Rodney Stevens

A community leader, a teacher and an SES Unit Commander have been recognised for their decades of dedication to the region in the annual Australia Day Awards honours list.

Three Clarence Valley residents, Mr Peter Dougherty, Mrs Meghanne Wellard and Mrs Susan Chapple were respectively awarded the prestigious honours of Medal of the Order of Australia, Public Service Medal and Emergency Services Medal.

Meghanne Wellard – (Public Service Medal)

A former school principal for eight years, Meghanne Wellard is currently the Executive Director of School Performance where she is responsible for 260 schools across northern NSW.

She was nominated for outstanding public service in the recovery of the Department of Education’s Rural North community following the Northern Rivers flood crisis.

Mrs Wellard said she was overwhelmed when she was notified of the recognition.

“This is not about me, but it is a recognition of my team who did such an amazing job,” she said.

After joining the Department of Education in 1992, Mrs Wellard said the award was the ‘absolute highlight’ after 32 years in the job.

“To know that you are valued, and people see the work you do, that is very special to me,” she said.

“To be nominated by my peers in the department means a lot, because the department means a lot to me.”

Mrs Wellard’s citation stated she provided hope, routine and safe spaces to children and communities that were devastated by the catastrophic flooding that, at its peak, closed more than 130 public schools in the Northern Rivers and inundated thousands of homes.

“Despite her own home being under threat, she worked tirelessly to ensure staff and students were quickly located and confirmed safe, adequate spaces were sourced for students to continue schooling, and counselling and mental-health support were made available for those affected,” her citation said.

“Combining her own local knowledge with departmental learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Bushfires 2019-20 (Black Summer bushfires), she led the Department’s initial flood response and continues to lead recovery efforts.

“Mrs Wellard’s efforts to ensure the Department’s response to the crisis was swift, effective and delivered with care have endeared her to the community and further strengthened the regard in which she is held as a leader.”

Susan Chapple – (Emergency Services Medal)

When Grafton’s Susan Chapple joined the SES more than 25-years-ago she said she loved every minute of the training and found she could put her teaching skills to good use training other volunteers for many years.

Her experience and passion led her to perform the roles of Emergency Officer, Incident Controller, Liaison Officer, Course Instructor, Course Administrator and Administration Officer, before ultimately becoming Unit Commander.

The CV Independent caught up with Mrs Chapple when she was about to board a plane at Coffs Harbour airport to attend more training in Sydney of a First Responder Resilience Program with the Volunteer Association.

“After training new volunteers I went into some leadership positions as Local Commander for seven-and-a-half-years and now I am back to being a normal member of the SES, but I also help out smaller units with what they’re doing and trying to build their recruitment,” she said.

During her 25 plus years, Mrs Chapple has managed many critical incidents, including major floods in the Clarence/Nambucca Region.

“She has built up an expert knowledge of the flood hazard and risk across the entire Clarence Valley including the city of Grafton,” her citation said.

“She has collaboratively developed systems to manage this risk to deliver timely and informed responses.

“Mrs Chapple’s commitment, dedication and sustained professionalism as not only a member but also as a leader within the NSW SES cannot be understated.

“She is a strong advocate for her people, her community, and the NSW SES, often under difficult circumstances and in times of adversity.”

Being one of only two SES volunteers from NSW honoured in the awards was a surprise but a massive honour for Mrs Wellard.

“Deep down there a lot of people worthy of these awards out there and for little old me it was a surprise,” she said.

“The fact that only two Emergency Services members in NSW were the only people listed, it definitely is an amazing honour.”

When she received a letter in early January saying she would be receiving the award, Mrs Chapple said she had to wait ‘a few weeks’ until the news broke.

“They said to keep it confidential until Australia Day which was a bit of a challenge,” she said.

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York APM said for Mrs Chapple and Blacktown SES Unit Commander Barry Wademan to receive the award is a testament to their outstanding contributions to NSW SES and their communities.

“Both Susan and Barry are incredibly deserving of these awards,” she said.

“Susan has provided support and mentorship to members of the NSW SES and is a strong role model for women in leadership.

“They have both assisted in life-critical incidences, supporting communities through severe storms and floods, to building preparedness and capability in their Units – they truly embody our service’s mission of saving lives and protecting communities.”

Peter Dougherty – (Medal of the Order of Australia)

Grafton community stalwart Peter Dougherty has been a pillar of the Jacaranda City since he and brother Bill started Westlawn Finance in 1964 to assist local retailers who couldn’t get finance for their customers for sewing machines, televisions, washing machines and other goods.

Since the 1950’s, when he started by organising the Schoolboys Knockout Rugby League Competition involving teams from Kempsey to Lismore, Mr Dougherty has been heavily involved in local organisations.

Nominated for Service to the Community of the Grafton region, his community work included being a St Vincent De Paul Society volunteer since the 1970’s, a former chairperson at Key Employment, a Founding Member Stroke Victims Support Group, a Volunteer, Mercy Works and Jesuit Ministries, Timor Leste and Cambodia, a Volunteer Reader, talking service for the blind, Daily Examiner newspaper and a Fundraiser, ‘Helping Hand’, Grafton District Services Club.

A foundation member of the Grafton Community Bus in 1986, Mr Dougherty was a volunteer driver for the service for several decades and former President.

For the past 60 years, Mr Dougherty has been an active member of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Grafton, where he has held the roles of former Pastoral Council chairperson, former Financial Council chairperson, former Bereavement Committee member and reader.

Generously, the Dougherty family also donated land for the establishment of St James Primary School, Yamba, and McAuley Catholic College, Grafton, in 1995 and early 2000s.

In 2020, Mr Dougherty’s dedication to the Catholic Church was recognised with a Papal Knighthood, by Order of Saint Gregory the Great, at the Vatican.

Now 90, Mr Dougherty told the CV Independent he scaled back his volunteering commitments late last year and is only continuing to volunteer for his church.

“There’s a little saying I’ve kept which says you can’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands, you’ve got to be able to leave something behind,” he said.

“That’s my motto I’ve lived by for many years.

Mr Dougherty said he was nominated for the award by his neighbour, Gary Prince.

“He was the one who came up with the idea (to nominate me) and he approached my wife and Mark my eldest son and they put the nomination together,” he said.

When he received a letter earlier this month from the Governor General’s Secretary informing, he would be receiving the award, Mr Dougherty said it was a very proud moment.

“I was very excited,” he said.

“It’s been my life that you have to throw something good back into the community.

“The community has been good to me and so I wanted to give back to them.”

Mr Dougherty’s nephew Jim was awarded an OAM in 2014 for services to the community and surf lifesaving.