Almost 600 Australians were recognised on this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List, including businesswomen Katie Lahey, Heather Ridout and Elizabeth Byran, health worker Dr Gabrielle Hollows, and Professor Jill Ker Conway.
They were some of the 209 women honoured this year, bringing women’s representation up from last year’s figure of 29% to about 36%.
Based in the US in Boston, Professor Conway, 78, received the Order of Australia for her service to the community, particularly women, as an author and academic and through her leadership roles with corporations, foundations, universities and philanthropic groups.
The author of more than 20 books and articles on topics such as the history of women’s work, Professor Conway was named Time’s Woman of the Year in 1975 and her memoir, The Road from Coorain, spent a year on the New York Times‘ best sellers list.
The widow of renowned ophthalmologist Fred Hollows, Dr Gabrielle Hollows, was also honoured this year, receiving the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her work as an advocate for the eradication of blindness, particularly for Indigenous Australians and people in the developing world.
Among the 582 names were also a number of key women in Australian business.
Receiving the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) was Reserve Bank of Australia board member Heather Ridout, who was recognised for her service to business and industry through her significant contributions to the development of economic and public policy. Recently named chair of AustralianSuper, Ridout has been a director of the large super fund since 2007 and was chief executive of Australian Industry Group between 2004 and 2011.
Elizabeth Bryan, a non-executive director of Westpac Banking Corporation since 2007, was named a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her significant service to the financial services and superannuation sectors, and to corporate governance. The CEO of Deutsche Asset Management from 1992 to 2000 and the former CEO of Axiom Funds Management, Bryan was the first woman to run a large financial institution in Australia.
The former CEO of the Business Council of Australia and NSW State Chamber of Commerce, Katie Lahey was also named a Member (AM) in the General Division for service to business and commerce, as well as the arts. Since 2011, Lahey has been the chief executive of Korn/Ferry International.
Margaret Hunter, Senior Crown Prosecutor of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ACT), received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community and support for women in the legal profession, while the founding president of Gippsland Women’s Network and the Chair of Women Who Mean Business Project, Mary Salce, received the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her service to women, particularly in rural communities.