The Seekers, Paul Grabowsky, in Queen’s Birthday Honours list

The four original members of The Seekers and jazz pianist Paul Grabowsky were among those made Officers of the Order of Australia (AO) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

The Seekers’ Judith Durham received an OAM (Order of Australia Medal) in 1995, the same year the act was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

The Seekers sold well over 60 million records worldwide and were the first Australian act to top the US charts with Georgy Girl in the late Sixties. This year they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of their first million seller I’ll Never Find Another You. On the weekend, some of the members returned to Melbourne after completing their farewell ‘Golden Jubilee Tour’ of the UK. They played to sold-out houses in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Prof. Grabowsky received his Officer recognition for his “distinguished service to music” and his charity work. The one-time artistic director of the Queensland Music Festival and Adelaide Festival of Arts is currently executive director of the Academy of Performance Arts at Monash University in Melbourne. He was also chairman of the Music Board of the Australia Council 1994-1995.

Another past Music Board chairman Graeme Koehne, who held the post from 2002 to 2009, received an OA. Adelaide-based Koehne is a prolific composer whose works are performed in symphony and chamber concerts, film and theatre, ballet and dance. He is also Professor of Composition at the University of Adelaide and served on various boards including Arts SA’s.

Country music presenter turned sports broadcaster Tim Gavel of 666 ABC Canberra was bestowed an OA.

Made Members of the Order of Australia (AM) were Nine Network chief entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins, theatrical producer John Frost and radio presenter Angela Catterns.

Receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) were Sydney songwriter and producer Garry Frost (best known for writing Moving Pictures’ chart topping What About Me), Wollongong-based Anne and John Brennan Keats whose publishing company Wirripang has a catalogue of 2,000 Australian jazz and classical titles, and Melbourne talk back host the late Keith McGowan.

Altogether, 783 Australians were on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.