Constituency Statement: Queen's Birthday Honours

E&OE

I'm very pleased to acknowledge the extensive list of my constituents in Bradfield who were honoured in this year's Queen's Birthday honours list. As always, we've seen contributions across a wide range of fields and areas of human endeavour being appropriately and rightly acknowledged.

I first acknowledge Professor Jane McAdam AO for her distinguished service to international refugee law. I acknowledge Mrs Belinda Allen OAM for her service to youth through the Girl Guides, and I well remember that Belinda was one of the very first community leaders who came to see me shortly after I became the member for Bradfield. I acknowledge Mr Stephen Cartwright OAM for his service to business administration. I acknowledge Mrs Leonie Donovan OAM for her service to community history. I acknowledge Mr Dennis Farrar OAM for his service to the law. I acknowledge Mr Edward Kerr OAM, who is best known to his friends as Ted Kerr. He is somebody I've known for more than 30 years. I met him when I was a young solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques and he was one of the partners there. He's been rightly awarded for his service to the community through charitable organisations. I acknowledge Mr Russell Meares OAM for his service to mineral exploration.

I want to particularly acknowledge the late Mr Ray Rice OAM for his service to bicycling and offer my condolences to his wife, Sue, in what is obviously for her a very difficult time. Ray was well known in the community for his work with the Bobbin Head Cycle Classic—known as the Bobbo—for eight years, where his expertise as an engineer was of great assistance in advocating for safety and quality standards for bike riders. His legacy will long be remembered by the local cycling community. I acknowledge Mrs Jackie Stamford OAM for her service to people with disability, and I acknowledge Mr Brendan Walsh OAM for his service to radio. His was an interesting career. While working as a volunteer at community radio station Fine Music he had the chance to interview many stars of the music world and develop a loyal listener base within the community.

The Queen's Birthday honours list—and, more broadly, our honours system—is an appropriate forum and mechanism by which we recognise those who make a contribution to the community and, in many cases, make contributions over decades: people who devote their energy, passion, commitment and expertise to providing service in particular ways. It is always heartening to read of the diverse range of people who have received honours, and I am very proud of the numerous constituents of mine, who I have been able to mention today, in Bradfield who have rightly been honoured in this year's Queen's Birthday honours list.