Of the 680 Australia Day honourees 126 were honoured for services to the arts

Every Australia Day Invasion Day the Attorney-General announces the Honours List of Australians receiving honours and awards, including appointment to the General Division of the Order of Australia. This year’s list – announced yesterday – includes Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman, quantum physicist and former Australian of the Year, Prof Michelle Simmons, and three former state Premiers. The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, also received a Public Service Medal for ushering in the social media minimum age.

Below are those from the list that I identified as being associated with arts and culture.

Those honoured with Medals of the Order of Australia (OAM) or appointed as Members (AM) were more likely to be artists or involved in grassroots arts. Here we see lots of choirs, historical societies, community theatres and other community arts organisations. Indigenous artists and cultural leaders are present throughout the list, especially at OAM and AM levels, but often through a ‘community service’ framing.

Board members and benefactors of major arts organisations populated the Companions (AC) and Officers of the Order (AO). To illustrate, state galleries, state libraries, state and major theatres and major symphonies and orchestras appear regularly. Also, arts involvement is typically an adjacent contribution for these honourees rather than the core reason for recognition. I am not saying these people are disingenuous in their support for the arts, but rather that the arts is not what they primarily do. You can see this in the number of honourees that were in the legal, medical or business professions who were also involved with the arts.

The Council of the Order of Australia acknowledged the gender gap, strongly encouraging Australians to nominate women making a difference in their communities because the Council can only select from the nominees put forward. The gender imbalance is certainly evident when looking at the arts and cultural honourees.

Arts and cultural honourees in the 2026 Australia Day Honours

In total, I identified 126 people who had an association with arts and culture in some way ⟨ which is double what ArtsHub reported! ⟩ I did this by reviewing the published notes about each honouree and seeing if any arts practice or a relationship with any arts organisation was apparent.

Those identified as being from the arts represents 18.5 per cent of those honoured. In each tier the percentage looked a little different: arts and culture honourees made up 30 per cent of Companions, 23.7 per cent of Officers, 22.5 per cent of Members and 16.5 per cent of Medal recipients.

If we want to see more people from the arts on future lists we need to make sure they are being nominated.

Anyway, this is how the list stakes out:

Three of the 10 new Companions of the Order of Australia (AC) are related to arts and culture:

• The Honourable Chief Justice Andrew Scott Bell SC was recognised for “eminent service to the judiciary and to the law, to legal education and training, and to the arts as an administrator and benefactor.” Bell is the current Chief Justice of the New South Wales Supreme Court (2022–present) and was on the Board of Sculpture by the Sea for 10 years (2006–2016), including six as Chair (2010–2016). Bell is also  an Honorary Life Governor of Sculpture by the Sea. He is the son of art historian Pamela Bell who was the first art curator at The University of Sydney.
• Paula Grace Fox AO was recognised for “eminent service to the arts, to medical research, and to children and youth, through philanthropic giving, fundraising and governance.” Fox has been a Committee member of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) since 2004, a Board Member of the NGV Foundation since 2016 and is joint benefactor of The Fox: NGV Contemporary with her husband Lindsay Fox AC.
• The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk was recognised for “eminent service to the people and Parliament of Queensland, particularly as Premier, to educational equity, to multiculturalism, and to public health.” The former Premier of Queensland (2015–2023) was also the Minister for the Arts (2015–2017).

