From high-profile media personalities to grassroots volunteers and arts impresarios, South Australians from all walks of life have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours List.

While typically they haven’t sought thanks or recognition, they deserve both and the Australian Honours and Awards system does this by celebrating and acknowledging those who work tirelessly to make their local community - and Australia - a better place.

South Australians who feature on this year’s list include:

Heather Ann Croall
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division
For significant service to the performing arts, as an administrator, advocate and film maker

The face of The Fringe, Ms Croall (pictured above) has been the CEO and Festival Director of the South Hemisphere’s biggest arts festival since 2015.

The Chair of Governor's Aboriginal Employment Industry Cluster (Arts) since 2018, Ms Croall is a board member of Festivals Adelaide and is a current member of both the International Women's Leadership Forum and Chiefs for Gender Equity South Australia.

A skilled film director and producer, Ms Croall’s on-screen credits include Yer Old Faither, which won the Audience Award at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2020.  She was named Leader of the Year at the South Australian Woman of the Year Awards in 2021.

Richard John Persse
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division
For significant service to public administration, and to the community of South Australia

After a four-year stint as Chief Executive of the Attorney-General’s Department followed by six successful years leading the Department for Education, Mr Persse was appointed to lead the Department of Treasury and Finance in 2022.

He is a current board member of Infrastructure SA, was the Executive Director of Shared Services SA from 2006 to 2007 and was made a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration – SA Division in 2020. On a community level, Mr Persse was the Director of Asthma Foundation of SA (now Asthma Australia) from 2011 to 2017.

David James Koch
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division
For significant service to media as a television presenter, and to economic journalism

Born in Adelaide in 1956, the current President and Chairman of the Port Adelaide Football Club is one of the most recognisable faces in Australian media.

The co-host of national breakfast news program Sunrise from 2002-2023, Mr Koch – better known as Kochie – has worked across television, radio and print media and is a pioneer of finance journalism.

Named Father of the Year in 2007, Mr Koch was Chairman of the DonateLife Organ and Tissue Advisory Committee from 2009 to 2015 and had the Koch Centre For Youth named in his honour in 2011.

Nemira Aurelija Stapleton, SA
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division
For service to the Lithuanian community of Adelaide

Accompanist and Lithuanian soloist on a local and international level since 1962, Mrs Stapleton is a choir master, conductor, organist and pillar of Adelaide’s Lithuanian community. She was a teacher of Lithuanian and Choir Master at the Adelaide Lithuanian Weekend School from the 1960s to the 1990s, and again from the 2000s to 2016.

A conductor and volunteer with the Australian Lithuanian Festival, Mrs Stapleton was also an events coordinator with Adelaide CARITAS Inc. 2022.

Diané Ranck, Seacliff SA
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division
For service to the community through a range of organisations

A Board Member of the State Theatre Company of South Australia since 2017, Ms Ranck is a patron and donor of the Australian Dance Theatre, a benefactor of Theatre Republic and a fundraiser for Brighton Jetty Sculptures, among many other roles within the arts.

She was an inaugural committee member of the Australian Lebanese Foundation, a leadership mentor with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and is currently a race announcer and volunteer at the Dry Lakes Racers Australia Lake Gairdner event.

On a professional level, Ms Ranck was the Director of Marketing and Communications at Flinders University from 2008 to 2013 and Executive Manager, Health Sciences at University of Sydney, 1999-2008.

For a full list of winners, visit Australia Day 2024 Honours List.

The Australia Day Honours List sits alongside the King Birthday Honours, announced on the second Monday in June, which also recognises and celebrates the outstanding service and contributions of Australians.

Last June, well known shark attack survivor Rodney Fox received an Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to tourism and to shark biology, and shares what the honour meant to him.

“I guess receiving an AM made me walk a little taller – people were asking if they should call me sir,” the 83-year-old said.

“And I guess it’s some confirmation that work I’ve done in the field of shark research and conservation over all these decades must have been to some benefit.” Mr Fox, who received 462 stitches and almost died after being bitten by a great white off Aldinga in 1963, says the  honour helped to focus public attention once again on shark conservation.

“So that can only be a good thing,” he says.

“And at the end of the day all you leave behind is your story, so to have that story feature an AM is very special indeed.”

Mr Fox encourages all South Australians to think about who could be deserving of Honours and to take the time to nominate them.

“There are so many people doing incredible work in the community, and a lot of that work goes unrecognised,” he says.

“This is a really good way to say thank you for that work, so I would encourage everyone to think about nominating someone they know doing good things.”

How to nominate someone who deserves recognition

Every person recognised through the Australian Honours and Awards system has at least one thing in common – someone has taken the time to nominate them for recognition.

Anyone can nominate a member of the community to be recognised through the Order of Australia and the best part, nominating is easy and is done via an online portal, at any time of the year.

For more information visit The Order of Australia.