Couple’s historic effort awarded with OAMs

RESEARCHING a family connection inspired one Queenscliff couple to fully embrace the town’s history, and the pair have been individually recognised for their work in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Bill and Rosemary Brown were both awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Queenscliff.
Previously living in Werribee, where both were heavily involved in the Werribee Community Centre, Bill and Rosemary bought a house in Queenscliff in 1988 and moved to the town permanently in 1993 to retire.Bill’s great-grandfather came to the newly-named town of Queenscliff in 1853, so Bill visited the Queenscliffe Historical Museum to look into the subject.
The group welcomed him with open arms, and he soon started investigating parts of the town’s history as well as volunteering on the desk.
Bill now co-ordinates a history course (first offered in 2001 through the University of the Third Age) and is a volunteer for the Queenscliffe Visitor Information Centre, where he has led Heritage Guide walks since 2005.
“I’ve always been interested in stories and how things develop,” Bill said.
“Queenscliff’s got this incredible history – by the time you get to the pilots, the customs, the army and the fishermen… it’s very special, really, and a lot of it’s still here.”
Rosemary – who is now the museum’s vice-president and a former acting president – was impressed by the museum’s collection of articles and textiles and began to mount the temporary displays.
Secretary of the collections committee since 2017 and convenor of the articles and textiles collection for 20 years, she and has organised more than 60 shows on different topics over the past 25 years.
She said she felt privileged to have received an OAM.
“It’s been our friendship group – firstly the community centre in Werribee, and now here. We’ve picked up friends all the way along.”
Other local recipients of Queen’s Birthday honours this year include Clifton Springs’ Dr Jeanette Watson, awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to marine science and ecology, and to professional associations; and Ocean Grove’s Neville Burrows, awarded an OAM for service to the Uniting Church in Australia, and to the community.
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.