Of the 38 new Officers of the Order of Australia (AO), nine come from arts and culture:

• Graham John Bradley AM was recognised for “distinguished service to corporate governance, to arts leadership, and to sport and education.” Bradley has held numerous director roles at major companies including Virgin Australia, HSBC and Stockland, all of which have a history of supporting arts and culture: Virgin Australia partners with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and offers baggage allowance for musicians, HSBC is a sponsor of Opera Australia and the 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces at NGV and Stockland runs a large Public Art Strategy that commissions artists to produce murals across the company’s properties. Bradley has served on the State Library of NSW Foundation Board since 2004 and was a Council Member of the State Library (2004–2013). He has been Chair of Ensemble Theatre since 2017. He was also a member of the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians.
• Professor Anne Elizabeth Buist was recognised for “distinguished service to psychiatry, to advancing best practice in perinatal mental health research and treatment, and to mental health education.” Separate from her psychiatry work, Buist is a fiction author of 10 books published in Australia by Hachette and Text Publishing.
• Anthony Ray Burgess was recognised for “distinguished service to business, to tertiary education, to philanthropic corporate governance and benefaction, and to the arts.” Burgess has held senior positions in business at The University of Melbourne. He was on the Board of Management of Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) (2015–2023), including as Chair of the Finance and Risk Management Committee (2020–2023). Since 2013 he has been a Governor of the Ian Potter Foundation which is (perhaps too) well known in the Australian arts.
• Dr Michael Robert Carr-Gregg was recognised for “distinguished service to child and adolescent psychology, to policy reform as an advocate and advisor, to youth cyber safety, and to the community.” Carr-Gregg was a Co-Creator of the Arts Wellbeing Collective which ceased operating at the end of 2024. He was also a Board Member of the Australian Children's Television Foundation (2019–2022).
• Associate Professor David Romney Dossetor was recognised for “distinguished service to psychiatry, particularly neurodevelopmental mental health in children and adolescents, and to paediatric clinician education.” He and his wife Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM contributed to the new wing of the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) and have been listed as MCA Ambassadors for a number of years.
• The Honourable Steven Spence Marshall was recognised for “distinguished service to the people and Parliament of South Australia, to business, to people with disability, and to governance and board positions.” Marshall was the Premier of South Australia (2018–2022) and Minister for the Arts in that same period.
• Bruce William Neill was recognised for “distinguished service to the community through philanthropic support, to governance of medical research organisations, to the arts, and to cricket.” Neil has provided philanthropic support to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG), Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO), ACO and MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). He and his wife Penny Clive purchased the former Mercury newspaper building in Hobart and turned it into an arts centre and the home for Clive’s Detached Cultural Organisation.
• Penelope Alice Seidler AM was recognised for “distinguished service to the visual arts as an administrator, patron and benefactor, to heritage preservation, to conservation, and to architecture.” She has a long list of arts credentials. She is an architect (not just the wife of the late Harry Seidler), she has held numerous leadership roles in the arts – including as a Member of the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (since 1973), a Director of the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Foundation since 2000, and a Commissioner of the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2005–2013) – she’s an art collector, she and her husband are Perpetual Benefactors on the NGA and she gives to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), the MCA, Australian Museum, the Chau Chak Wing Museum at The University of Sydney, Maitland Regional Art Gallery and others.
• Basil Alfred Darrell Sellers AM was recognised for “distinguished service to the community through philanthropy and leadership, and to sports administration.” Sport is a big part of his leadership and philanthropic work, but he is also the founder of the Basil Sellers Art Prize and prizes of the similar names that were run by the Potter Museum of Art at The University of Melbourne and Eurobodalla Shire Council.

There were 160 new Members of the Order of Australia (AM), of which 36 had an association with the arts and culture:

