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Six of the best Southbankers

Six of the best Southbankers

Southbank continues to demonstrate its credentials as a good home for honorary Australians, with six locals acknowledged in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

While our column inches could never do these decorated Australians justice, below are brief insights into some of the accomplishments of our six recipients. Southbank Local News congratulates and thanks each of them for their contributions.

Professor Olaf Heino Drummer – AO (Office of the Order of Australia).

For distinguished service to medicine in the field of forensic toxicology, to medical education and to professional groups.

Prof Drummer’s contribution to the field of forensic medicine and toxicology is extraordinary. As a leading professor at Monash University’s Department of Forensic Medicine (located at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Southbank), he has published extensively in the fields of forensic pharmacology and analytical toxicology, including over 300 scientific papers and has written or co-written three books.

He completed his applied chemistry degree at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1973 and obtained his PhD a few years later from Melbourne University.

From 2001 to 2017, he served as the head of the university’s department of forensic medicine, school and public health and preventative medicine and has sat on a number of boards over what has been an extensive career.

Most notably, he served as the inaugural head of the of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine from 1989 to 2014 and is a past president of the international association of forensic toxicologists.

In 2016, he received the International Association of Forensic Toxicology’s Allan Curry Award – the most prestigious in the field of forensic toxicology. His list of awards goes well beyond that award both here in Australia and internationally.

He has also acted as an expert forensic pharmacologist and toxicologist in hundreds of court cases in Australia and overseas, including some prominent murder trials.

Jonathon Eric Faine – AM (Member of the Order of Australia)

For significant service to the broadcast media as a radio presenter, to the law and to the community.

Jon Faine is one Melburnian who needs little introduction. As the host of ABC774 Radio Melbourne’s morning show and conversation hour since 1997, his notable voice and incredible intellect have been gracing our airwaves for more than 20 years.

His former career as a lawyer has seemingly given him a particularly strong base through which to be able to interview the broad church or politicians, experts and other guests that he talks to daily from his studio here in Southbank.

Beginning his career at the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and as a principal lawyer for Fitzroy Legal Service in the 1980s, he also previously served as a volunteer and past member at the Tenants Union Legal Service and the Victoria Law Foundation.

He has also co-authored a number of books, edited the Law Handbook in 1987 and was a former host and producer of The Law Report on ABC Radio National.

“It’s a chance to say an incredibly inadequate thank you to those who make my professional life possible,” he said on 774 ABC Radio Melbourne upon receiving the award.

Karen Hayes – AM (Member of the Order of Australia)

For significant service to the community as an advocate for gender equity and to women in sport.

Karen’s contributions to our community here in Melbourne are far-reaching. Her work on the boards of the International Women’s Forum (IWF), Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), Multiple Sclerosis Australia and Vision 2020 Australia, makes her one inspiring Aussie.

Her work in promoting gender equity is particularly inspiring. As well as her contributions to the IWF, she is also a member of the Women Chiefs of Enterprise International and is the former chair of Women of Melbourne, which she chaired during her time as a board director at the Melbourne Football Club.

She has also served as president of the VU Western Spurs Women’s Football Club and has been a leading advocate for the introduction of the AFLW competition.

As if that isn’t enough, she has served as the CEO of Guide Dogs Victoria since 2011, where she has led the organisation through some of its biggest triumphs to date. One of those is the redevelopment of its iconic campus at Kew, which will soon transform into the world’s first sensory campus.

“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia and I am truly humbled to be named among the list of incredible Australians,” Karen told Guide Dogs Victoria upon receiving the award.

Christopher Antony Dale – OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia)

For service to the law.

A former president, director, vice-president, treasurer and chair and member of a range of committees at the Law Institute of Victoria, Chris Dale’s passion for the legal profession is self-evident.

With extensive experience in all areas of commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution, insolvency and reconstruction and taxation litigation, Chris has practiced in all courts and tribunals in all Australian States and Territories, including the Federal and High Courts.

He also served as Victoria’s representative on the board of directors of the Law Council of Australia from 2004-2005 and is the current chair of the Bridge of Hope Foundation.

He is a former partner and board member at Clayton Utz law firm and currently practices as special counsel at O’Donnell Salzano lawyers.

Barbara Joan Rozennes – OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia)

For service to the community.

For the best part of the past 30 years, Barbara has devoted much of her time to the Court Network – a community organisation providing support, information and referral to people attending court. Current patrons of the organisation include the Governor of Victoria Her Excellency, the Honourable Linda Dessau AM, as well as the Chief Justice of the Victorian Supreme Court.

While she remains a leading ambassador of the organisation, she has also previously served as its president, vice-president and been a volunteer since 1992.

She has also served on the board of the Epilepsy Foundation since 1998, which is an organisation and a cause she is incredibly passionate about.

Beyond this, her work in the community has extended across a range of causes and organisations including the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation, Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council and One Umbrella (now Fairshare) just to name a few.

Mrs Jillian Joan Harrison – OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia)

For service to the community through charitable organisations.

Jill Harrison considers herself a quiet achiever behind the scenes and is not one wanting huge recognition or thanks. However, having spent much of her life helping others in need, an OAM only seems fitting.

While her philanthropy extends to a range of causes both here in Australia and overseas, her work for the Royal Children’s Hospital over the past 25 years through her secretarial services to Parkville Auxiliary and other positions has been tireless.

A Patron of Prince’s Trust Australia with association to UK and Australian young people’s charities, a supporter and donor of the National Gallery of Victoria as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Jill has served many other community charities and organisations and continues to do so.

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