Typically, Ash Barty’s first thoughts on her latest individual honour were about others.
Barty is among a batch of sports luminaries recognised in Sunday’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List, with the recently retired tennis star appointed an Order (AO) of Australia.
The same honour has also been bestowed on the late cricket great Shane Warne.
Women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning, men’s cricket larrikin Doug Walters and golfer Adam Scott are among other feted sports identities appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.
Barty’s response to her honour was true to renowned selflessness.
“There are so many Australian people who do wonderful things for our country,” she said.
“And I want to congratulate all of the other award recipients on being recognised for their contributions.”
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Barty’s AO follows her other AO triumph, capturing the Australian Open singles title in January.
Within two months of that storied victory – her third major singles title – Barty stunned the sports world by retiring. The Queenslander said she no longer had the mental or physical drive to continue her reign as world No.1.
Barty remains content with her decision, announced a month shy of her 26th birthday in April. And she hopes her latest honour, and her esteemed career, is a source of inspiration to others.
“I’m a very proud Australian and representing my country to the best of my ability has always been my priority,” she said.
“On a personal level, I always try to uphold Australian values – being humble, respectful, kind and caring for others.
“I hope to continue my contribution to our country, focusing on providing youth with sport and education opportunities and inspiring all young kids to go after their dreams.”
Shane Warne often described his life as a soap opera. Wickets, women, famous friends, lavish lifestyle – Warne played in the spotlight on and off the cricket field.
But his posthumous Queen’s Birthday Honour, appointed an Order (AO) of Australia, shines a light on a side of Warne kept largely in the shadows: his philanthropy.
Warne’s AO cites his distinguished service to cricket as a player and commentator, recognising the immense sporting contribution of the Australian who died from a suspected heart attack at a Thailand resort on March 4, aged 52.
But Sunday’s honour was also bestowed on Warne for his service to the wider community through charity and philanthropy.
Some of Warne’s generosity was public, such as auctioning his baggy green Test cap in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires in his home state of Victoria in 2009.
The cap was purchased by the Commonwealth Bank for $1,007,500 – a record price paid for an item of Australian sports memorabilia – with all proceeds dedicated to bushfire victims.
There was also the Shane Warne Foundation, which raised $7.8 million to support ill and underprivileged children in Australia for a dozen years before closing.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
But other organisations quietly benefited from Warne’s philanthropy. He was a benefactor for My Room Children’s Cancer Charity and a long-time supporter of Challenge, which also helped kids with cancer.
Warne donated memorabilia and made voluntary appearances at fundraising events for a range of charities including Elton John AIDS Foundation, Australian Red Cross, Scope and the Small Steps Project.
And his reach extended beyond Australia, with support for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake recovery and contributions to the rebuilding of the town of Galle in Sri Lanka and its cricket stadium following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Warne also supported various UN development programs including the Lion’s Share wildlife fund. The UN announced the establishment of a conservation grant in his name after his death.
Other sports identities featured in the honours list released on Sunday, include Muriel Picton, who was Australia’s women’s cricket Test captain in the 1960s, and who also represented her nation in hockey.
Picton was appointed an AO, as were rugby union great Brendan Moon, who played 35 Tests for the Wallabies between 1978 and 1986, and Sandra McCaw, whose sporting achievements included four Australian women’s amateur golf titles between 1972 and 1984.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Unless you are in the public eye the chances of raising big money like Warne and Daniher , in Melbourne, are very slim compared to them
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Only 5 Grand Slams have been achieved, in the men’s, and he did it twice. So only 4 men have done it. He missed the chance to do it in the prime 5 years of his career because of his going professional after the 1962 GS. Conceivably he could have done it 3x ….. or more. ———- And to show how hard it is Federer and Djokovic found it hard to beat the Clay Court Kid. And they in turn took an inordinate amount of the remaining 3 Major Slams with Nadal left adjusting his wedgies. The Djoker did come close. ——– One of my girlfriend’s was the last woman to do it.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
PJK was the greatest federal politician Australia has ever had. He has cut-thru, clarity and nous. And he was only interested in results and accolades are the vain.
Nick
Roar Guru
many more do the same stuff and get ignored. He got it for cricket..the other stuff is a nice bonus.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Because of Warne millions were raised for children with cancer . I remember the work done in Sri Lanka after the tsunami. I think he deserves any award for that alone
Nick
Roar Guru
As a matter of fact, yes.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Nick, you obviously have a good idea of the process. Have you ever been involved in nominating someone for an award?