• Patricia Elizabeth Akopiantz was recognised for “significant service to business and the environment through executive membership and governance roles.” In addition to numerous Director roles at many well known companies she was the Deputy Chair of Belvoir Street Theatre (2018–2024).
• Dr John Arthur Allan was recognised for “significant service to medicine as an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and to women and maternal health”. Allan has also been a long-time supporter of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO).
• Kim Elizabeth Anderson was recognised for “significant service to literature, and to the publishing industry.” She is an author, was a Publisher at HarperCollins, held roles in media companies and was a Co-Founder and the CEO of The Reading Room (2009–2016). She is also a supporter of Sydney Writers' Festival and Story Factory.
• Graeme Rowland Base was recognised for “significant service to children's literature as an author and illustrator.” Base has a number of titles to his name, including well-known children’s books Animalia and The Eleventh Hour.
• Cecil Albert Black was recognised for “significant service to local government, to the legal profession, and to the community”, including as the Chair and a Director of the Darwin Entertainment Centre.
• Robert Blair was recognised for “significant service to the Indigenous community of Queensland” including as the General Manager of Dreamtime Cultural Centre (1995–present).
• Noor Blumer was recognised for “significant service to the law, to the legal profession, and to the community”. She is a supporter of Perth Festival and PICA (Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts).
• The late Leith Ester Boully was recognised for “significant service to conservation and the environment” and who was Director of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (2000–2007).
• Dr Anthony Vincent Brown PSM was recognised for “significant service to the museums and galleries sector” who held a number of roles at the TMAG and is a Steering Committee Member of the Friends of the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts.
• The Honourable Ian Gordon Campbell was recognised for “significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia.” Campbell was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts (1998–2001).
• Maile Katherine Carnegie was recognised for “significant service to corporate administration in senior executive roles, and to governance and advisory positions.” Carnegie held leadership roles at ANZ Bank and Google Australia. Since 2019 she has also been a Trustee of the Australian Museum Trust.
• Sandra Chipchase was recognised for “significant service to the major event and tourism industry.” Chipchase was the Executive Producer of Vivid (2012–2019).
• Justine Mary Clark was recognised for “significant service to architecture in a range of appointments”, including as an editor of Architecture Australia and juror of many architectural awards.
• Andrea Coote was recognised for “significant service to the people and Parliament of Victoria, and to the aged care sector”  She was an Executive Director of the State Library Victoria (SLV) Foundation (1994–1996)  also the Shadow Minister for the Arts (2004–2006).
• Bruce Campbell Cowley was recognised for “significant service to business, to the law, and to tertiary education.” The notes on his appointment lists him as a Patron Member of Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO).
• Paul McLeod Cross was recognised for “significant service to the arts, and to secondary education” He has been a supporter of the NGV, National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Art Centre Melbourne, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, The Australian Ballet and others.
• Sylvia Falzon was recognised for “significant service to community health, to corporate governance, and to the museums and finance sectors”. She was a Director of Museums Victoria (2010–2017), held two Committee roles and is an Honorary Life Fellow.
• Desmond Harold Freeman was recognised for “significant service to interior design, and to vocational education” who has held roles at the  Design Institute of Australia, the Australian Academy of Design, the Royal Art Society of NSW, UTS (the University of Technology Sydney) and COFA (College of Fine Arts) at UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales).
• David Brett Gole was recognised for “significant service to architecture, and to heritage conservation.”
