Nieuwenhof receives King’s Birthday honours

PORTARLINGTON’s Rieny Nieuwenhof is among nearly 1,200 Australians recognised for their achievements and hard work in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List.

Mr Nieuwenhof was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to veterans and their families, and to the community.

He is a life member of the Geelong and District Sub Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and has been its president since 2013.

Mr Nieuwenhof was the inaugural chair of the Community ANZAC Day Dawn Service Committee, with the event held at Geelong’s Eastern Beach, and chaired the Geelong Surf Coast Veterans’ Centre Committee of Management for four years.

He has also worked a teacher at several schools across Victoria, including as deputy principal of St Joseph’s College in Newtown for 11 years.

Today (Monday, June 12), Governor-General David Hurley announced honours and awards for 1,191 Australians, including awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.

The highest recipient in the Geelong region is Fairhaven resident Dr Raymond J. Adams, who was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to education and psychometric testing.

Other OAM awardees in the Geelong region are:

• Leslie Kelly, of Lara, for service to the community through emergency response organisations
• Margaret Markovic, of Lara, for service to road trauma, and safety initiatives
• Ian Caldwell, of Belmont, for service to cricket, and to professional organisations
• Ian Graham, of Grovedale, for service to the community through a range of roles
• Dr Liz Lester, of Highton, for service to the community through a range of organisations
• Sylvia Stewart-Muir, of Thomson, for service to the Indigenous community of Victoria
• Dr Margaret Grigg, of Geelong, for service to mental health through a range of roles
• Cr Rose Hodge, of Jan Juc, for service to local government, and to the community
• Lorraine Griffiths, of Lorne, for service to children as a foster carer
• Allan Holmes, of Apollo Bay, for service to the community through a range of organisations, and
• Gordon Hynes, of Kawarren, for service to Australian rules football.

Notably, for the first time since the Order of Australia was established in 1975, the majority of recipients in the General Division are women.

Similarly, there is gender parity or better at the three highest levels in the Order.

Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia.

If you know someone worthy, nominate them now at gg.gov.au