Four members of the Mid Coast community have been named in today’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Dr Geoffrey Williams of Lansdowne, adds an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) to his OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia). The award is for Dr Williams’ significant service to conservation and the environment as an ecologist, biologist, author and wildlife refuge custodian.
Medals of the Order of Australia (OAM) have been awarded to Del Heuke for her service to veterans and their families, Greg Blaze for service to civil engineering and Leigh Vaughan for services to the arts and music, to local government and to the community.
Mrs Heuke, who currently lives at Forster, has worked as pension and welfare office for the Wingham RSL Sub-branch since the 1980s.
Greg Blaze, of Old Bar, has worked as a engineer for the United Nations Food Program and in disaster relief in East Africa and Somalia. He was director of engineering with Greater Taree City Council for six years and has recently released his second book, Encounters with the Christ.
Leigh Vaughan of Forster is president of Arts Mid North Coast and has been a board member since 2002. She is founder of Sinfonia Mid North Coast, inaugural chair of the Great Lakes Art Network, founding diretcor of Great Lakes Singers and Company of Voices and founding chair of the Conservatorium Mid North Council.
Ms Vaughan also served on Great Lakes Council for 12 years.