• Gail Iris Hambly was recognised for “significant service to the media and communications sector, to the arts, and to the legal profession” who is a former director of Belvoir (2009–2016) and Story Factory.
• Bill Yidumduma Harney was recognised for “significant service to the Indigenous community of the Northern Territory, and to the arts.”
• Yvonne Daphne Henderson was recognised for “significant service to the people and Parliament of Western Australia, and to women.” Henderson was the Minister for the Lands and the Arts (1988–1989).
• The late Robert George Hirst who was recognised for “significant service to the performing arts through music.” Hirst was a drummer and percussionist in numerous acts, including Midnight Oil. He was also the former Patron of Green Music Australia.
• Tanya Louise Hosch who was recognised for “significant service to the community through social policy, and as an advocate for diversity and inclusion.” Hosch has been a Board Member of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) (2018–2024), Adelaide Fringe (2022–2024), Circus Oz (2017–2021) and Bangarra Dance Theatre (2011–2015).
• Barry William Janes who was recognised for “significant service to the arts, and to philanthropic initiatives.” Janes has held Board roles with NGV, Melbourne Opera, National Trust Victoria and others, and has given to the Arts Centre Melbourne, The Australian Ballet and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.
• Michael Andrew Katz who was recognised for “significant service to the arts, to business governance, and to the community”. Katz has held Board roles with Musica Viva Australia and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM).
• Janette Kendall who was recognised for “significant service to business, to the arts, to the marketing sector, and to the community” including Board level roles with MTC (2015–2020), the Melbourne International Festival of the Art (1998–2004) and  the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO).
• Roger James Lang who was recognised for “significant service to the community through charitable organisations” including supporting Musica Viva, the Helpmann Academy, the Adelaide Festival, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO), the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), Carclew and Windmill Theatre.
• The Honourable Justice John Alexander Logan RFD who was recognised for “significant service to the judiciary and to the law.” Alexander was a Director of Queensland Arts Council (1993–2000).
• Professor Ruth Elizabeth McPhail who was recognised for “significant service to tertiary education, and to the arts“ who has been President of the Royal Queensland Art Society since 2024 and was Vice President (2022–2024).
• Dr Leon Pitchon who was recognised for “significant service to medicine as a plastic surgeon, and to the arts through philanthropy,” including giving to the ASO, Adelaide Festival Centre, AGSA, ACO and the Adelaide Central School of Art.
• Emeritus Professor Prem Ramburuth who was recognised for “significant service to tertiary education, particularly through international partnerships.” Ramburuth was a director of the Board of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) (2012–2019).
• Richard Edwin Stringer who was recognised for “significant service to architectural photography, to education, and to history” and who has held numerous Board positions at the National Trust of Australia (Queensland).
• Paul Christopher Taylor who was recognised for “significant service to the arts and education through governance and philanthropic roles” including as a Trustee of QAGOMA and giving to Brisbane Festival, Queensland Museum, Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF), and the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) and the MCA.
• The late Gene Thomas Tilbrook who was recognised for “significant service to business, and to the arts” including as a Board Member of Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company (2010–2021) and giving to West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO), the West Australian Opera, the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) and the Chamber of Arts and Culture Western Australia.
• Roma Yibiyung Winmar who was recognised for “significant service to the Indigenous communities of Western Australia, to the arts, and to education.” Winmar is a Noongar artist, author and member of the Perth Festival’s Noongar Advisory Circle.

