Rural and Indigenous healthcare features in 2024 King’s Birthday List

RDN was once again delighted to see doctors, nurses and community health workers awarded in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list, particularly those working in rural, remote and Indigenous health, where needs remain greatest.  

The 2024 King's Birthday Honours list recognises and celebrates 737 Australians, including awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for conspicuous service.

We are particularly proud to congratulate RDN Outreach provider, Professor John Cullen, of Sydney LHD, who was honoured with an AM for “significant service to geriatric medicine as a clinician, researcher, health innovator and advocate”.  

John delivers telehealth geriatrics services into Dareton, NSW, and has been supported through the Rural Health Outreach Fund since 2014 with clinics coordinated through Far West LHD.  

West Australian former Flying Doctor Dr Stephen Langford received an OAM for “service to medicine, to rural health, and to medical education”.  

Amongst a number of other doctors honoured in this year’s awards, A/Professor Rex Prabhu of Victoria was also flying the flag for rural and regional health with his Public Service Medal for “outstanding public service to regional medical service”.  

As Executive Medical Director at Swan Hill District Health, A/Prof. Prabhu was honoured with the Excellence in Rural/Remote Health Administration Award at Rural Health Pro’s inaugural National Rural and Remote Health Awards last year.  

At the 2023 Awards, A/Prof Prabhu told RDN that recognition like this is very humbling. “I think it’s a testament to the professionals that I’ve worked for and with - and the grit of the team as well – because in rural health care, no man lives as an island,” he said.   

Nominations are now open for the 2024 National Rural and Remote Health Awards. 

Five nurses and midwives were honoured with OAMs in the King's Birthday list, including Northern Territory Nurse and Midwife Lesley Woolf who took the opportunity to speak in praise of rural and remote nursing:

“I’ve been a nurse for over 50 years and there’s so many great nurses out there in rural and remote health, and I saw it [the OAM] as a bit of recognition for nurses who work in Indigenous health, and those who work in rural and remote,” she told ANMJ.  

Six members of the Australian ophthalmic community were honoured for their contributions to ophthalmology, optometry and Indigenous eye health, including senior research fellow in Indigenous Eye Health Unit at the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne, Ms Emma Elizabeth Stanford, who received an OAM for “service to Indigenous eye health”. 

A number of other Indigenous advocates were honoured, including Prof Kathleen Clapham, the founding director of Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Wollongong, who received an AM, for “significant service to Indigenous community health, to anthropology, and to tertiary education.” 

Director of Aboriginal Health Strategy at Western Sydney LHD, Wiradjuri woman Belinda Cashman, received the Public Service Medal for “outstanding public service to Aboriginal community health in Western Sydney” and was added to the COVID-19 Honour Roll. A/Prof. Christine Jeffries-Stokes, a paediatrician from UWA’s Rural Clinical School of WA, also received an AM for her “significant service as a paediatrician, to rural and remote medicine, and to the Indigenous community”. 

Health also featured among the six people recognised with the prestigious Companion (AC) award, with epidemiologist Professor Karen Canfell of the University of Sydney recognised for “eminent service to medicine as an epidemiologist, particularly through cancer research, to tertiary education, and as a mentor and leader”. Prof. Canfell was one of several health officials recognised for their pivotal work in the fight against COVID-19. 

RDN congratulates all these worthy recipients of the nation’s highest honours. Your work for remote, rural, regional and Indigenous communities has made a difference. We thank you all on behalf of the rural health community.