling programs to ensure they remained free for students.
He and his wife Jayce have set up the Jayce and Seamus Fagan Enabling Program Scholarship, which provides much-needed financial support to one student completing an enabling program each year.
The couple also volunteer with various community groups involved with providing support for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
Professor Paul Walker's 'unexpected honour'
Conjoint Professor Paul Walker said the recognition for his service to paediatric medicine and professional organisations in Newcastle was an "unexpected honour".
"It came completely out of the blue, and I think it should be shared with the many medical, nursing and allied health colleagues who - all together - made airway reconstruction and cochlear implantation in the Hunter a reality," he said.
"I am also grateful for colleagues in philosophy, who taught me a new way to look at life and look at different ways to help families make decisions about what is best for their children."
One of the proudest achievements from a distinguished career was being able to help children in the Hunter Region who otherwise would have had to travel to Sydney for cochlear implantation or airway reconstruction.
"I was the first exclusively paediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon here," Professor Walker said.
"When cochlear implantation became bigger, most children from the Hunter would have to go to Sydney.
"So we started a program here in the Hunter.
"But I didn't do it alone. Because I had anaesthetic colleagues, intensive care colleagues, nursing and allied health, we could put together comprehensive programs.
"It could never have been a one-man show."
Greg Paterson plays the music of life
For Greg Paterson, his life and music have gone together like rhythm and melody.
"Music's been my life," Mr Paterson said. "It's what I did for a living, it's what I love, it's what I've always done and always will."
Which is why he was surprised to be recognised for what is his life. Gregory David Paterson has been awarded an OAM for service to the performing arts, particularly to music.
Music is one lifelong thread for Greg Paterson. So is Newcastle. He was born in Hamilton in 1947 and attended Newcastle Technical High School. He studied at the local teachers' college, where he met his wife, Denise, then taught music at Jesmond and Belmont high schools.
Mr Paterson has been a pianist, musical director and conductor for theatre groups and orchestras, small ensembles and grand productions. One highlight in his prolific musical life was the annual Star Struck schools' performing arts spectacular. He was a founding member in 1993, and worked on the production until 2007.
"You get a great thrill watching them [student performers] grow and develop," Mr Paterson said.
Adriaan Peschar's outstanding service
Retired prominent businessman Adriaan Peschar - known to many as John - has received an OAM for his service to the community of Newcastle over many years.
During his busy and decorated career, Mr Peschar served as chairman of the Christ Church Cathedral Completion Appeal from 1976 to 1979 and of the Post Earthquake Restoration Appeal in 1989.
He was the University of Newcastle's Deputy Chancellor from 1989 to 1990, was on the Salvation Army's Newcastle advisory board for 15 years and was a founding chairman of the Hunter Region Olympic Committee.
"Quite frankly I'm very grateful and honoured because I've had a wonderful time in Australia - a lovely journey," said the 92-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands and moved to Australia seven decades ago.
"My feeling is I should say thank you to Australia for letting me in. I've had a wonderful 70 years."
'It's surreal': OAM for prison chaplain chief Rev Rod Moore
Rod Moore says authenticity is they key ingredient in his line of work.
And in that regard, he was as authentic as they come.
"I grew up in a housing commission home in the western suburbs of Sydney, left home at 15, started using drugs and alcohol, hanging around an outlaw motorcycle gang, had run-ins with the police ...
"I was headed for trouble."
For a man who would find God and go on to become a prison chaplain, it was the 'real life' experience that would shape his career.
Now the retired 66-year-old has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community through chaplaincy roles in corrective institution - "it's surreal, I'm very proud".
But the East Maitland man is keen to take the opportunity to highlight the good work of prison chaplains across the state, rather than be the sole focus of attention.
"It's a tough gig, it really is, but they do wonderful work," Reverend Moore said.
And he should know because he went on to become Coordinating Chaplain for Corrective Services NSW for 16 years - the head man, with 90 chaplains across 36 prisons under him.
Rev Moore's life turned around when, age 21, a Christian group reached out to him and he found faith.
Before long he was a youth worker in Muswellbrook and met his wife Lee, who is now a teacher in the Maitland area. While he enjoyed the job, the call of the ministry was strong.
He joined the Anglican priesthood and was ordained by the Bishop of Newcastle in 1986, age 33.
For the next few years he worked across parishes in Wallsend, East Maitland and on the Central Coast, but had a yearning to work as a prison chaplain where he wanted "to make a difference".
When the job came up for Maitland and Cessnock, he contacted the bishop immediately.
"My early life, and then time as a youth worker counselling street people, it was an ideal grounding for what was needed."
And what was that?
"They want honesty, authenticity. You need to build the relationship and be trusted. Be a good listener. If you're distant or too moralistic, if you're judgmental, they'll respect you all right, but they'll never open up to you.
"I think with my early life, I had that authenticity. And I'm a good listener. I also had the backing of an understanding wife which made things a lot easier."
Rev Moore is proud of the role prison chaplains play.
"State Governments have tended to cut prison funding, but we have had an increase in chaplain funding," he said. "That's because they accept the role chaplains play - and not just to inmates but staff as well. They make a big difference."
He says it's hard to describe the pleasure a chaplain gets from seeing a life turned around in prison.
"You deal with all sorts of people, from serial killers to gang members, from those who commit domestic violence to drink drivers," he said.
"If you can get someone to turn their lives around - and I don't necessarily mean finding God, although that's ideal - it's incredibly rewarding.
"Some find faith and end up in churches, but for others it may be to stop beating their partner, or reconnect with their family, or get a steady job ... "
Joanne Wallace acknowledged in Queen's Birthday Honours List
For Joanne Wallace, it's a job she has loved from the start and never thought of leaving.