472 people were new recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) including 78 from the arts and culture:

• Kerry John Ambrose-Pearce was recognised for “service to the community of the Northern Territory” and who gave to the Northern Territory Fashion Week and the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF).
• Dr Lainie Lee Anderson was recognised for “service to community history”, including as an Executive Committee Member of the History Council of South Australia, a History Guardian of the History Trust of South Australia and an author of historical murder mysteries.
• Virginia Hope Balmain was recognised for “service to the community, and to youth”, including as a Committee Member of the New Farm and Districts Historical Society.
• Athol Reginald Bennett was recognised for “service to the community of the Southern Midlands”, including as a Member of the Organising Committee of the Oatlands Bullock and Heritage Festival.
• The late Mr Mark Berkovich RFD was recognised for “service to the community through a range of organisations” including as the former President of the Crows Nest Arts Council (CNAC).
• John Richard Bicknell was recognised for “service to the community though a range of organisations”, including as a Member of the Highland Singers, Hume Choral Society and Macarthur Singers.
• Sylvia Janyce Black was recognised for “service to community history”, including as an Honorary Secretary of East Melbourne Historical Society.
• Aunty Helen Belle Bnads was recognised for “service to the Indigenous community of Melbourne” and was a Champion at Baluk Arts.
• Shaun Keith Bonett was recognised for “service to the community through a range of organisations” and is a Member of the President's Council of AGNSW.
• Deborah Ann Brassey was recognised for “service to the community of Pacific Palms” including as Co-Founder and numerous other  roles with Pacific Palms Art and Pacific Palms Arts Festival.
• Maree Gwendoline Browne was recognised for “service to tertiary education”, including as a long-serving President of the Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation at The University of Sydney (1987–2002).
• Dr Kevin John Cameron was recognised for “service to music, and to education.” Cameron was a music teacher at secondary and tertiary institutions, served as Music Director of numerous bands and had a long association with the National Band Council of Australia, Victorian Bands’ League and South Australian Band Association (SABA), including as President of each.
• Ann Cicely Caro was recognised for “service to education”; including as Deputy Principal of the Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School (2005–2014) and co-establishing the Performing Arts Centre.
• Jan Childs was recognised for “service to the community of Berowra”, including as the Director of the Rotary Club of Berowra’s Annual Arts and Crafts Exhibition.
• Barry Chamberlain Clark was recognised for “service to history preservation, and to the community of Bribie Island”, including as the Founder and President of the Bribie Island Historical Society.
• Beverley Anne Clarke  was recognised for “service to the performing arts through administrative roles.” Clarke held leadership and Board roles with the Canberra International Music Festival.
• David Peter Coleman was recognised for “service to the community of Tasmania, and to the arts,” including as a Committee Member of TMAG and the TMAG Foundation, as as President of Friends of TMAG.
• Janice Lynette Collingwood was recognised for “service to community history, and to the arts.” Collingwood played Colleen Smart on Home and Away, had a long association with New Theatre, as a drama teacher and is involved with The Glebe Society and Marrickville Heritage Society.
• Petros Christos Copulos was recognised for “service to the community through charitable organisations” and is a long-term supporter of the Shepparton Art Museum.
• Kerin Jayne Cox was recognised for “service to the community through a range of organisations”, including as a volunteer guide at the NGA for 40 years and the inaugural President of the National Gallery of Australia Voluntary Guides Association.
• Robert Barry Cranston was recognised for “service to the arts.” Cranston has been the President of the Queanbeyan Art Society since 2003 and a Committee Member of the Molonglo Plains Branch of ArtsNational.
• Wendy Suzanne Crellin was recognised for “service to the community through a range of organisations” including as long-serving President of Rescue Station Arts and a former President of the Bass Coast Artists Society.
• Steven Andrew Curtis was recognised for “service to the Jewish community of Melbourne”, including as a Co-Founder and Foundation Chair of Saltpillar Theatre.
• Alex Leslie Dafner was recognised for “service to the Jewish community of Melbourne”, including as a long-serving Board Member of the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library.
• Alexander Francis del Porto was recognised for “service to local government, and to the community of Bayside”, including as former Member of the  Bayside Arts and Gallery Advisory Committee at Bayside City Council.
• Terezka Drnzik was recognised for “service to Middle Eastern dance as a teacher” as the owner and Director of Academy of Danse Orientale.
