pride of australia™ medal

Yorin Miller & John Kendrick - VIC

Like thousands of other CFA volunteers, Yorin Miller and John Kendrick gave their all during the devastating Black Saturday fires that ravaged Victoria. But when the two fire-fighters arrived at Wandong fire station, they had no idea they would be sent to face the country’s worst natural disaster. Asked to support a bulldozer driver who was creating firebreaks, Yorin and John were caught in intense fire. Battling low visibility and extreme conditions, the pair risked their lives to rescue the driver from danger. His bulldozer was later found completely burnt out.

Brett Perry – SA

On Australia Day 2009 Brett Perry was at Waitpinga Beach and noticed 4 panicking people caught in the riptide some distance off the shore. Without hesitation, Brett grabbed his girlfriend’s body board and entered the water to save the four strangers. Although Brett had bruised ribs at the time from a sporting injury, he proceeded to bring the two boys in on the board first all the while gaining their confidence and keeping them in a calmer state of mind. He then re-entered the water to assist the two men. He managed to retrieve both of the men and bring them on to the board. However, to his great distress, only one of the two survived the strong waters. He is a very modest 27 year old person who enjoys surfing and has no formal training in life saving. His brave act that day saved the lives of three complete strangers.

Constable Matt Butcher – WA

Constable Butcher spent two weeks in an induced coma after suffering massive head injuries as a result of a flying headbutt – at one point doctors feared he would not live. As a result of the assault Constable Butcher has some permanent brain damage, paralysis on his left side and his sight has been damaged. The incident received a huge amount of media attention around Australia and caused public outrage when the men charged with attacking Constable Butcher was acquitted. After the court case community anger electrified the city. Thousands of people attended a rally supporting police. Despite the anger and emotion around him Constable Butcher stayed amazingly positive and kept his dignity and composure imploring people to believe in our police force and trust the men and women who choose to protect us. Constable Butcher still undergoes physiotherapy every day but he is yet to get any feeling back in his left arm or hand. He has returned to work with the WA Police on a limited capacity and typical of his optimism, knows he will recover from all his injuries.

Major Hayden Archibald – VIC

Not happy to sit back and let other people do all the hard work, Hayden Archibald has taken the War on Terror into his own hands. Hayden and his family moved to Tennessee two years ago so he could complete an exchange pilot program with the United States Army. One year into his posting, Hayden was sent to Afghanistan for a 12-month deployment while his daughter Mia, 1, and his wife stayed in the US. The only Australian serving with the US military, Hayden suffered a loss when a co-pilot was shot and killed during a combat mission. While serving in Afghanistan, he was awarded an American Air Medal - bestowed for acts of heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.

Craig Webb – TAS

There are few things more pitiful than the sight of magnificent wedge-tailed eagles injured and threatened by man’s activities. Just ask Craig Webb. Since establishing his Raptor and Wildlife Refuge at Kettering - which boasts the biggest and highest aviary in the Southern Hemisphere - Webb has been responsible for the recovery and release of countless forgotten victims, from the mighty eagles to the tiniest bandicoots.

Noeline Clamp – QLD

Noeline Clamp has been a volunteer for more than 50 years, helping and supporting people in the Logan community. She has worked with organisations such as Meals on Wheels, Nurse of the Year Committee and the Lady Mayoress Committee. She has chaired the Queensland Cancer Fund and, with husband Des, initiated the first Blue Nurses doorknock appeal in the Logan area. Both were founding members of ACCES Services, which helps refugees, and Noeline is known as “Mum” to more than 500 refugees to whom she has opened her house and heart.

Abdallah Tabbaa – NSW

A pillar of the Sydney muslim community, Abdallah was instrumental in establishing the Australian National Sports Club. He wished to have a place where boys of all nationalities and religion could go to play sport. He says: "I just wanted to give them something to do. They can come here and form a team, not go on to the streets."

Bernard Kelly – QLD

Bernie Kelly has built a “university of leadership” for young Australians. Believing every child deserves the right to leave school knowing they can make a difference, he founded the not-for-profit Australian Youth Development Association 20 years ago. The Sandgate-based association delivers leadership programs for Year 6 to 12 students, predominantly in Queensland, but also interstate. It also takes students far out of their normal life as they seek to discover their potential, with leadership and aid programs overseas.

Jennifer (Jenny) Piemontese – TAS

Bringing up four children was never enough for Jenny Piemontese - she just had too much to give. While on maternity leave before the birth of her youngest (now five), she responded to an advert seeking foster carers. And she never looked back. She has taken in the neediest of babies and young children, a task that has proved so all-consuming that she gave up her paid job. Not content with that, Jenny has also become a dedicated Lifeline counsellor and a member of the CHATS organisation helping the housebound and elderly.

Kate Smith – VIC

Kate Smith endured her first major operation when she was just five days old. Born with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, an operation to remove most of the tumour left her with permanent nerve damage to her left leg. Since then, the tiny battler decided life was for living, and giving. During her school years in Queensland Kate supported a number of charities including World Vision, the Red Cross, Cancer Council and Guide Dogs, and was the founding member of her school’s Amnesty International Committee. Having moved to Melbourne in 2005, Kate has continued to support many environment, social justice and humanitarian causes. On top of studying at Melbourne University Kate has taught English to adult migrants, worked in the St Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, assisted with the Regent Honeyeater Project revegetation program, and helped create wildlife corridors for sugar gliders and possums.

Molly Wood – NSW

In 2003, 50 per cent of Molly’s body was burnt to the bone in a terrible accident. Today, she still receives treatment twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This process will continue until her early teen years. She has rarely complained about the contstant stretching routine, the daily sores that breakout in the still-healing skin grafts and the gruelling twice-weekly gym sessions designed to restore core stability and to rebuild the muscle, tissue and cells that were taken away by the fire. As her father says, she displays the truly Australian character of 'just playing the cards that have been dealt and getting on with it'.

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