The Order of Australia: recognition for national role models.

Abstract

Australian Honours are prestigious and uncommon awards; nominated by the community, independently assessed by the Council for the Order of Australia and over sighted by the Governor General of Australia, Chancellor of the Order. Australia gives honours to “recognise, celebrate and say thank you to those who make a difference, those who achieve their best and those who serve others” (Australian Government, 2015). Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, over 240,000 outstanding citizens have been acknowledged for their contribution to the community. Initially this was through the British Imperial System (www.gov.uk/honours) and then in 1975 through the Australian Honours system that replaced it (www.itsanhonour.gov.au). Australian Honours are “the pre-eminent way Australians recognise the achievements and service of their fellow citizens” (Australian Government, 2015). In January 2015 Occupational Therapist Professor Sylvia Rodger was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division (AM). Her citation reads: “For significant service to medical education in the field of occupational therapy, and to community health as a clinician working with Autism Spectrum Disorders in children”. Sylvia is a worthy recipient. To celebrate this civic recognition, the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, with the support of Occupational Therapy Australia and Wiley Publishers, will produce a special issue in 2015 devoted to the collected works of Sylvia Rodger. This special issue will include an Author Preface by Sylvia, Career Appraisal, collation of published works and invited scholarly commentary. Sylvia Rodger is the tenth occupational therapist recorded in the Australian Honour Roll. The first was Clarice Sylvia Brougham Docker, awarded the Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) in 1959. Sylvia Docker, as she is known, was cited for “service to occupational therapy”. She is probably the most widely known Australian Honour recipient in occupational therapy, but not because of the OBE. Her contribution is memorialized through an Australian Occupational Therapy award - the prestigious Sylvia Docker Lecture established in 1964. It recognises her work in establishing the first training school for Occupational Therapists in 1941 and it commemorates the founding of the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists in 1945. Other occupational therapy Australian Honours recipients are Margaret Mort, awarded the Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) in 1977; Cecilie Bearup in 1985; Jean Anne Halcrow in 1985; Betty Ilma McIntyre in 1986; Mary Grace Rankine Wilson in 1988; Valma Esme Angliss in 2002; Patricia Enid Bjerregaard in 2002; Lyn Lennox in 2013; and Sylvia Rodger in 2015. There may be more occupational therapists who have received Australian Honours. But they are invisible to the profession and to society at large. Perhaps they received Imperial Awards and they could not be contacted to provide publication permission. Perhaps they received Australian awards but chose to remain anonymous. Maybe their citations did not include the words “occupational therapy”. Whatever the reason, it is time for every Australian Honours recipient with an occupational therapy background to become visible – by removing anonymity and giving the Australian Government permission to publish; or by advising the professional association of their occupational therapy background if the citation does not mention “occupational therapy”. The aim of the Australian Honour system is to: “help define, encourage and reinforce national aspirations, ideals and standards by identifying role models” (Australian Government, 2015). Let us join with the rest of Australia in congratulating our most recent role model Sylvia Rodger on her civic award. Let us also reveal, remember, acknowledge and celebrate past recipients, and the ideals and standards they represent.