CONGRATULATIONS 1

CONGRATULATIONS to two motorcyclists today. The Honourable David Hawker OA was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Stuart Strickland was awarded an Order of Australia Medal.

Too many Australians know too little about their own honours system. Some think it's a British award. The Order of Australia is as Aussie as the flag. Sure it's got a crown on the medals and Lizzie signs off on the nominations but there's a union jack on our flag and few disrespect our flag. Order of Australia awards celebrate outstanding achievements and contributions to society made by Australians in a wide range of fields of endeavour.

The Order of Australia has four levels:

Medal of the Order. OAM - for service worthy of particular recognition.

Member of the Order. AM - for service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group.

Officer of the Order. AO - for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or to humanity at large.

Companion of the Order. AC - for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to
                                                Australia or humanity at large.

Any individual, community6 organisation or professional body can nominate an Australian citizen for an award. Any Australian citizen, by birth or naturalisation, can be nominated for an award.

A nomination form can be obtained from:

The Secretary,  Order of Australia,  Government House,  Canberra,  ACT  2600.

Or download a form from:

www.itsanhonour.com.au

Nominations are assessed by an independent body, The Council of the Order of Australia. The Council consists of 19 members from various walks of life across Australia. Its' diversity provides The Council with a national perspective. It meets twice a year, in Australia not Britain, to consider nominations.

David Hawker AO (right) with Damien Codognotto OAM and their bikes.

DAVID HAWKER AO  David lives near Horsham in western Victoria. The family property is stunning and is steeped in Australian history. He was a member of the House of Representatives in our Federal Parliament and was Speaker of the House for many years. He rides farm bikes on the land and a Harley on the road. After retiring from federal politics he took on the job of chairing Victoria's Motorcycle Advisory Group (VMAG). VMAG is this state's expert committee on motorcycle & scooter issues.

David was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, to public administration and monetary policy reform and to the community through local government, health and sporting organisations.

Stuart Strickland OAM  (left) at a lunch to mark his retiring as boss of Honda. There's a bear in there.

STUART STRICKLAND OAM  Stuart came to Melbourne from Tasmania and worked in the motorcycle industry. He was Managing Director of Honda MPE for decades. He has several motorcycles including a scooter for round town and a 1300cc sports bike. He is a Director of Motorcycling Australia, the body controlling motorcycle sport and has been nominated for a place on the Transport Accident Commission Board. After retiring from Honda he took a seat on VMAG.

Stuart was awarded and Order of Australia Medal for service to the motorcycle industry through executive and professional roles.