Manolis named in Queen’s Birthday honours

GEELONG Regional Libraries Corporation chief executive officer Patti Manolis is among the local people to get plaudits for their years of service to the community in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours.

Ms Manolis – who is a past member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Network of Emerging Library innovators, president of Libraries for Timor-Leste and vice-president of the Public Libraries Victoria Network Inc – will receive a medal in the Order of Australia for services to the library and information services sector.

Other OAM recipients in the Geelong region include:
• Stroke Association of Victoria founder Clara Gray for service to community health long-time Scout Alwyn Backwell for service for youth through Scouts
• Volunteer firefighter and driver for Barwon Health’s Volunteer Patient Transport Program Robert Flynn for service to the community through a range of organisations
• Belmont fundraiser Kelly Olsen for service to the community through charitable initiatives such as undertaking three “long walks” of at least 5,000 kilometres each
• Geelong Cemeteries Trust chair Lynden Smith for services to the communities of Geelong and Ararat
• Music at the Basilica Festival founder and organist Frank De Rosso for services to music
• Rotarian and Royal Geelong Yacht Club member Paul Smart for service to the community of Geelong
• Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving club life member Peter Maishman for service to life saving
• Torquay Historical Society volunteer and former Geelong Legacy Club president Elizabeth North, for service to the communities of Torquay and Geelong
• Torquay SLSC and Surf Life Saving Victoria life member Tony Strahan, for service to life saving.

Other recipients of interest include prominent media personality and now ABC chair Ita Buttrose, actors Hugh Jackman, Sigrid Thornton and Eric Bana, former prime minister Kevin Rudd and advocate for the prevention of family violence Rosie Batty.