Intrepid journalist honoured with AM

BARWON Heads business journalist Tony Walker has been chasing stories around the world for decades, and his hard work was reflected with one of the highest local plaudits in this year’s Australia Day Honours List.

Mr Walker was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the media as a journalist and to the community.

He worked at the Financial Times of London, the world’s leading global business newspaper, for more than 20 years, starting as its China correspondent, moving to the Middle East, running the Beijing bureau and finishing as its North American correspondent in 2000.

He then wrote for the Australian Financial Review for 16 years, serving as its political editor, Washington correspondent and international editor.

Mr Walker is presently a board member at both The Conversation and the CEW Bean Foundation.

Outside of journalism, Mr Walker is a member of Monash University’s Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, has been a director at the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education since 2013, and has been a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at La Trobe University since 2017.

The only other local appointed to AM was Geelong’s Helene Bender, for significant service to the community through health, education, not-for-profit and sporting organisations, including Barwon Health Foundation, Deakin University, Geelong Grammar School, Geelong Cemeteries Trust, and St John of God Geelong Hospital.

Awardees of the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the Geelong region in 2021 are:

• Anglesea’s Betty Butterworth for service to the community through a range of organisations
• Lara’s Lynne Folster for service to the community through a range of organisations
• Grovedale’s David Kelly for service to cricket and to education.
• Geelong’s Graham Gibson for service to cycling and to the community
• Newtown’s Frank Herd for service to the meat processing industry and to the community
• Newtown’s Robert Riordan for service to the community through a range of organisations
• Drysdale’s Helen Trigg for service to the community through a range of roles
  Portarlington’s Jennifer Wills for service to local government, to gender equality, and to the community
• Leopold’s William Pratt for service to the community of Geelong, and
• The late David Renton of Ocean Grove for service to surf lifesaving.

Anyone can nominate any Australian for an award in the Order of Australia. If you know someone worthy, nominate them now at the Governor-General of Australia’s website.