Nick
Roar Guru
I have read them. Have a gander at the AC's though
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Nick, I wonder if you have read through the list of people given awards. The media have focussed on celebrities like Warne and Barty, however I see many names I don’t recognise who have clearly been rewarded for their public service in a wide number of areas.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
In Warne's defence, it does seem his nomination - which was prior to his death - was on the basis of his charitable work, rather than his success during his playing career. Or at least that is how it is being reported. Of course, because of his on-field achievements, he had the financial security/freedom to then pursue charitable interests/outcomes. So it does raise the discussion point as to who should be recognised in a publicly-elevated way (i.e. honours/awards) when there are many who also give their time to volunteering/charitable endeavours/making a positive societal impact, when doing so comes at the expense of their own personal financial security. I don't begrudge Warne's legacy being recognised, but at the same time acknowledge that these honours "systems" see too many others fall through the cracks of recognition.
Nick
Roar Guru
No one deserves an AC because they can spin a ball, JGK. You deserve an AC when you do something that has a positive impact on the society. I.e save lives through the creation of a vaccine, or cancer treatment, or invent a great sustainable agricultural theory, donate millions to the creation of homeless shelters, or be a titan of industry that gave employment to tens of thousands etc. Warney was a gun, but all he did was spin a ball. Spun it miles, but that's all he did.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
I don’t believe ACs have been given to sports people just on the basis of their sport. With cricketers such as Bradman and Warne you are lucky to be able to see one in a lifetime. Rod Laver and Margaret Court née Smith come to mind as others who dominated their sport (Court less so) but are not quite in the same bracket although a case could be made for Laver.
Nick
Roar Guru
I agree that Warne not getting one while alive and while his contemporaries did was unfair. So from that point, he does deserve the AO. But to the wider point...he made millions, was/is globally famous and won a plethora of awards in his industry. That is just reward for doing his job. Giving out AM/AO/AC to people simply because they occupied a position or are a celebrity is simply wrong. Scott Morrison will be given an AC in a few years time, like all the other PM's. But does he deserve it? All high court judges get AC's simply for making it to the bench. It's not rewarding the service, it's rewarding the position or entrenching the eminence. Orders are anachronistic. We sneer at the British honours system, but ours is no different. It's just classist crap. Titles for the well heeled and well connected, and scraps for everyone else.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
I would hope that volunteers who have acted over decades would be given awards. I will admit that the world has changed, sport has become more professional and large financial rewards are paid to the top achievers which wasn’t true decades ago. Great changes occurred within Shane Warne’s own career, the money only became big in the second half of his cricket life. Rod Laver started in the amateur era and finished as a professional. Bradman was a professional before his time. The lack of an award for Warne was unfair given the awards made to his contemporaries.
JGK
Roar Guru
Agree that AC’s should be rare but geez Warne was a one off.
Nick
Roar Guru
Aransan, People do nominate them. But they routinely get overlooked...principally because people like you with your comments just now validate the idea that these should be handed out to celebrities. And no, the work of volunteers is more important than a cricketer taking wickets. If Warne (and other cricketers) want recognition for their achievements on the cricket field, then there are plenty of industry awards (Allan Border medal, ICC awards). Likewise with his commentary - there are industry awards for that too. You shouldn't get an AM or AO simply for doing your job.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Nick, perhaps more people should be nominating these good ordinary people doing good work, and we should be prepared to reward them. I think this is more in the realm of OAM rather than the exceptional awards of AO and AM. The award of AC should be rare indeed.
Nick
Roar Guru
Much better to not have them at all tbh. They go to the wrong people, all the time. It's quite frankly a disgrace that these get handed out to celebrities simply for excelling in their profession, while the hundreds of thousands of volunteers in Australia - who do their work for nothing else than being a good person - continually and routinely get ignored. I'd much rather an AO go to a volunteer at the blood bank, or someone who goes drives around handing out meals and care to the elderly, or people who drive community buses so the elderly and underprivileged have a way to get to essential care, or the volunteers of the SES who battle fires and floods. Or even lawyers who give up big salaries to go and work in legal aid. These are the people the country should recognise. Not people like Nicole Kidman - who is an AC! - who spends the majority of their time contributing to another nations economy. Her reward for her success as an actress was an Oscar. It should never have been an AC. That's why Paul Keating is a hero in this regard. He has repeatedly rejected honours. Being Prime Minister, and holding the support of the national electorate was enough of a privilege. You shouldn't get an honour simply for doing your day job.
Nick
Roar Guru
The award for Warne will increase the stature of the Order of Australia awards It won't. If anything it will only reinforce the perception that these are handed out like candy to celebrities while the everyday heroes are forgotten. There are hundreds of thousands of people everyday in Australia doing tremendous deeds and going under the radar. Quite frankly, people who work at vinnies, and do decades of volunteer work at blood banks and meals on wheels deserve these awards more than Warney, Barty, Nicole Kidman etc. Still, good for Warney. On precedent alone he did need to have one.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
The award for Warne will increase the stature of the Order of Australia awards, I learned a lot about the different awards when thinking about the injustice done to Warne by not giving him an award while he was alive. It is important to note that posthumous awards can only be given to someone if they were alive when nominated.