Starting as a cadet in 1979, she quickly advanced to Personal Assistant to Governors and General Managers of the Cessnock Correctional Centre and is still there to this day.
Her work over 40 years has been recognised with her being awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding service to Corrective Services in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
"It's a long time in one job but I've never wanted to leave," she said. "I'm honoured but at the same time a bit embarrassed really, I'm not used to being in the spotlight.
"But I'm proud to say I was the first PA for a Governor at Cessnock."
So, what is it about the Correctional Centre that she likes so much?
"It's a challenging place to work at times and while I'm a bit removed in administration, I come into regular contact with the officers there," she said.
"There's a real sense of family that I've loved right from the start - and I started when I was 16. The camaraderie is the thing ... it's special to me."
Mrs Wallace's unfailing discretion when dealing with highly confidential information and tasks and her attention to detail and reliability have seen her become what her peers describe as the 'backbone' of the Governor's office.
John Deacon makes tomorrow's stars
Retired teacher John Deacon has been a fixture off-stage at Star Struck since co-founding the Hunter schools performance showcase in 1993.
The 71-year-old director, producer and puppet maker has remained involved in Star Struck and the state Schools Spectacular since retiring 10 years ago.
He taught at New Lambton, Argenton and Booragul public schools and has worked off-stage in numerous other events, including Hunter Dance Festival, State Dance Festival and the Newcastle leg of the Olympic torch relay.
"Everyone's very passionate about what they do, and it's just exciting. You always get help. I learn so much every time I do this stuff," he said.
Mr Deacon said it was "unbelievable" to win a Queen's birthday honour for his service to the performing arts and education.
"I do it because there's so many creative and passionate people around the place, and it's a pleasure to work with them.
"I can say nothing more than I'm honoured and it will inspire me to keep going."
Peter Arnold is still kicking goals
Nelson Bay's Peter Arnold, 76, said he was "shocked" to be recognised for his service to rugby league.
A former "Waratah boy", he started his four-decade association with the sport playing for Waratah-Mayfield as a child.
He went on to play Waratah United for about five years in the Lower Hunter competition before relocating to Nelson Bay.
In 1981, Mr Arnold linked with the Nelson Bay rugby league club and would remain part of the fold for more than 20 years.
"From '78 to '89 we won five premierships and were in another four grand finals," he said.
"We were a bit of a powerhouse in those days.
"I started as a committee man, moved to secretary and then president."
Mr Arnold was president for about 12 years, helping the club join the Newcastle Rugby League first-grade competition in 1989.
He held various roles in his later years with the club and was still involved when the Northern Blues won the grand final in 2005.
For the past 14 years, he has volunteered with the Men of League Foundation.
His involvement started with the Newcastle branch and then later helped to establish the Port Stephens Men of League.
Mr Arnold, who has volunteered with various other community organisations and charities in retirement, said none of what he had achieved would have been possible without a "supportive family".
"I get so much out of knowing you're making a contribution," he said.
Congratulations to our other recipients
Lorraine Norma Blair from Belmont received an OAM for service to the community.
Ms Blair is a committee member and volunteer with Sailability Belmont and chairwoman of Headstart Acquired Brain Injury Services.
Dr John Vincent Newton from Coal Point received an OAM for service to medicine, particularly to plastic surgery.
Dr Newton is the secretary of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
He is also the founding program volunteer of Interplast Australia, which provides access to people in developing countries to plastic surgery services.
Florence Ellen Monaghan of Adamstown Heights received an OAM for service to netball.
Ms Monaghan has been vice president of Newcastle Netball Association since 2000 and a member of the umpires committee since 1980.
She has also been involved in the People With Disabilities program since 1986.
Rosemary Joy Allen of Merewether received an OAM for service to music education, and to the community.
Ms Allen has been a member of the Music Teachers' Association of NSW for more than 30 years.
She was president of the Newcastle Branch, Music Teachers' Association of NSW between 2001-2017.
Dr Mulavana Santhadevi Parvathy of Merewether received an OAM for service to medicine and to medical education.
Dr Parvathy has been a visiting medical officer and general practitioner in the Hunter New England Local Health District since 1985.
She has also been the director of the International Medical Graduates Program since 2006 and is the current director of the Hospital Skills Program.
Jeffrey Charles Horn of Newcastle received an OAM for service to the road freight transport industry.
Mr Horn has been the managing director and owner of Horns Transport since 1975.
He has also been the managing director and owner of Nova Services Pty Ltd since 1991.
Maxwell Herbert Cooper of Corlette received an OAM for service to dentistry and to the community of Dubbo.
Mr Cooper was the principal dental officer in the Orana and far west region of NSW between 1975-1987.
He worked as a dental surgeon at Dubbo Base Hospital between 1967-1969 and at Tamworth Base Hospital between 1964-1967.
Brian William Debus of Bobs Farm received an OAM for service to primary education.
Mr Debus was principal of Menindee Central School between 2005-2012 and founder of the Menindee Enterprise Park.
He worked at schools including Griffith, Parkview, Narooma, Wilcannia, Louth, Wanaaring and Bankstown West Public School between 1962 and 2003.
Robin Patricia Henderson of Medowie received an OAM for service to the community through charitable initiatives.
Ms Henderson has been a supporter, fundraiser and competitor in the children's charity Variety since 1987.
She was inducted into the Variety Hall of Fame in 2018.
Dr Geoffrey Laurence Allan of Boat Harbour received a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service and to aquaculture science.
Dr Allan's scientific work in aquaculture nutrition is world-renowned and estimated to have reduced the cost of production in the Australian industry by approximately 10 per cent per annum.