13 Coasties recognised in

Thirteen Central Coast residents were among 1047 people recognized in this year’s Australia Day Honours List for activities ranging from services to the disabled and the community to contributions to sport, veteran welfare and the law.

Governor-General David Hurley said all recipients have had a significant impact at the local, national and international level and were inspiring.

“They go above and beyond, are from all over the country, and contribute every day in every way imaginable,” he said.

“These are the people who see us through good times and bad.

“They’re the first to show up and the last to leave.

“They’re almost always humble to a fault … (but) it’s important they know how much they are valued.”

Craig OAM of Ourimbah –service to the performing arts

“Aside from Government Bicentennial Grants that financed the construction of the facility, the Central Coast community had a philosophical dedication to the theatre’s growth and success.

“We were all united in our endeavours to bring the best entertainment possible to the stage of Laycock St Theatre and, as a group, we were always inspired by the vision, enthusiasm, and dedication of Don Craig.”

Joseph Galea OAM of The Entrance North –service to the Maltese community of NSW vice-president of the Past Pupils and Friends of Don Bosco NSW, named for the school he attended in Malta, and a fundraising organisation which donates directly to under-privileged overseas communities. programming activities and organising campers,” she said.

Dianne Lindsay-Simpson OAM and Peter Simpson OAM of Gwandalan–service to the performing arts as entertainers It’s especially fitting that Gwandalan husband and wife team Dianne Lindsay-Simpson and Peter Simpson have both been awarded Australia Day honours, as Australiana in music and song is their heart and soul.

Fame – and in 2014 both Peter and Dianne were inducted to the Country Music Hands of Fame Park in Tamworth.

“I was in the military most of my life – Air Force from 1966 to 1997 – so I wasn’t able to do my music professionally all that time but in the past 20 years I’ve made up for that,” Peter said.

The lead guitarist songwriter represents balladeers as a Board Member of the Australian Country Music Foundation and took out the Australian Bush Balladeers Association’s bush ballad award in 2021.

“When the NDIS came in there was a lot of work and I’ve been there just about every day for the past three years.” work.

She is also a founding member and secretary of Central Coast Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, which started in 2005.

“I had never heard of the organisation, but I swim in the ocean most days and I thought disabled people should be able to do that too,” she said.

Maniskas is active at the group’s regular surf days and also travels to other branches to help out.

Born in the UK, Mitchelmore has lived in Australia for 32 years and said he was very excited at being awarded an OAM.

At Macquarie University he has been an Honorary Associate Professor in the arts faculty since 2012, a Director, Centre for Research in Mathematics and Science Education, an Associate Professor of Education and a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics.

He has also been involved with numerous other organisations and the NSW Department of Education’s Count Me Into Space numeracy program and has been the lead author on 19 books.

Anne Craig is a former stage manager, production manager and producer for Laycock Theatre Productions.

She said she wanted to share the honour with her late husband, Don Craig, the initial manager of Laycock St Community Theatre.

“(For 10 years) from 1988 the variety and standard of productions at Laycock Street Theatre remain extremely memorable,” she said.

“Included in that period were several ‘in-house’ productions (which) attracted a wide audience, were consistently supported and afforded local talent on the Central Coast an opportunity to develop under the guidance of professional directors, choreographers, set designers and musicians.

When he was 10 years old Joseph Galea came to Australia from Malta and he discovered in later years that his prowess as a Maltese folk musician and singer was an entertaining way to bring the Maltese community together.

“It started back in 1975 when I had my own band and the Maltese Council of NSW decided to hold a concert and they asked me to play some Maltese folklore music on my guitar,” he said.

“When I started singing they stormed the stage, crying and becoming emotional, and it was obvious there was a lot of need for the people to connect again with their old country.

“In 1983 I was asked to help organise the musical entertainment for a gala concert at the Opera House to commemorate 100 years of Maltese migrants and also record a Maltese folklore song to tell the story of the Maltese migrant community in Australia.”

Galea is a member of the Maltese Historical Association and was Chair of the Maltese Cultural Association Choir from 1990 to 2003.

For 14 years he has been

“Australia Day is a very important day for us and music-wise as well, to promote Australian music especially traditional style music – it’s just so special that both of us have been awarded this honour at the same time,” Dianne said.

With several nominations over the years for a Golden Guitar at the Tamworth Country Music Festival the couple performed as one of five finalists in the Bush Ballad of the Year this year – a song called Family Tree about Dianne’s country music heritage, a three-way collaboration with fellow Central Coast country musician, Rob McCormack.

Singer songwriter Dianne is the daughter of Reg Lindsay and Heather McKean and the niece of Slim Dusty and his wife Joy McKean – all considered royalty in the country music business.

Heather and Joy were wellknown in their day as the McKean Sisters.

Dianne won the Tamworth People’s Choice Female Vocal Award five times; in 2011 she was inducted in the American Old Time Country Music Hall of

Since 2015 Dianne and Peter have put together the Back to the Bush Spectacular at Tamworth, also available on Youtube, and for the past 12 years recorded The Australian Bush Ballad Show from their home studio in Gwandalan which is syndicated through a Gosford radio station around Australia and New Zealand.

“We’re very passionate about our Australian bush ballads and we think it’s very important to keep those rolling because they tell the story about people and their land, they record our history and help maintain our culture,” Peter said.

“The awards are just a lovely thing to happen to us and we intend to make sure that the wonderful genre of bush ballads doesn’t fade away and continue the stories of Australia in song and music.”

Pauline Maniskas OAM of Wamberal – service to the community of the Central Coast Pauline Maniskas believes that disabled people should enjoy full inclusion and has had a 22-year association with Camp Breakaway, where she has been a Board Director since 2019.

“I started as a personal carer and then moved on to

She has volunteered with Our Lady Star of the Sea, Terrigal, for 30 years and is also a volunteer with Youth Off the Streets.

She said she was “dumbstruck” by the award and accepted it on behalf of every volunteer on the Coast.

Dr Michael Mitchelmore OAM of Copacabana – service to mathematics education and the community

Mitchelmore was also a Founding Board Member of the Kuringai Youth Orchestra, a member of the Sydney Philharmonia Choir, a performer with Central Coast Opera, treasurer of Central Coast Conservatorium (2015-2019) and a volunteer with Gosford Theatre Company since 2015. He is especially proud of his work as leader of the committee which agitated for a Men’s Shed at Copacabana, which has just been built after six years of advocacy.

Anthony Mylan OAM of Wamberal – service to the community, to youth and to education

For the Rotary Club of West Gosford, Anthony Mylan has held various roles since 1998 and for Rotary District 9680 he was Assistant District Governor from 2004-2006.

He has been a member of Terrigal Trotters Running Club since 1993 and was the Founding Race Director for the Bay to Bay Fun Run from 20042006.

His most proud achievement is being CEO of ET Australia since 1994 and Founding

A love of mathematics and music has seen Michael Mitchelmore enjoy an outstanding career in the mathematical field and a host of community involvement, particularly involving choral