Several people with connections to the Hume and Whittlesea areas were among those recognised in the Australia Day honours.
The late Mary Simpson, who lived in Mernda, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for her service to the community of East Melbourne.
Mrs Simpson was heavily involved in the St Mary’s Greensborough Tennis Club, including having been president.
She was president of the St Mary’s Little Athletics Club and was a former chief judge of the Victorian Little Athletics Championships.
Mrs Simpson was involved in the Essendon East Melbourne Harriers Athletic Club, a special minister in the Catholic Church at three locations and was a member and former president of the Portarlington Bayview Probus Club among other community groups.
Broadmeadows Justice Service Centre court practice manager Tanya Zita was awarded an Australian Corrections Medal for distinguished service as a member of an Australian correctional service.
Mrs Zita commenced as a leading community corrections officer at Community Correctional Services (CCS) in 2004.
For the past 20 years, Mrs Zita has demonstrated outstanding capability and dedication to her role, advancing through numerous front-line roles within CCS. l
Mrs Zita has played a critical role in creating a high-performing culture at the Broadmeadows JSC.
With her commitment to implementing best practice case management, she has led her team through reforms and critical incidents as well as multiple changes in processes.
Mrs Zita has actively worked to build capable and engaged teams who are motivated to deliver quality case management, which results in positive client outcomes and improves the safety of the north-west metropolitan area community.
She also undertakes extensive stakeholder engagement, including Victoria Police, Broadmeadows Magistrates Court, family violence services and drug/alcohol and mental health providers to get the best outcomes for CCS clients.
Bartholomew Wunderlich was awarded an Ambulance Service Medal for distinguished service as a member of an Australian ambulance service.
He started his service in 2005 as a volunteer in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Kinglake and has served for 19 years.
He provided first aid at numerous community events and held various committee positions, including team leader and president, for 18 years. He advocated for and helped establish a Kinglake ambulance station in 2013 and ensured the team had training facilities prior to it being built.
During the Black Saturday fires, he risked his life to help others and was recognised for his bravery. His testimony to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission led to significant changes in emergency response protocols. After the fires, he played a crucial role in rebuilding Kinglake CERT, which remains vital to the community.
Mr Wunderlich was known for his dedication, he also mentored future paramedics and was highly valued for his support during challenging emergencies, even while managing his duties at Northern Hospital Epping.
