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RDN Board Member named in Australia Day 2025 Honours List
25th January 2025
RDN extends its warm congratulations to all award recipients recognised for their service in the 2025 Australia Day Honours list.
RDN Board Member and Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) Chief Executive, Ms Jill Ludford has been awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to NSW Health in the Murrumbidgee region. The Public Service Medal recognises outstanding service by employees of the Australian Government and state, territory and local government employees.
"On behalf of RDN, I congratulate Jill for receiving the Public Service Medal,” said RDN CEO Richard Colbran. “RDN has had the benefit of her wisdom in her role as Board Member, but we also acknowledge her 50 years of service to health. In particular, we applaud her efforts to pioneer initiatives aimed at addressing disparities in healthcare delivery and critical health worker shortages in regional NSW, and her commitment to enhancing health outcomes for all people, no matter where they live."
Mrs Anna Barwick from Walcha, a member of RDN’s Rural Health Pro, was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the pharmacy profession. Mrs Barwick is a Pharmacy academic who founded PharmOnline, a platform that connects Australian patients living in remote areas with pharmacy services.
The 2025 Honours List celebrates 732 Australians, including awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service. Health care professionals and community leaders were once again prominent in this year’s Honours.
Neale Daniher AO was recognised as Australian of the Year for his work fundraising and supporting the battle against motor neurone disease (MND), and Christian Brother Olly Pickett receiving the Senior Australian of the Year honour for his work with Wheelchairs For Kids. The Young Australian of the Year was Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman Dr Katrina Wruck, who was recognised for her work in removing contaminants from water.
Mental health advocate and researcher Maddison O’Gradey-Lee was named the NSW Young Australian of the Year for her work to improve the measurement of mental ill-health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people through her PhD research, while Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM was named NSW Senior Australian of the Year. The well known ABC personality and science educator started out in paediatric medicine, before switching to a successful career in science communication.
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