• Marcus William Elsum was recognised for “service to the finance sector, and to the community”, including as a long-serving Board member of the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO).
• Barry George Fagg was recognised for “service to charitable organisations, and to the community of Geelong”, including as a long-serving Board Member of the Geelong Art Gallery.
• Ezzard Flowers was recognised for “service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia”, including as the inaugural Chair of Mungart Boodja Art Centre.
• Gavin David Fry was recognised for “service to the arts.” Fry is an artist, author and former Director of the Newcastle Museum and Fairfield Museum and Heritage Centre.
• Kenneth John Gibbons was recognised for “service to community cinema” as the Founder and Director/Chief Executive Officer of Telethon Community Cinemas.
• The Honourable Anthony Graham was recognised for “service to the judiciary, and to legal education.” Graham is also a songwriter and musician and a former Director of St Martin's Theatre Company.
• Dr William Douglas Gransbury was recognised for “service to the community of Angaston” including as the inaugural Chair and President of the  Angaston and Penrice Historical Society (1997–2024) and Conservator of the Old Union Chapel, Angaston's Blacksmith's Main Street Shop and the Angaston History Centre.
• Derrick Hammon was recognised for “service to the community of Canberra”, including as an Honorary Treasurer of Art Song Canberra (1986–2003) and choir singer.
• The late Mr David Andrew Heard for “service to community radio” as a broadcaster and Board member of Progressive Broadcasting Service Cooperative (PBS FM).
• Dr Gillian Sian Graham was recognised for “service to community history”, including as a member of the Women's Committee of the National Trust of Australia (NSW).
• Penelope Cathcart Holden was recognised for “service to community history”, including as a Trustee of the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales and a  Board member of the The Eryldene Foundation.
• Eliza Rachel Hull was recognised for “service to people with disability, and to the arts.” Hull has been associated with Arena Theatre and CreateAbility, is an presenter on disability, arts and culture on ABC Radio and is a singer and songwriter and writer.
• Sybil Milliner Jack-Ungar was recognised for “service to tertiary education”. Jack-Ungar has held a number of Board positions with historical organisations.
• Mohammad Kamruzzaman was recognised for “service to the arts, and to the Bengali community of Melbourne”, including for holding leadership and Board roles with the Renaissance Drama Society Melbourne.
• Frances Helen Kendall was recognised for “service to music, and to the performing arts.” Kendall is associated with a number of musical organisations, including the The Frantastics Choir, Gosford Musical Society and Gosford Musical Society Children's Theatre.
• Jeffrey David King was recognised for “service to music.” King performs with the Foreday Riders Blues Band and is the Patron of the Sydney Blues Society.
• Ronald Eric King was recognised for “service to music.” King also performs with the Foreday Riders Blues Band and is the Patron of the Sydney Blues Society.
• Stephen Thomas King was recognised for “service to the visual arts as a sculptor.” King also  Founded, Manages and Curates the Walcha Open Air Gallery.
• John Anthony Lackey was recognised for “service to the community of Penrith”, including as a long-serving Director of Penrith Performing and Visual Arts.
• Dr Nancy Diane Lane was recognised for “service to tertiary education.” Dr Lane is also a sculptor.
• Robert Malcolm Lewis was recognised for “service to the community of the New England region”, including as Secretary of the Quirindi Silo Art Committee.
• Diane Marlyce Mackrell was recognised for “service the community of the Strathbogie region”, including involvement with numerous music organisations.
• The late Martha Magajna was recognised for “service to the Slovenian community of Sydney”, including holding a number of roles with the Historical Archives for Slovenian Australians.
• Barry James McGuire was recognised for “service the Indigenous community of Western Australia.” McGuire is the Patron of Fremantle Press, has been associated with Perth Festival  and is an artist and cultural advisor.
• Neil McLeod was recognised for “service to the visual arts.”
• Neville Ray Miller was recognised for “service to country music”, including an association with the Capital Country Music Association.
• David George Milne was recognised for “service to the community through a range of organisations”, including Gallery One and Royal South Australian Society of Arts (RSASA).
• Emeritus Professor Elizabeth Hume Minchin was recognised for “service to tertiary education”, including as a Professor of Classics and the Curator of the ANU Classics Museum for two decades (1992–2022).
• Martin Hugh Mitchell  was recognised for “service to community theatre”, including for leadership and Board roles with the Association of Community Theatre and the Waverley Lugar Brae Players.
• Monte Hilton Mumford  was recognised for “service to music education”, including as a Senior Lecturer of Music at the University of Tasmania and Founder of a number of music initiatives at the university.
