Key Points
- Three Australians who have contributed to Nepal are among the 2023 King's Birthday Honours recipients.
- The Nepal-Australia diplomatic relationship is highlighted by the work of these Australians in Nepal.
- The Governor-General encourages all Australians to nominate prospective awardees.
The 2023 King’s Birthday Honours recognise Australians for their substantial contributions and significant impacts at local, national or international levels.
Governor-General Sir David Hurley presented the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.
Australians involved in different fields in Nepal are amongst the 1,191 recipients.
Protecting the forests of Nepal
Dr Donald Allan Gilmour has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (General Division) for his contributions to the forestry sector.
From working in tropical Queensland rainforests in the 1960s and 1970s to leading the Nepal Australia Forestry Project for 10 years since 1981, Dr Gilmour has been involved in the environmental sector for more than six decades.
Dr Gilmour (left) has been involved in preserving Nepal's forests. Credit: Supplied
I had always kept that vision in the back of my mind, and, as my own professional career unfolded in Australia, an opportunity came up for the Nepal Australia Forestry Project. I applied, and the rest is history.Dr Donald Allan Gilmour
He has contributed to the development and evaluation of a project run by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in Nepal.
Dr Gilmour is a semi-retired Adjunct Professor at the University of Sunshine Coast.
Listen to our conversation with Dr Gilmour
"When I was a teenager in the mid-1950s, I happened to see a movie (about) porters carrying a car up the Mahabharat Lekh [range]."
08:42
Peter Blatch has been honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia (General Division).
He has worked with scouts in his local community in Brisbane for decades and has been a scout from the age of eight.
Since 2000, he has been supporting scouting and youth development programs in Asia-Pacific countries, including Nepal.
Peter Blatch at Everest English Bhaktapur School in Nepal during his April 2023 visit. Credit: Supplied
We have an international rating standard that is used across the world, and I am one of the assessors and can I say, Nepal Scouts did exceptionally well.Peter Blatch
Mr Blatch is now a retired professional educator.
Listen to our conversation with Mr Blatch
“I never really set out to be a leader in the community."
07:41
Rebecca Ivers has been honoured with the Member of the Order of Australia (General Division) for her service to community health through injury prevention research and education.
She is an injury researcher involved in understanding the burden of injury and implementing culturally safe care both in Australia and globally.
An image of a roadway in Kathmandu, Nepal. Source: Pixabay / travelphotographer
“Nepal needs to rely on international assistance to actually keep the roads safe. So, it's just making sure that you know the policymakers and researchers locally,” she told SBS Nepali.
There is fantastic expertise in Nepal and this [research] is actually just strengthening the channel and capacity to do research to improve road safety.Rebecca Ivers
Ms Ivers is a Scientia Professor of Public Health and Head of the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales.
Listen to our conversation with Ms Ivers
"There is fantastic expertise in Nepal."
05:36
“Learning about the wide-ranging service of recipients, which spans almost every field of endeavour imaginable, is uplifting and makes me enormously optimistic for our country," he said.
"Collectively, they speak to who we are now and who we can be in the future.”
