Residents in Honours' List

Two residents with Peninsula associations have been honoured in the Australia Day Honours List.

Ms Eleanor Rachel Spence of Empire Bay has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, while Mr Ronald Douglas Sharpe of Woy Woy has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Ms Spence AM has been made a member of the Order of Australia for "service to children's literature as an author and to the community through support for people with autism".

Ms Spence has been the author of 21 books for children, published between 1958 and 1992.

Ms Spence has been short-listed for the "Book of the Year" award on several occasions and has had books translated into foreign languages and published internationally.

Ms Spence has been a member of the Australian Society of Authors since 1967 and was made Life Governor for the Autism Association of NSW in 1979.

Ms Spence has also received many awards and recognition including the Emeritus Fellowship from the Australia Council Literature Board in 1998 for a long and significant contribution to Australian writing for children.

Ms Spence has received 12 individual Children's Book of the Year Awards from the Children's Book Council of Australia between 1960 and 1991.

Ms Spence was also awarded the Christian Book of the Year (Children's Award and Book of the Year) in 1985 for her novel "Me and Joshua".

Ms Spence received the NSW Premier's Literary Award in 1981 for her novel "The Seventh Pebble" and the Australia Council Senior Writers Fellowship in 1980.

Ms Spence received the Churchill Fellowship to study "Care and accommodation for adolescents with autism" in 1978 and entered the honours book for International Board of Books for Young People for her novel "The October Child" in 1977.

Ms Spence was also short-listed for a UK Carnegie Medal in the same year for the same novel.

Mr Ronald Sharpe has been given the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the community of the Gosford region through a range of service and social welfare organisations".

A previous awardee for the Gosford Council Citizen of the Year, Mr Sharpe has been involved with the Salvation Army since childhood, playing as a band member from 1963 to 1967.

Mr Sharpe was chairperson of the Red Shield Appeal at Umina Corps for several years and also built the Salvation Army Hall at Umina with his father.

Mr Sharpe was a volunteer with the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol from 1989 to 1995.

Mr Sharpe was president of the Umina Apex Club in 1978 and 1990, a district governor in 1981, a charter member in 1969 and was made a life member in 1990.

Mr Sharpe also led or participated in many Apex projects including Meals on Wheels, fundraising for disaster relief, and the establishment of the Apex Chalet for underprivileged children as well as being instrumental in raising funds for the establishment of Australia's second Surf Rescue Helicopter.

Mr Sharpe also established a family asphalting and construction business and through it has supported many local causes since 1970, including the loan of earthmoving equipment and fire fighting equipment during bushfires and sponsorship of many local sporting clubs.

Mr Sharpe has been a member of the NSW Branch of the Australian Ashpalt Pavement Association since 1990.

Mr Sharpe is also the current chairman of the Health, Safety and Environment Committee and the founding and current chairman of the Road Profiling Committee.

Mr Sharpe is also a current member of the Gosford City Chamber of Commerce.

"It's a lovely surprise," Mr Sharpe said.

"It's a wonderful surprise. I'm overwhelmed.

Through his work with the community, Mr Sharpe said he had worked with lots of people, and that it was not just one person alone.

"I've worked with lots of really good people," Mr Sharpe said.

"I think the biggest thing is people needed to get involved.

"What you put in, you get back out of it.

"And when you're doing it, you enjoy doing it.

"I'm very honoured," Mr Sharpe said.

Gosford resident Mr Neville Roland Boyce was also awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to public health, particularly through the development of the Central Coast Area Health Service, and to support for aged care, religious and service organisations".

Mr Boyce has been a board member of the Woy Woy Community Aged Care Centre for 10 years and was made a life member in 1992.

Lyle Stone, January 24 Australian Honours List