Administrative officials and volunteers from golf clubs throughout Australia are among those to have been recognised in the annual King’s Birthday Honours List.
Professor David Shilbury (pictured at the opening of the golf exhibit at the Geelong Sports Museum in February) was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to sport management, which of contributions to golf dating back more than three decades.
Those contributions began as a development officer for the Western Australia Golf Association in 1989 before moving across to Victoria, where he became a non-Executive Director of Golf Victoria in.
Professor Shilbury has served as President of Golf Victoria since 2022 and was made a Member of the Golf Australia Nominations Committee in 2024.
The course creator of the Bachelor of Business (Sport Management) at Deakin University, Professor Shilbury was the foundation President of the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand in 1995 and has served in advisory roles for the AFL, Basketball Victoria, the Australian Touch Football Association and Cricket Australia.
There were a further 15 Australians with a connection to golf who were awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Mr Maxwell Rolland Blacketer
For service to the community of Millicent
Secretary, Beachport Golf Club, 1955-1973
Major Malcolm Wayne Botfield
For service to Veterans
Member, Muirfield Golf Club
Dr Raymond William George
For service to science, and to the community of Albany
Albany Golf Club
Club Patron, 2019-2020
Vice-President, two years
Chair and Founder, History and Heritage Committee, 2008-2018
Author, History of the Albany Golf Club, 2011
Committee Member, c1990s-2010s
Life Member, 2023
Member since 1980
Mr Leslie Desmond Hampel
For service to the community of Nuriootpa
Member of Barossa Golf Club since 1990s
Mr Lance Elwyn Harrigan
For service to the community of Terrigal
Terrigal Country Club (now Breakers Country Golf Club)
President, five years
Former Secretary, five years
Member since 1997
Life Member, 2024
Mr Hieu Huy Hoang
For service to the community of Canberra
Founder, Canberra Vietnamese Golf Association, 2016
Mr Mark Kevin Holton
For service to the community through a range of organisations
Honorary Member, Professional Golfers Association of Australia
Mr Philip John Ledger
For service to the pharmaceutical industry, and to the community
Cottesloe Golf Club
President, 2010-2013
Club Captain, 2006-2007
Vice-Captain, 2004-2005
Committee Member, 2000-2003
Member since 1960
Mr John Vincent Mackey
For service to the law, and to the community.
The Rosanna Golf Club
Former Honorary Solicitor for 40 years
Life Member, 1999
Member since 1958
Mr John McKenzie Middleton
For service to the community, particularly through music
Pymble Golf Club
Member since 1974
Mrs Margaret Phillippa Middleton
For service to the community as a volunteer
Pymble Golf Club
Member for 49 years
Mr Gary Robert Pollard
For service to the community of Yea
Yea Golf Club
President since 2020
Life Member
Mrs Wendy Jane Pope
For service to the community of Yarram
Yarram Golf Club
Former Club Secretary
Former Committee Member
Benefactor
Catering volunteer
Volunteer
Member for more than 60 years
Mr Juris Turmanis
For service to the Latvian community, and to sporting and charitable organisations
Member of Bayview Golf Club
Mrs Lorraine Evelyn Winchcomb
For service to the community of Western Australia
Kalgoorlie Golf Club
Former fundraising and Committee roles
Life Member
The Western Australian Golf Club
Member since 1994
