General News
9 June, 2026
O’Connor honoured with OAM
The lifetime of service from Maryborough local Brian O’Connor has been honoured this King’s Birthday with the recognition of a posthumous Order of Australia Medal (OAM).
Mr O’Connor has been given the national honour for his extensive service to volunteering and local government, much of which he dedicated to the Maryborough community.
Mr O’Connor’s family said the recognition is a bittersweet acclaim, following his death in May 2025.
Nearly 950 Australians have been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list, following nominations from throughout Australia and recommendations from the Governor-General by the independent Council of the Order of Australia.
Born in 1937, Mr O’Connor grew up in Sunshine, and worked various jobs including administrative officer, clerical officer and rate collector before completing further study to gain qualifications in local govern-ment. At that time he and his wife moved to Maryborough in the late 1960s.
During this time, he worked for the Shire of Tullaroop, appointed as shire secretary (equivalent to what is now known as CEO) becoming the youngest person to do so in the state at the time.
Upon his retirement in 1995, The Advertiser heralded him as “a man too good to lose having a depth of experience and local knowledge second to none”.
From the 1990s, Mr O’Connor served numerous terms as a councillor with Central Goldfields Shire.
The Advertiser reported in 2025 Mr O’Connor’s “love for Mary-borough, coupled with his attributes of honesty, fairness and attention to detail made him the perfect person to have as an office bearer on committees and boards”.
The list of Mr O’Connor’s contributions seeing him honoured as OAM include but are not limited to:
Justice of the Peace from 1963 to 2024.
Several years woking in local government, including the Municipal Officers Association of Victoria, Shire of Tullaroop and Central Goldfields Shire.
Numerous positions held with Havilah Hostel, as a board member, president, treasurer and committee member.
A committee member of St Augustines Primary School and Highview College since 1995, holding positions including board member and part of the advisory council. He became a fellow of Highview College after dedicating nearly 50 years of service to the school.
Other notable community involvement included representing the Energy Breakthrough com-mittee from 1997 to 2009, the Moolort Landcare Group from 1991 to 2024, the Maryborough Highland Gathering as a time keeper from 1998 to 2018 and chairman of Goldfield’s Region Sports Association from 1988 to 1996.
Mr O’Connor was also awarded Central Goldfields Shire’s Citizen of the year in 2022.
According to his family at the time he was nominated, in the 59 years Mr O’Connor lived in Maryborough he embraced the town and volunteered in a range of roles during his working years and even more following his retirement in the 1990s.
The honour stands as a lasting testament to Mr O’Connor’s commitment and community impact.