• Jane Marie Nigro was recognised for “service to community history”, including for holding numerous Board positions at Malvern Historical Society.
• Sally Patricia Odgers was recognised for “service to literature.” Odgers is an author and publisher, and who Founded the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Tasmania Branch.
• Robert John Peet was recognised for “service to the performing arts”, including as Director of the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC) and involvement in a number of productions by the Miranda Musical Society.
• Patricia Anne Pledger was recognised for “service to children’s literature” including as a Life Member of the CBCA SA Branch and the School Library Association of South Australia (SLASA).
• Kevin William Quigley was recognised for “service to the community through a range of organisations”, including in Board positions at The Melbourne Athenaeum and SLV.
• The late Joy Enid Ransley-Smith was recognised for “service to ballet, and to the performing arts”, including as Co-Founder and Co-Director of Ransley Ballet and Performing Arts Centre.
• Michael John Rayner was recognised for “service to the community through a range of roles”, including as the former Vice President of the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre and former Director of the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation.
• Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder  was recognised for “service s to children’s literature”, including as an author, illustrator and editor and as a book reviewer.
• Michael Ryan was recognised for “service to the community through a range of roles”, including as Chair of Perth Symphonic Chorus – Collegium Musicum (2017–2022).
• Owen James Saleeba  was recognised for “service to vocational and tertiary education, and to the community”, including as Founding Chair of Flying Fruit Fly Circus (1985–1995) and Murray River Performing Group (MRPG) (1978–1985). Saleeba been a Convenor of Friends of the ABC and Chair of the Albury Wodonga Regional Arts Board.
• Peter George Seaman was recognised for “service to the community through a range of roles”, including as a Director of The Australiana Fund and a Council Member of the National Trust of Australia (ACT) (1978–1986).
• Stephen Walmsley Shrimpton  was recognised for “service to the performing arts through administrative roles”, including as the CEO, Chairman and President of Warner Music International.
• The late Cornelis Sliedrecht was recognised for “service to the visual arts” who was an artist, visual arts teacher and was President of the Watercolour Society of Queensland.
• The late Jacobus Hubertus Smits  was recognised for “service to the community of Port Fairy” including serving as a Committee Member for the Port Fairy Folk Festival (1993–2024).
• Alan Steen Stevns  was recognised for “service to literature as an award sponsor” of The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Prize (1979–2024).
• Michelle Sustersic was recognised for “service to the Slovenian community of Sydney”, including holding a number of roles with the Historical Archives for Slovenian Australians and the Slovenian Dance Group.
• The late Mr Walter William Sutcliffe for “service to music as a choral conductor and organist”, including as the Principal Double Bassist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) (1964–2001) and Double Bassist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1958–1963).
• Paul Geoffrey Sweeney  was recognised for “service to the arts, and to the Indigenous community of the Northern Territory”, including in a number fo roles at Papunya Tula Artists.
• Margaret Taylor  was recognised for “service to community music”, including as Co-Founder of Maleny Singers, Conductor of Maleny Performing Arts Orchestra and Committee Member of Maleny Arts Council.
• Gerlinde Trappe  was recognised for “service to the community of the Barossa, and to the arts.” Trappe has been involved with numerous organisations including the South Australian Arts Trust, Barossa Regional Gallery and Barossa Arts Council.
• Alan Justin Trueman  was recognised for “service to music through brass bands”, through multiple roles with the Queensland Band Association and Surfers Paradise Brass Band.
• Rodney Douglas Walker  was recognised for “service to the arts as an entertainer”, including as former Executive Committee Member of the Capital Country Music Association.

Colophon

AI use

AI was used to generate ideas and interogate the subject matter of this blog post, but no AI-generated content was used verbatim.

The banner graphic (i.e. the first image at the top of the blog post) was adapted from vector graphics generated in Adobe Illustrator using Firefly 4 with 'Subject' content type selected and the lowest level of detail set. { Text to Vector Graphic prompt: Medal, very large simple shapes, 80s retro style, line drawing, visible layers }

Provenance

This blog post was first published on Tuesday 27 January 2026. It was updated on Wednesday 28 January 2026. This is version 1.1.

Changelog

v 1.1: Added TL;DR and links to arts organisations missing from the AC, AO and AM lists and made minor edits – updated Day Wed 28 Jan 2026.